Suzy Bogguss is ready to have a good time at Songbirds [video]

Revisiting her hit record "Aces" 25 years later last year wasn't quite the deja vu moment it could have been for Suzy Bogguss, she said, because she's been playing most of the record, especially the first hit singles, in her live shows for years.

That's not to say that re-recording the songs for "Aces Redux" didn't have its moments, especially in those instances where the lyrics have taken on a new or different meaning.

"I try not to intimidate me when I have a success," she said.

"I didn't want it to be too different. I wanted fans who knew the record to have the signature licks. I think about the nut of the song and some took on a life of their own.

Suzy Bogguss

Suzy Bogguss

"Now the phrasing might be different because I've lived some of this. I have a kid now. 'Letting Go' was about me being the daughter and leaving. It's not quite as happy a song to me now," she says with a laugh.

"Oh oh letting go

There's nothing in the way now,

Oh letting go, there's room enough to fly

And even though, she's spent her whole life waiting

It's never easy letting go."

Bogguss will perform Friday night, July 28, at Songbirds Guitar Museum. For the "Redux" CD cover, she dressed as she had for the original album in blue jeans, a simple brown shirt and the same white jacket. Even her hair is similar.

"Redux" was done for a couple of reasons, she said. First was the 25th anniversary. The second reason was to give fans a recording of how the songs are done live.

"I don't carry drums or keys anymore."

She had to rework the songs to reflect that, but also because she wanted to update them.

"For the most part, it was hard for me because at that time, we did layer upon layer of background vocals and layers of drums. It kind of dates the music, but as the artist, I found it kind of fun to treat them as being more about the lyrics."

In 2014, Bogguss recorded "Lucky," a collection of Merle Haggard favorites. She said she reached out to The Hag before doing so to get his blessing. Haggard has meant a great deal to her over the years, even before she became a singer herself. She was always struck by his storytelling skills, especially when it came to singing about bars, prison and drinking.

"My dad was a shop worker at International Harvester," she said. "I inherited all of his eight-track tapes. Listening to them I felt like I was really cool and adult. It was dangerous music.

"He wrote about drinking in bars because he was having trouble at home with the wife.

"I think he pulled from his personal life. My heroes were the guys running around the streets and then writing about it. The guys who the next day would say, 'I got a brand new song because I got in a stupor at 3 a.m.' You've got to have some real experiences."

Bogguss said she has written a bunch of new songs, but is waiting for something or someone to motivate her to record them.

"I kind of want somebody to kick me in the butt and teach me something new. It's sort of serendipity for me when things happen."

She says fans at Friday's show will hear a few songs from the Haggard project, as well as many of her hits. Mostly she wants people to have a good time.

"A lot of our show is to try to make people laugh and be happy."

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6354.