Name: It's All In The Game by Merle Haggard
Brand: Merle Haggard
SKU: 888880515179
Price: 9.9 USD
Availability: OnlineOnly
Rating: 2 (70 reviews)

ALBUM

In the early '80s, Merle Haggard's commercial star was about to be eclipsed by a new wave of country performers such as Randy Travis and George Strait. On this period's album's, however, such as 1984's IT'S ALL IN THE GAME, Haggard's talents as a singer and songwriter show no signs of abating. As always, the lean, no-nonsense Bakersfield sound predominates, but an overall mood of pensiveness and melancholy seems to inform both the songwriting and the performances here. Softer arrangements, a subdued vocal approach, and themes of loss, loneliness and estrangement color cuts such as "Little Hotel Room" and "I Never Go Home Anymore." The tone set by the lilting title track and the aching tenderness of "Looking For a Place to Fall Apart" (featuring the voice of Janie Fricke) make the three covers that end the album--"Thank Heaven For Little Girls," "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" and Ernie Tubb's "You Nearly Lose Your Mind" seem oddly out of place. With these exceptions, the mood of the album is quite unified. In another artist's hands, IT'S ALL IN THE GAME might have been a mere crying-in-the-beer soundtrack. In Haggard's, it's deeply personal and emotionally compelling music.
© TiVo

1. Let's Chase Each Other Around the Room

by Merle Haggard

Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Lyricist: Freddy Powers
Sheril Rodgers
Merle Haggard; Composer
Assistant Engineer: Ed "fast" Hudson; Production
Assistant Producer: Dean Holloway
Fuzzy Owen
Lewis Talley; Production
Engineer: Ron "snake" Reynolds; Production
Fiddle: Tiny Moore
Jimmy Belken; Performer
Guitar: Merle Haggard
Roy Nichols; Performer
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Bobby Wood
Mark Yeary; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Composer: Sheril Rodgers
Merle Haggard
Freddy Powers; Composer
Performer: Merle Haggard; Performer
Mastering Engineer: Glenn Meadows; Production
Primary Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Producer: Merle Haggard
Ray Baker; Production

2. A Place to Fall Apart

by Merle Haggard With Janie Frickie

Lyricist: Willie Nelson
Freddy Powers
Merle Haggard; Composer
Assistant Engineer: Ed "fast" Hudson; Production
Assistant Producer: Fuzzy Owen
Dean Holloway
Lewis Talley; Production
Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Engineer: Ron "snake" Reynolds; Production
Fiddle: Jimmy Belken
Tiny Moore; Performer
Guitar: Merle Haggard
Roy Nichols; Performer
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Bobby Wood
Mark Yeary; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Vocals: Janie Fricke; Performer
Composer: Willie Nelson
Freddy Powers
Merle Haggard; Composer
Featured Artist: Janie Fricke; Main Performer
Performer: Merle Haggard
Merle Haggard With Janie Frickie
Janie Fricke; Performer
Mastering Engineer: Glenn Meadows; Production
Primary Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Producer: Merle Haggard
Ray Baker; Production

3. It's All In the Game

by Merle Haggard

Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Executive Producer: Merle Haggard; Production
Producer: Ray Baker; Production
Fiddle: Tiny Moore
Jimmy Belken; Performer
Guitar: Merle Haggard
Roy Nichols; Performer
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Bobby Wood
Mark Yeary; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Performer: Merle Haggard; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Lyricist: Carl Sigman
C. Dawes
C. Sigman; Composer
Primary Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Composer: C. Dawes
Carl Sigman
C. Sigman; Composer

4. Little Hotel Room

by Ray Charles, Merle Haggard

Assistant Engineer: Ed "fast" Hudson; Production
Assistant Producer: Dean Holloway
Lewis Talley
Fuzzy Owen; Production
Executive Producer: Merle Haggard; Production
Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Engineer: Ron "snake" Reynolds; Production
Producer: Ray Baker; Production
Fiddle: Jimmy Belken
Tiny Moore; Performer
Guitar: Merle Haggard
Roy Nichols; Performer
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Mark Yeary
Bobby Wood; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Lyricist: Freddy Powers; Composer
Featured Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Performer: Ray Charles
Merle Haggard; Performer
Mastering Engineer: Glenn Meadows; Production
Primary Artist: Ray Charles; Main Performer
Composer: Freddy Powers; Composer

5. I Never Go Home Anymore

by Merle Haggard

Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Assistant Engineer: Ed "fast" Hudson; Production
Assistant Producer: Dean Holloway
Fuzzy Owen
Lewis Talley; Production
Engineer: Ron "snake" Reynolds; Production
Executive Producer: Merle Haggard; Production
Producer: Ray Baker; Production
Fiddle: Tiny Moore
Jimmy Belken; Performer
Guitar: Merle Haggard
Roy Nichols; Performer
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Bobby Wood
Mark Yeary; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Lyricist: Merle Haggard; Composer
Performer: Merle Haggard; Performer
Mastering Engineer: Glenn Meadows; Production
Primary Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Composer: Merle Haggard; Composer

6. All I Want to Do Is Sing My Song

by Merle Haggard

Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Assistant Engineer: Ed "fast" Hudson; Production
Assistant Producer: Lewis Talley
Dean Holloway
Fuzzy Owen; Production
Engineer: Ron "snake" Reynolds; Production
Executive Producer: Merle Haggard; Production
Producer: Ray Baker; Production
Fiddle: Tiny Moore
Jimmy Belken; Performer
Guitar: Merle Haggard
Roy Nichols; Performer
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Bobby Wood
Mark Yeary; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Lyricist: Merle Haggard
Freddy Powers; Composer
Performer: Merle Haggard; Performer
Mastering Engineer: Glenn Meadows; Production
Primary Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Composer: Freddy Powers
Merle Haggard; Composer

7. Natural High

by Merle Haggard With Janie Frickie

Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Featured Artist: Janie Fricke; Main Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Fiddle: Tiny Moore
Jimmy Belken; Performer
Guitar: Roy Nichols
Merle Haggard; Performer
Lyricist: F. Powers; Composer
Executive Producer: Merle Haggard; Production
Producer: Ray Baker; Production
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Mark Yeary
Bobby Wood; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Performer: Merle Haggard With Janie Frickie
Janie Fricke
Merle Haggard; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Vocals: Janie Fricke
Janie Frickie; Performer
Primary Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Composer: F. Powers; Composer

8. Thank Heaven for Little Girls

by Merle Haggard

Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Executive Producer: Merle Haggard; Production
Producer: Ray Baker; Production
Fiddle: Tiny Moore
Jimmy Belken; Performer
Guitar: Merle Haggard
Roy Nichols; Performer
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Bobby Wood
Mark Yeary; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Performer: Merle Haggard; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Lyricist: Frederick Loewe
Alan Jay Lerner
A.j. Lerner
F. Loewe; Composer
Primary Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Composer: Alan Jay Lerner
Frederick Loewe
A.j. Lerner
F. Loewe; Composer

9. To All the Girls I'Ve Loved Before

by Merle Haggard

Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Assistant Engineer: Ed "fast" Hudson; Production
Assistant Producer: Lewis Talley
Dean Holloway
Fuzzy Owen; Production
Engineer: Ron "snake" Reynolds; Production
Executive Producer: Merle Haggard; Production
Producer: Ray Baker; Production
Fiddle: Tiny Moore
Jimmy Belken; Performer
Guitar: Merle Haggard
Roy Nichols; Performer
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Bobby Wood
Mark Yeary; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Lyricist: Albert Hammond
Hal David; Composer
Performer: Merle Haggard; Performer
Mastering Engineer: Glenn Meadows; Production
Primary Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Composer: Hal David
Albert Hammond; Composer

10. You Nearly Lose Your Mind

by Merle Haggard

Composer: E. Tubb; Composer
Acoustic Bass: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Bass: Mike Leech; Performer
Bass Guitar: Dennis Hromek; Performer
Drums: Biff Adam; Performer
Fiddle: Tiny Moore
Jimmy Belken; Performer
Guitar: Roy Nichols; Performer
Lyricist: E. Tubb; Composer
Harp: Lloyd Lindroth; Performer
Horn: Don Markham; Performer
Horn Section: Don Markham; Performer
Keyboard: Mark Yeary
Bobby Wood; Performer
Mandolin: Tiny Moore; Performer
Performer: Merle Haggard; Performer
Steel Guitar: Norm Hamlet; Performer
Primary Artist: Merle Haggard; Main Performer
Producer: Merle Haggard
Ray Baker; Production

Technical Specifications

Volume

1 volume only

Tracks

10 tracks available

Type

ALBUM

Format

Digital Media

Duration

30 minutes and 26 seconds

Explicit

None

Coverart

Available and up to 1500x1500 px

Booklet

Not available

Max Quality

Studio Quality (Hi-Res)

24bit / 96 kHz

Stereo

Audio Extension

Hi-Res/Lossless: FLAC, M4A, WAV, WV, AIFF

Lossy: AAC, MP3, M4A, MP4, OGA, OGG, OPUS, WMA

Archive Format

Available in these formats: ZIP, TAR, RAR

Lyrics

7/10 tracks have lyrics

Synchronized Lyrics

3/10 tracks have synced lyrics

Genres

Country, Traditional Country, Bakersfield Sound

Label

Epic

Music Distribution Service

SME Mora Qualitas

Country

United States

Language

English (United States)

Popularity

Release Date

Apr 14, 1984

Track Preview

Available

Delivery Charge

Free

Delivery Method

Digital download link via Email or Personal Dashboard on this site

UPC

888880515179

Shopping cart

Notification

It's All In The Game