Encapsulating the breadth of the country legend's gritty appeal, this collection of Merle Haggard hits includes workingman ballads like "If We Make It Through December" and "Workin' Man Blues," the semi-autobiographical "Hungry Eyes" and "Mama Tried," the love-it-or-leave-it anthems "Okie From Muskogee" and "Fightin' Side of Me," and his classic prison song, "Sing Me Back Home."

The Fightin' Side of Me: 15 #1 Hits is a 15-track budget-priced collection that features some of Merle Haggard's biggest hits, but unfortunately in re-recorded versions. The majority of tracks are from Haggard's Capitol songbook, including "Sing Me Back Home," "Okie from Muskogee," "The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde," "It's All in the Movies," "Mama Tried," and "The Fightin' Side of Me." Although this isn't a bad budget-priced disc, there are far better collections available, offering more songs in the original hit versions. ~ Al Campbell