title: 1996 (Merle Haggard album)
text: # 1996 (Merle Haggard album)
  
  1996 is the forty-ninth studio album by American country singer Merle Haggard, released in 1996. It was his last studio album on the Curb Records label, and was considered something of a return to form for Haggard despite poor sales.
  
  ## Background
  
  Despite good reviews, 1996 was the first studio album in Haggard's career not to chart. Curb's indifference to the release is commonly cited as a major factor in the LP's commercial failure, with country music critic, journalist and historian Michael McCall summarizing the situation in his AllMusic review of the album: "His record company didn't send promotional copies to reviewers until the album had been out for nearly a month, and no advertising or promotion has been devoted to the music. The album artwork and cover reflect this lack of care: the title, 1996, is boxed on the cover like a tomb, exactly like Hag's last set, 1994." In his 2013 Haggard biography The Running Kind David Cantwell adds, "To be a singer and a writer with next to zero chance of being heard was maddening enough. That 1996 boasted several strong new originals only compounded the frustration." On "Beer Can Hill," a song that celebrates his Bakersfield roots, Haggard is joined by Dwight Yoakam and fellow country legend Buck Owens. 1996 also features contributions from John Anderson, Iris Dement, and Johnny Paycheck.
  
  ## Reception
  
  Professional ratings :
  
  | Review scores ||
  | - | - |
  | Source | Rating |
  | Allmusic | |
  
  Michael McCall of AllMusic writes, "Recorded in Bakersfield, Haggard's album takes a jaunty yet melancholy look at a middle-aged man's concerns... The album's standout is a cover of Iris Dement's great 'No Time to Cry,' which Haggard fills with aged, tired wisdom."
  
  ## Track listing
  
  * "Sin City Blues" (Merle Haggard, Theresa Lane Haggard, Joe Manuel) – 2:28
  * "No Time to Cry" (Iris Dement) – 4:25
  * "Beer Can Hill" (Haggard, Abe Manuel, Jr.) – 3:16
  * "Truck Drivers' Blues" (Haggard, Tim Howard) – 3:04
  * "Too Many Highways" (Haggard, Max D. Barnes) – 2:59
  * "Five Days a Week" (Haggard) – 2:13
  * "Kids Get Lonesome Too" (Haggard, Lou Bradley) – 3:00
  * "If Anyone Ought to Know" (Haggard, Bonnie Owens) – 3:03
  * "Untanglin' My Mind" (Haggard, Clint Black) – 4:09
  * "Winds of Change" (Haggard, Terry Hardesty) – 3:28
  
  ## Personnel
  
  * Merle Haggard – vocals, guitar
  * Norm Hamlet – steel guitar, dobro
  * Biff Adams – drums
  * Mark Yeary – piano
  * Don Markham – trumpet, saxophone, penny whistle
  * Jim Belkins – violin
  * Clint Strong – guitar
  * John Anderson – vocals
  * Dwight Yoakam – vocals
  * Buck Owens – vocals
  * Johnny Paycheck – vocals
  * Seymour Duncan – guitar
  * Eddie Curtis – bass
  * Iris DeMent – piano
  * Hilton Reed – guitar, bass, background vocals
  * Oleg Schramm – piano
  * Dawn Sears – background vocals
  * Leland Sklar – bass
  * Bob Teague – vocals
  * Bobby Wood – electric piano
  * Terry Hardesty – guitar
  * Tim Howard – guitar
  * Abe Manuel, Jr. – guitar, fiddle, percussion, accordion, harmony vocals
  * Joe Manuel – guitar, background vocals
  
  Production notes:
  
  * Lou Bradley – producer, engineer
  * Merle Haggard – producer
  * Abe Manuel, Jr. – producer
  