A Friend in California (album)

A Friend in California is the forty-first studio album by American recording artist Merle Haggard with backing by The Strangers, released in 1986.

Recording and composition
Haggard produced the album with Ron "Snake" Reynolds. Most of the songs were written by Haggard and Freddy Powers, who had become one of Haggard's favorite writers during this period. A Friend in California boasts a re-energized-sounding Haggard performing several up-tempo numbers like "This Song is for You," "Silverthorn Mountain," and "I Had a Beautiful Time." He also plays off his own legend with "The Okie from Muskogee's Comin' Home" and the autobiographical "Mama's Prayer" which pays tribute to his late mother. Other noteworthy tracks is his bluesy take on the Floyd Tillman classic "This Cold War with You" and the obligatory western swing paean "Texas."

Critical reception
Music critic Robert Christgau wrote "Just when I decide he's gonna lay back forever he ambles into this. No Nippophobia, minimal love pap, a touch of Mexico, and lots of swing—except for one Freddy Powers pledge it keeps going till the obligatory sentimentality of the last two cuts."

Personnel

 * Merle Haggard – vocals, guitar, fiddle

The Strangers:
 * Roy Nichols – guitar
 * Norman Hamlet – steel guitar, dobro
 * Clint Strong – guitar
 * Mark Yeary – keyboards
 * Dennis Hromek – bass
 * Biff Adam – drums
 * Jimmy Belken – fiddle
 * Don Markham – trumpet, saxophone
 * Gary Church – trombone, trumpet

with:
 * Freddy Powers – backing vocals

and:
 * Donna Faye – backing vocals