Merle made history with his stripped-down Bakersfield sound in the ‘60s, but over the years he proved to be the most multifaceted country kingpin of his generation. Any artist who can turn out the fiddle-fired Western swing of Bob Wills' “Time Changes Everything” as compellingly as the world-weary sociopolitical commentary of “I've Seen It Go Away” has cemented his mastery on multiple levels.