Released December 1972 Release date December 1972 Producers Ken Nelson, Fuzzy Owen | Label Capitol ST-11127 Genre Country music | |
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Recorded March 1970-September 1972 at Capitol Records Studio, Hollywood, CA, Buck Owens Studio, Bakersfield, CA and United Recording Studio, Hollywood, CA It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)
(1972) I Love Dixie Blues
(1973) Artists Merle Haggard, The Strangers Nominations Academy of Country Music Award for Album of the Year Similar The Strangers albums, Country music albums | ||
Merle haggard its not love but its not bad
It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) is the seventeenth studio album by American country singer Merle Haggard, released in 1972. It reached number one on the Billboard country albums chart. The lead off single was "It's Not Love (But it's Not Bad)" which also reached #1 on the charts.
Contents
Haggard's second studio album of 1972 contains several songs that display an ambivalence towards relationships, such as "Somewhere To Come When It Rains," "My Woman Keeps on Loving Her Man," the adulterous "I Wonder Where I'll Find You at Tonight," and the cynical title track. The LP also contains the Haggard original "I Wonder What She'll Think About Me Leaving," which Conway Twitty took to number 4 in 1971.
Reception
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine calls the album a "frustrating listen," and a "fitfully entertaining album, equally divided between the excellent and the mediocre. A few of the throwaways are entertaining, particularly the rolling 'New York City Blues,' but songs like 'Dad's Old Fiddle' and 'My Woman Keeps Lovin' Her Man' fail to make an impression." Music critic Robert Christgau wrote "This mainstream country album—his first since Hag—does more justice to its title than many of his more pretentious efforts. Nothing special, just marriage and its travails, but play it twice and you'll remember most of it."
Track listing
All songs by Merle Haggard unless otherwise noted:
- "It's Not Love (But it's Not Bad)" (Hank Cochran, Glenn Martin)
- "Goodbye Comes Hard for Me" (Tommy Collins)
- "My Woman Keeps Lovin' Her Man"
- "New York City Blues"
- "I Wonder What She'll Think About Me Leaving"
- "The Conversion of Ronnie Jones" (Collins)
- "Shoulder to Cry On"
- "I'd Never Told on You" (Cochran)
- "Dad's Old Fiddle" (Martin)
- "Somewhere to Come When It Rains" (Red Lane)
- "I Wonder Where I'll Find You at Tonight"
Personnel
Songs
1It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)3:21
2Goodbye Comes Hard for Me2:41
3My Woman Keeps Lovin' Her Man2:43