| It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Merle Haggard and The Strangers |
| Cover: | Its Not Love But Its Not Bad.jpg |
| Released: | December 1972 |
| Recorded: | March 1970 – September 1972 |
| Studio: |
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| Genre: | Country |
| Label: | Capitol ST-11127 |
| Producer: | Ken Nelson, Fuzzy Owen |
| Prev Title: | Let Me Tell You About a Song |
| Prev Year: | 1972 |
| Next Title: | I Love Dixie Blues |
| Next Year: | 1973 |
It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad) is the fifteenth studio album by American country music singer Merle Haggard and The Strangers, 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 No. 1 on the charts.[1]
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.
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."
All songs by Merle Haggard unless otherwise noted:
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