Dwight Yoakam | ||
| Allmusic Biography : With his stripped-down approach to traditional honky tonk and Bakersfield country, Dwight Yoakam helped return country music to its roots in the late 80s. Like his idols Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Hank Williams, Yoakam never played by Nashvilles rules; consequently, he never dominated the charts like his contemporary Randy Travis. Then again, Travis never played around with the sound and style of country music like Yoakam. On each of his records, he twists around the form enough to make it seem like he doesnt respect all of countrys traditions. Appropriately, his core audience was composed mainly of roots rock and rock & roll fans, not the mainstream country audience. Nevertheless, he was frequently able to chart in the country Top Ten, and he remained one of the most respected and adventurous recording country artists well into the 90s. Born in Kentucky but raised in Ohio, Yoakam learned how to play guitar at the age of six. As a child, he listened to his mothers record collection, honing in on the traditional country of Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, as well as the Bakersfield honky tonk of Buck Owens. When he was in high school, Yoakam played with a variety of bands, playing everything from country to rock & roll. After completing high school, Yoakam briefly attended Ohio State University, but he dropped out and moved to Nashville in the late 70s with the intent of becoming a recording artist. At the time he moved to Nashville, the town was in the throes of the pop-oriented urban cowboy movement and had no interest in his updated honky tonk. While in Nashville, he met guitarist Pete Anderson, who shared a similar taste in music. The pair moved out to Los Angeles, where they found a more appreciative audience than they did in Nashville. In L.A., Yoakam and Anderson didnt just play country clubs, they played the same nightclubs that punk and post-punk rock bands like X, the Dead Kennedys, Los Lobos, the Blasters, and the Butthole Surfers did. What Yoakam had in common with rock bands like X and the Blasters was similar musical influences; they all drew from 50s rock & roll and country. In comparison to the polished music coming out of Nashville, Yoakams stripped-down, direct revivalism seemed radical. The cowpunks, as they were called, that attended Yoakams shows provided an invaluable support for his fledgling career. Yoakam released an independent EP, A Town South of Bakersfield, in 1984, which received substantial airplay on Los Angeles college and alternative radio stations. The EP also helped him land a record contract with Reprise Records. Dwights full-length debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., was released in 1986 and was an instant sensation. Rock and country critics praised it and it earned airplay on college stations across America. More importantly, it was a hit on the country charts, as its first single, a cover of Johnny Hortons "Honky Tonk Man," climbed to number three in the spring, followed by the number four "Guitars, Cadillacs" in the summer. The album would eventually go platinum. Hillbilly Deluxe, Dwights 1987 follow-up, was equally successful, spawning four Top Ten hits: "Little Sister," "Little Ways," "Please, Please Baby," and "Always Late with Your Kisses." In 1988, Yoakam had his first number one hit with "Streets of Bakersfield," a cover of a Buck Owens song recorded with Owens himself. It was the first single off his third album, Buenos Noches from a Lonely Room, which continued his streak of Top Ten hits. "I Sang Dixie," the albums second single, went to number one, and "I Got You" reached number five. In 1989, Yoakam released a compilation album, Just Lookin for a Hit, which went gold. "Long White Cadillac," taken from the collection, stalled at number 35 in the fall of 1989. Although his 1990 album If There Was a Way didnt have as many Top Ten hits, it was a major success; it was his first album since his debut to go platinum. This Time, released in the spring of 1993, was an even bigger hit, spawning three number two singles -- "Aint That Lonely Yet," "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere," and "Fast as You" -- and going platinum. After its release, Yoakam was silent for two years, returning in the summer of 1995 with Dwight Live, which didnt set the charts on fire. In the fall of that year, he released his sixth album, Gone, which went gold by the spring of 1996, although it didnt produce any major country hits. After 1997s Under the Covers, a collection of cover songs, Yoakam returned with the all-new A Long Way Home in 1998. Another compilation, Last Chance for a Thousand Years: Greatest Hits from the 90s, was released in 1999; its newly recorded version of Queens "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" became Yoakams biggest hit in six years, even hitting the lower reaches of the pop charts thanks to its exposure in a khakis commercial. Two albums followed in 2000: dwightyoakamacoustic.net, a bare-bones, all-acoustic revisitation of Yoakams back catalog; and the more standard studio project Tomorrows Sounds Today, which featured further collaborations with Buck Owens and a cover of Cheap Tricks "I Want You to Want Me." In 2001, Yoakam debuted as a writer and director, also issuing the soundtrack South of Heaven, West of Hell to accompany it. Two years later, he debuted on a new label (Audium) with Population Me, while Reprise issued the compilation In Others Words to compete with it. In 2004 he released Dwights Used Records, a 14-track anthology of duets that appeared on other artists albums, unreleased covers, and cuts Yoakam contributed to various tribute compilations. An album of all new material, the self-produced Blame the Vain, followed in 2005 along with the live album Live from Austin, TX. An album of Buck Owens covers, Dwight Sings Buck, appeared in 2007. Released in 2012, 3 Pears -- Yoakams first album since returning to Warner Bros. Records after a trio of releases for New West Records, and his first album of original material since 2005s Blame the Vain -- featured a pair of Beck productions, "A Heart Like Mine" and "Missing Heart," recorded at Becks home studio in California. 3 Pears debuted at 18 on the Billboard Top 200, his highest chart position ever. Three years later, Yoakam returned with Second Hand Heart. In 2016, Yoakam took a step back even deeper into country music traditions with Swimmin Pools, Movie Stars..., his first bluegrass album, featuring high lonesome reworkings of some of his best-known tunes. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 32 Title: Guitars, Cadillacs Etc. Etc. Released: 1986-08-19 Tracks: 10 Duration: 31:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Honky Tonk Man (02:48) 2 It Wont Hurt (03:05) 3 Ill Be Gone (02:49) 4 South of Cincinnati (04:55) 5 Bury Me (03:19) 6 Guitars, Cadillacs (03:04) 7 Twenty Years (02:43) 8 Ring of Fire (03:14) 9 Miners Prayer (02:25) 10 Heartaches by the Number (03:12) |
| Guitars, Cadillacs Etc. Etc. : Allmusic album Review : Dwight Yoakams Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. began as an EP issued on the California Oak label. When Reprise signed him, they added four more tracks to the mix to round it out as an album. Yoakam, a Kentuckian, brought country music back into its own medium by reviving the classic Bakersfield sound with the help of his producer and lead guitarist, former Detroiter Pete Anderson. As a result, the "new traditionalist" movement was born, but Yoakam was always a cut or three above the rest, as this album displays in spades. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. kicks off with a smoking cover of Johnny Hortons "Honky Tonk Man," a song now so closely associated with Yoakam, the original has all but been forgotten. But this is only the beginning. Yoakams own songs such as "Bury Me," a duet with Maria McKee, and "South of Cincinnati" reference both the pastoral and dark sides of his native state. "South of Cincinnati" is a paean to those who left Kentucky for Ohio in search of jobs, and "Bury Me" celebrates the land itself. In addition, the title track, with Andersons Don Rich-influenced guitar style, walks the Buck Owens line until the line extends to Yoakam. With fiddles and backing vocals, Yoakams street poetry is both poignant and profound, built into a barroom anthem. In addition to this there is the gorgeous "Miners Prayer," an acoustic number powered by dobro (courtesy of David Mansfield), flat-picked guitar, and Yoakams singing of his grandfather and generations like him who lived and died in the mines of Kentucky. Here Bill Monroe meets Ralph Stanley meets Bob Dylan. In the grain of Yoakams voice there isnt one hint of irony, only empathy and raw emotion. Yoakam also does a more than acceptable version of June Carters "Ring of Fire," the "Cherokee" of country music -- meaning that if you can play it and pull it off, youre taken seriously by the veterans. The album closes with the Harlan Howard classic "Heartaches by the Number." Because of Ed Blacks steel playing, Brantley Kearns fiddle, and Andersons guitar, the accompaniment is stronger and far edgier than the Ray Price version, but from Yoakams throat comes an entirely different story than Prices. In Prices case the song was a plea; in Yoakams its a statement of fact. An astonishing debut, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. changed the face of country music single-handedly and remains one hell of a party record. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 32 Title: Hillbilly Deluxe Released: 1987-07-07 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Little Ways (03:21) 2 Smoke Along the Track (03:13) 3 Johnsons Love (04:31) 4 Please, Please Baby (03:35) 5 Readin, Rightin, Rt. 23 (03:33) 6 Always Late With Your Kisses (02:13) 7 1,000 Miles (04:12) 8 Throughout All Time (03:54) 9 Little Sister (03:04) 10 This Drinkin Will Kill Me (02:34) |
| Hillbilly Deluxe : Allmusic album Review : Hillbilly Deluxe is proof that beyond a shadow of a doubt, Dwight Yoakams Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. was no fluke. Theres no sophomore slump here, and while Hillbilly Deluxe may be seen as an extension of his debut, repetition taint necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it can be heard and viewed as Yoakam and producer/guitarist Pete Anderson cementing the commitment to Bakersfield-styled honky tonk music. Yoakams voice is a dead cross of Merle Haggards early voice and Lefty Frizzells -- a fine cover of the latters "Always Late (With Your Kisses)" is included here -- and as such, it is one of the purest, most soulful voices in this era. But as displayed on his debut, Yoakam is one hell of a songwriter as well. Cuts like "Little Ways," the albums first single, "Readin, Rightin, Rt. 23," and the amazing "Throughout All Time," with its dancing fiddles and lapsteel guitars entwined with Andersons lead, are worthy of serious consideration as among the finest country songs written in the preceding five years. An added bonus is a killer version of Doc Pomus classic "Little Sister" that rivals Elvis Presleys -- yeah, thats right -- and blows Ry Cooders tepid cover of it away. The only other cover here is the classic "Smoke Along the Track" by Alan Rose and Don Helms, and in true hardcore troubadour fashion, Yoakam makes it his own, swinging it in the best Johnny Cash and Tennessee Three fashion rhythmically and with Haggards winsome railroad vocal that he took from Jimmie Rodgers. While there can be no doubt about Yoakams "hillbilly" roots in Kentucky, this disc is deluxe in virtually every way. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 32 Title: Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room Released: 1988-08-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 37:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Got You (03:30) 2 One More Name (03:09) 3 What I Dont Know (03:50) 4 Home of the Blues (02:56) 5 Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses) (04:34) 6 I Hear You Knockin (03:16) 7 I Sang Dixie (03:49) 8 Streets of Bakersfield (02:51) 9 Floyd County (02:59) 10 Send Me the Pillow (03:03) 11 Hold on to God (03:15) |
| Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room : Allmusic album Review : The third effort from Kentuckys Dwight Yoakam shows the first signs of beginning to stretch out and be comfortable with his unique approach to hard honky tonk music, Bakersfield-style. Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room features a number of variations on the themes Yoakam explores in his songs -- mainly heartache. Not since Leon Payne has anyone gone from love that is so obsessive it cares not a whit for the most basic of lifes needs ("I Got You"), to a murderous jealousy ("What I Dont Know"), to homicide ("Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room [She Wore Red Dresses]") in the first five songs. In addition, Yoakam and producer/guitarist Pete Anderson are exploring the colorations of other instruments in their mix such as the addition of the legendary Flaco Jimenezs accordion on the title track. The transition tracks between these three facets of human meltdown are the stunning melody in "One More Name" and a radical cover of Johnny Cashs "Home of the Blues." In addition, theres a read of J.D. Millers "I Hear You Knockin" as an alternate ending, though its still plenty dark. After the murder in the title track, the cycle is complete, and the album shifts gears radically. It kicks off with a balladic elegy to a worn-out drunk called "I Sang Dixie," full of lilting fiddle and subtle singing leads from Anderson. Its a tearjerker in classic country fashion, its tone almost reverential. Track two is a duet with Yoakams hero, Buck Owens, who came out of retirement -- briefly -- to record this song and a new album. Theres only one song the pair could sing together, the anthem of lost but proud down-and-out ramblers, and thats Homer Joys "Streets of Bakersfield." The other cover here is Hank Locklins beautiful love song "Send Me the Pillow" with a return by Maria McKee on backing vocals (she sang a duet on "Bury Me" with Yoakam on Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.). The pair are as natural together as Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris were, though far more traditional in their approach. As chapter three in the Dwight Yoakam restoration of honky tonk music project, this is the best yet. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 32 Title: Just Lookin for a Hit Released: 1989-09-26 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Long White Cadillac (05:21) 2 Little Ways (03:21) 3 Honky Tonk Man (02:48) 4 I Got You (03:30) 5 Little Sister (03:04) 6 I Sang Dixie (03:49) 7 Guitars, Cadillacs (03:04) 8 Sin City (03:56) 9 Please, Please Baby (03:35) 10 Streets of Bakersfield (02:51) |
| Just Lookin' for a Hit : Allmusic album Review : Released in 1989 just three years after his debut, Just Lookin for a Hit may have been a bit premature for a greatest-hits album, but it did the trick and sold better than any album Dwight Yoakam had thus far issued. This set is chock-full of the definitive Dwight -- at the time -- from the opener, a hard rocking version of the Dave Alvin & the Blasters "Long White Cadillac," to his self-penned honky tonk soul jam "Little Ways," before moving into hardcore barroom twang with Johnny Hortons "Honky Tonk Man" and the rockabilly country kicker "I Got You." Just how closely Yoakam walked the line between hard country and soulful rockabilly is nowhere more evident than it is on his cover of Doc Pomus "Little Sister." Thankfully his theme "Guitars, Cadillacs" is here as is his duet with k.d. lang on Gram Parsons "Sin City." Add "I Sang Dixie," "Please, Please Baby," and his duet with Buck Owens on "Steets of Bakersfield." When one considers that these are merely highlights -- and some of them arguable choices -- from his first three records, the true value of Yoakam as a recording artist who single-handedly revitalized traditional country music becomes evident. This is a smoking hits collection but is only a taste of the treasures that lie within the individual albums themselves. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 32 Title: This Is Dwight Yoakam Released: 1990-10-10 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:03:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Honky Tonk Man (02:48) 2 Ill Be Gone (02:46) 3 Guitars, Cadillacs (03:04) 4 Heartaches by the Numbers (03:13) 5 Little Ways (03:20) 6 Smoke Along the Track (03:11) 7 Please, Please Baby (03:35) 8 Readin, Rightin, Rt.23 (03:33) 9 Always Late With Your Kisses (02:11) 10 Little Sister (03:04) 11 Santa Claus Is Back in Town (02:40) 12 Jingle Bells (02:16) 13 I Hear You Knockin (03:14) 14 I Got You (03:30) 15 Home of the Blues (02:55) 16 I Sang Dixie (03:49) 17 Sin City (03:55) 18 Send Me the Pillow (03:02) 19 Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses) (04:32) 20 Streets of Bakersfield (02:50) |
 | Album: 6 of 32 Title: If There Was a Way Released: 1990-10-19 Tracks: 14 Duration: 48:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Distance Between You and Me (02:43) 2 The Heart That You Own (03:11) 3 Takes a Lot to Rock You (03:01) 4 Nothings Changed Here (02:59) 5 Sad, Sad Music (03:45) 6 Since I Started Drinkin Again (03:44) 7 If There Was a Way (02:56) 8 Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose (03:24) 9 It Only Hurts When I Cry (02:35) 10 Send a Message to My Heart (03:16) 11 I Dont Need It Done (04:46) 12 Youre the One (04:02) 13 Dangerous Man (04:18) 14 Lets Work Together (03:33) |
| If There Was a Way : Allmusic album Review : If There Was a Way from 1990 is the first full display of Dwight Yoakams doppelgänger on record. From the mid-tempo honky tonk of "The Distance Between You and Me" and the classic Bakersfield balladry of "The Heart That You Own" to the balls-out live 21st century rockabilly "It Takes a Lot to Rock You Baby," Yoakam shows his fragmented musical personality that somehow remains inside the framework of his own brand of country. Fans of the old heroes such as Ernest Tubb, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Buck Owens, Hank Thompson, Loretta Lynn, and so on dig Yoakam because he knows how to write and sing a good old country song. The kids and pop audiences love him because he seems to speak to them as much with his swagger as his electricity -- guitarist Pete Anderson is like Don Rich, only from the rock side of the country music fence. "Nothings Changed Here," written by Yoakam and master songwriter Kostas, is a nod to Tubb in that it refers to the masters "Walkin the Floor Over You" in "Nothings Changed Here," a barroom stroller with a gorgeous fiddle solo by Don Reed and a splendid use of reverb by Anderson. "Since I Started Drinkin Again" is a bluegrass sh*tkicker, but it is one hell of a self-destructive broken-heart song that features some awesome fiddlework by Scott Joss and mandolin and backing vocals by Tim OBrien. The bluesy, doo-woppy, Doc Pomus-inspired rock balladry of the title track is another move toward the margins for Yoakam -- especially with the shimmering B-3 work by Skip Edwards. "It Only Hurts Me When I Cry," Yoakams co-write with Roger Miller, who sings backing vocals on the track, is another rocker à la early Conway Twitty. Ultimately the duet with Patty Loveless on Kostas and Kathy Louvins "Send a Message to My Heart" is a wrought and deeply moving love song. Loveless is the best of her generation. Not even Martina McBride with all her emotion and range can match the soul in the grain of her voice, nor does anyone possess as pure a country voice with the exception of Emmylou Harris perhaps. The bravest moment on the record is also its most fun. The closer is a truly hillbilly deluxe version of Wilbert Harrisons anthem "Lets Work Together." Anderson tears this mother up, raw and wooly, and Yoakam proves himself as fine a R&B; singer as he is a country crooner. Here again the rock side of country, the soul side of rock, and the country side of soul are all wrapped here in Yokams voice backed by a band who have a complete understanding of the tune. Highly recommended. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 32 Title: La Croix DAmour Released: 1992 Tracks: 12 Duration: 45:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Things We Said Today (03:46) 2 Truckin (05:26) 3 If There Was a Way (02:56) 4 Hey Little Girl (02:31) 5 What I Dont Know (03:48) 6 Here Comes The Night (03:19) 7 Dangerous Man (04:18) 8 Lets Work Together (03:33) 9 Doin What I Did (03:27) 10 Takes A Lot To Rock You (02:59) 11 Suspicious Minds (03:52) 12 Long White Cadillac (05:17) |
| La Croix D'Amour : Allmusic album Review : An international-only compilation, La Croix dAmour is worth searching out for its rarities: two songs that appeared on other collections (Elvis Presleys "Suspicious Minds" and the Grateful Deads "Truckin") and four new tracks, among them covers of the Beatles "Things We Said Today" and Thems "Here Comes the Night." | ||
 | Album: 8 of 32 Title: This Time Released: 1993-03-23 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Pocket of a Clown (02:57) 2 A Thousand Miles From Nowhere (04:29) 3 Home for Sale (03:39) 4 This Time (03:58) 5 Two Doors Down (03:54) 6 Aint That Lonely Yet (03:20) 7 King of Fools (04:07) 8 Fast as You (04:48) 9 Try Not to Look So Pretty (02:54) 10 Wild Ride (04:43) 11 Lonesome Roads (03:06) |
| This Time : Allmusic album Review : Six years after his monumental debut recording, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., Dwight Yoakam is still delivering the goods. After inadvertently (and unwillingly) being credited with creating the new traditionalist movement, Yoakam takes his hard-edged country influences from Buck Owens, Johnny Horton, Ray Price, and Merle Haggard and expands them to include new instruments and textures as well as voices -- one can hear in these broken love songs the voice of Gene Pitney as well -- and come up with something new again. This Time is not a party record in the way his first pair of albums were. Take the first half of Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room and add a marvelously played Hammond B-3 courtesy of Skip Edwards and keep the downer flow going and you got it. Buck Owens spirit appears on "This Time," a song that, while deep in the Bakerfield groove, has a more elegiac tone thanks to Yoakams songwriting collaboration with country songsmith legend Kostas (who first worked with Yoakam on If There Was a Way); they wrote half the album together. Kostas lush approach to melody is not alien to Yoakams as demonstrated by the tunes Dwight penned himself -- "Pocket of a Clown" (with a doo wop backing chorus in swing harmony) and the devastating ballads "A Thousand Miles From Nowhere" and "Home for Sale," among others. But in Kostas Yoakam found a writer as interested in textures as in unique ways to use his voice. "Two Doors Down" is a stunning example, as is the lone cover on the disc, by Kostas and James House, "Aint That Lonely Yet," where Yoakam moves into Roy Orbison territory with strings and lush backdrops that meld Bakersfield with Pitneys conceptual mini-soundtracks and the arrangements on Jim Reeves best records. With production help from Dusty Wakeman (Lucinda Williams self-titled and Sweet Old World albums), Pete Anderson was able to add depth and dimension to an already full sound. The echoes of early rock and soul entwine the honky tonk tempos and instruments and become something wholly other. This album is a welcome addition to Yoakams formidable catalog. This Time is no sell out; its a new way to present the timelessness of hard, torn, wasted-love country love songs with less reckless sentimentality and more honest emotion. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 32 Title: Dwight Live Released: 1995-05-23 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:11:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Little Sister (03:52) 2 It Only Hurts When I Cry (02:30) 3 The Heart That You Own (04:04) 4 This Time (03:51) 5 Streets of Bakersfield (02:47) 6 Little Ways (03:25) 7 Please, Please Baby (04:04) 8 Nothings Changed Here (03:09) 9 Lonesome Roads (03:21) 10 A Thousand Miles From Nowhere (04:19) 11 Wild Ride (04:43) 12 Two Doors Down (03:57) 13 Fast as You (04:19) 14 Long White Cadillac (06:47) 15 Miners Prayer (02:24) 16 Rocky Road Blues (06:43) 17 Suspicious Minds (07:25) |
| Dwight Live : Allmusic album Review : A straight presentation of Dwight Yoakam playing his greatest hits in concert, Dwight Live is a solid record, highlighted by a long, intense take on "Suspicious Minds." Nevertheless, nothing on the album improves on the original recorded versions, making Dwight Live essential for devoted fans only. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 32 Title: Gone Released: 1995-10-31 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Sorry You Asked? (03:25) 2 Near You (03:04) 3 Dont Be Sad (03:18) 4 Gone (Thatll Be Me) (02:49) 5 Nothing (03:54) 6 Never Hold You (02:57) 7 This Much I Know (03:38) 8 Baby Why Not (03:07) 9 One More Night (04:41) 10 Heart of Stone (04:07) |
| Gone : Allmusic album Review : A startling moment in Dwight Yoakams career, Gone fully integrates the early-60s grooving rock and R&B; of Doc Pomus and Lieber and Stoller with the hard honky tonk of the Bakersfield sound with the regional touches that have become so prevalent on his records (note the opening track here, "Sorry You Asked?," with its mariachi horns in the refrains and bridge). And sometimes they all occur in the same song such as on the title track here where the Farfisa sound of Tex-Mex, Doug Sahm-style rock meets Chuck Berrys guitar riffing meets Buck Owens country, and all of it is Yoakam. Then theres "Gone" with its Hammond B-3 and string section that could be an early rock anthem from the New York street corners if it werent for Yoakams restless Kentucky voice crooning in the swinging Texas wind. Even the straight rock & roll of "Never Hold You," with its psychedelic guitar fills before its "C.C. Rider" -- à la Mitch Ryder not Charlie Rich -- refrain turns on a country-rock dime. Pete Anderson is a guitar slinger maximus who may have been schooled by the Buckaroos Don Richs style, but he plays with the razor-sharp intensity of the Detroit rocker he is. While its true that those who long for Yoakams pure honky tonk style may be lost a bit here, with a few spins theyll get it. Yoakams music has been a thrill to witness as it has developed. Gone is the work of a singular talent with input from many different sources, from instrumentalists and horn and string sections to a dozen backing vocalists all used on different tracks. As the album closes with "Heart of Stone," a co-write with Kostas, you hear Yoakam go back to where modern country music came from in the first place: In the cascading strings that fall over the face of the mix, the band slide in behind them and the ghosts of Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline enter the singer and intone the kind heartbreak that can only be voiced in a country song. Chalk up another winner for Yoakam. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 32 Title: Come On Christmas Released: 1997 Tracks: 10 Duration: 33:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Come On Christmas (03:24) 2 Run Run Rudolph (03:10) 3 Silver Bells (02:59) 4 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (03:50) 5 Silent Night (04:15) 6 Santa Claus Is Back in Town (02:40) 7 The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (03:48) 8 Away in a Manger (03:20) 9 Here Comes Santa Claus (02:33) 10 Santa Can’t Stay (03:27) |
| Come On Christmas : Allmusic album Review : Dwight Yoakams Come on Christmas is a rollicking set of rocking holiday classics ironically highlighted by the title track, a haunting original that is one of Yoakams best songs of the late 90s. The remainder of the album is comprised of high-spirited, entertaining country-rockers that may not add anything new to Yoakams catalog, but they make the record an enjoyable holiday album. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 32 Title: Under the Covers Released: 1997-07-15 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Claudette (03:01) 2 Train in Vain (03:24) 3 Tired of Waiting for You (03:01) 4 Good Time Charlies Got the Blues (03:19) 5 Baby Dont Go (04:02) 6 Playboy (02:25) 7 Wichita Lineman (02:56) 8 Here Comes the Night (03:22) 9 The Last Time (03:59) 10 Things We Said Today (03:53) 11 North to Alaska / T for Texas (09:13) |
| Under the Covers : Allmusic album Review : Given how easily Dwight Yoakam makes the songs of others his own, including classics like "Sin City" and "Streets of Bakersfield" as well as the Doc Pomus nugget "Little Sister," its a wonder it took him 11 years to record an album of covers. Yoakam had nothing left to prove as a songwriter, penning hit after hit and album after album of constantly evolving country music that remained true to the honky tonk tradition while stretching it sonically -- without revisionism. Here, Yoakam interprets everyone from Roy Orbison to the Clash to the Beatles to Danny OKeefe, often radically reworking these genuine enduring classics of popular music to bring out the hidden meanings rather than remake them in his own image, the near bluegrass version of "Train in Vain" being a prime example. The Orbison tune that opens the album, "Claudette," rocks with a country swagger the original never had and feels like more of a celebratory tome to a third party than it does a love song. The Kinks tune "Tired of Waiting for You" is as far from a country song as can be with a full horn section -- and this cut works the least -- and is an oddity but entertaining when heard once. OKeefes "Good Time Charlies Got the Blues" is less melodic than the writers version, but it is far more desolate and haunting. The duet on Sonny Bonos "Baby Dont Go" with Sheryl Crow doesnt really work either, because Crow is not a country singer and theres enough countrypolitan in Yoakams read that the two singers seem cold and at odds with each other. The lush, funky version of Jimmy Webbs "Wichita Lineman" may not replace Glen Campbells, but it is a credible, even fine read with all of its textural embellishments (Pete Anderson, Yoakams guitarist and producer is a genius), a B-3, layers of guitars, double-timed drums...awesome. "Here Comes the Night," with its ringing electric 12-string guitars and faux Caribbean rhythm is stunningly beautiful, and the Beatles "Things We Said Today" is a psychedelic country jewel. While this set is not perfect, its still damn fine and warrants repeated listens to come to grips with Yoakams visionary ambition. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 32 Title: A Long Way Home Released: 1998-06-09 Tracks: 13 Duration: 41:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Same Fool (03:01) 2 The Curse (02:33) 3 Things Change (03:45) 4 Yet to Succeed (03:19) 5 I Wouldnt Put It Past Me (02:38) 6 These Arms (03:31) 7 Thats Okay (02:26) 8 Only Want You More (03:22) 9 Ill Just Take These (02:49) 10 A Long Way Home (02:55) 11 Listen (03:47) 12 Travelers Lantern (03:25) 13 Maybe You Like It, Maybe You Dont (04:20) |
| A Long Way Home : Allmusic album Review : As he entered his second decade of recording, Dwight Yoakam began to take more time between records. A three-year gap separated A Long Way Home from Gone -- the last time he went that long between albums of new material was 1990s If There Was a Way and 1993s This Time. As it happened, This Time was a masterpiece, a breakthrough of sorts in that it expanded Yoakams already large stylistic trickbag. A Long Way Home doesnt rank with This Time, probably because it is an outgrowth of that leap forward instead of the leap itself, but like Gone, it is a rich, diverse, continually impressive collection of timeless songs. Yoakam and his producer/guitarist Pete Anderson keep things interesting by never following conventions -- "These Arms" has a Bakersfield foundation, but its graced by sweeping Nashville strings that bring the song into new territory. Thats just one of many unexpected touches that make A Long Way Home a rewarding listen, even if it doesnt consistently reach the heights of such previous masterstrokes as Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room, and This Time. | ||
 | Album: 14 of 32 Title: Last Chance for a Thousand Years: Dwight Yoakams Greatest Hits From the 90s Released: 1999 Tracks: 14 Duration: 49:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose (03:24) 2 Youre the One (04:01) 3 It Only Hurts When I Cry (02:35) 4 The Heart That You Own (03:10) 5 Suspicious Minds (03:52) 6 Thinking About Leaving (03:55) 7 A Thousands Miles From Nowhere (04:29) 8 Aint That Lonely Yet (03:20) 9 Fast as You (04:47) 10 Pocket of a Clown (02:56) 11 Sorry You Asked? (03:25) 12 Nothing (03:55) 13 Ill Go Back to Her (03:31) 14 Crazy Little Thing Called Love (02:21) |
 | Album: 15 of 32 Title: Last Chance for a Thousands Years: Dwight Yoakams Greatest Hits From the 90s Released: 1999-05-18 Tracks: 14 Duration: 49:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose (03:24) 2 Youre the One (04:02) 3 It Only Hurts When I Cry (02:35) 4 The Heart That You Own (03:11) 5 Suspicious Minds (03:52) 6 Thinking About Leaving (03:55) 7 A Thousands Miles From Nowhere (04:29) 8 Aint That Lonely Yet (03:20) 9 Fast as You (04:48) 10 Pocket of a Clown (02:56) 11 Sorry You Asked? (03:25) 12 Nothing (03:54) 13 Ill Go Back to Her (03:31) 14 Crazy Little Thing Called Love (02:21) |
 | Album: 16 of 32 Title: dwightyoakamacoustic.net Released: 2000-05-30 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:18:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Bury Me (03:13) 2 1,000 Miles (04:02) 3 Little Sister (03:20) 4 Please, Please Baby (02:05) 5 It Wont Hurt (04:00) 6 Ill Be Gone (02:30) 7 Johnsons Love (04:25) 8 Little Ways (02:57) 9 This Drinkin Will Kill Me (02:44) 10 Nothings Changed Here (02:59) 11 Throughout All Time (02:58) 12 Sad, Sad Music (02:10) 13 It Only Hurts When I Cry (02:27) 14 Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room (03:48) 15 The Distance Between You and Me (02:06) 16 A Thousand Miles From Nowhere (03:14) 17 Two Doors Down (04:38) 18 Readin, Rightin, RT. 23 (04:07) 19 If There Was a Way (02:32) 20 Fast as You (03:56) 21 Home for Sale (03:01) 22 A Long Way Home (02:51) 23 Lonesome Roads (02:49) 24 Things Change (03:08) 25 Guitars, Cadillacs (01:49) |
 | Album: 17 of 32 Title: Tomorrows Sounds Today Released: 2000-10-31 Tracks: 14 Duration: 48:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Love Caught Up to Me (03:50) 2 What Do You Know About Love (02:56) 3 Time Spent Missing You (03:05) 4 Free to Go (04:48) 5 A Promise You Cant Keep (03:11) 6 A Place to Cry (04:35) 7 The Sad Side of Town (02:52) 8 Dreams of Clay (03:51) 9 For Loves Sake (03:06) 10 The Heartaches Are Free (02:55) 11 A World of Blue (02:21) 12 I Want You to Want Me (03:28) 13 Alright, Im Wrong (04:16) 14 I Was There (03:04) |
| Tomorrow's Sounds Today : Allmusic album Review : The title has to be a goof because this album, as well as Dwight Yoakams entire catalog, should be dubbed "Yesterdays Sounds Today." The only connection Yoakam retains to the slick, crossover, big-hat crowd is the big hat, and these 14 tracks prove that even as country music continually evolves into glossy pop, this artist has entrenched himself in all things retro. The crying steel guitars, jaunty mandolins, and plaintive fiddles that drive this rootsy country & western could have been recorded in the 1950s, and only the tasty electric guitar licks of longtime producer/cohort Pete Anderson bring the music up to date. Further cementing his connection with the classic Bakersfield sound, Yoakam invites founding father Buck Owens to join the fold once more (their 1988 collaboration produced a number one C&W; hit with "The Streets of Bakersfield") and the resulting three tracks yield results just as winning. Yoakam goes the Hank Williams Sr. route on "A Promise You Cant Keep" and especially "The Heartaches Are Free," which sounds so similar to a Hank Sr. tune in melody and vocal inflection, youll find yourself double checking the liner notes to be sure its a Yoakam original. The singer dips into his 70s classic rock roots again too, as he follows up his wildly successful Queen remake with a cover of Cheap Tricks "I Want You to Want Me." Like his interpretation of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," he makes it sound like an obscure barnstorming country track instead of the power pop nugget it is. Ten of the albums 14 tunes are self-penned and song titles like "A World of Blue," "A Place to Cry," "The Sad Side of Town," and "Time Spent Missing You" show that Yoakam is still drenched in the spilt tears, heartbroken brand of country that has proven to be so lucrative, artistically and commercially, in the past. Best of all, he makes it seems easy. Even though theres little stylistic maturation in his approach since his first release in 1986, Yoakams songwriting craft keeps improving, and any track from this album could be a hit single. With Tomorrows Sounds Today, Dwight Yoakam has fashioned a contemporary roots-conscious country album whose qualities, like the artists distinctive style, are timeless. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 32 Title: South of Heaven, West of Hell Released: 2001 Tracks: 20 Duration: 49:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Words (05:21) 2 Old Friend (00:51) 3 Who At The Door Is Standing (02:31) 4 Good Afternoon (00:30) 5 Tears For Two (03:23) 6 Maam (00:41) 7 The Darkest Hour (03:28) 8 When You Was Shot (00:15) 9 The First Thing Smokin (03:40) 10 How Lonf Was It (00:10) 11 Whats Left Of Me (04:55) 12 All Anybody Can Do (00:07) 13 Somewhere (03:48) 14 A Lotta Good People (00:11) 15 The Last Surrender (02:44) 16 Show em Your Badge (00:23) 17 No Future In SIght (07:07) 18 Existence (00:40) 19 It Is Well With My Soul (03:25) 20 Words (instrumental) (04:46) |
| South of Heaven, West of Hell : Allmusic album Review : Dwight Yoakams soundtrack for the gritty Western South of Heaven, West of Hell will only partially satisfy his fans. Although the album is nearly an hour long, half of the tracks are spoken segments from the film, and while this tactic has worked well for Quentin Tarantinos pop culture-brimming soundtracks, South of Heaven only serves to lose the listener with its ill-placed breaks and uninteresting dialogue. Aside from that rather major flaw, there are a handful of really good Yoakam tunes on hand including the loose, ambling opening track "Words" and a soulful version of "The Darkest Hour." The album also features a duet with Bekka Bramlett (Bekka & Billy), as well as the bluesy "The First Thing Smokin" co-written with Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and the pleading "Whats Left of Me" co-written with Mick Jagger. While the album certainly has its strong points, it is no substitute for a complete Dwight Yoakam record. With the film release of South of Heaven, West of Hell, Yoakam has proven himself to be a fine actor and a fair director, but there are legions of country fans who will be happier when he steps out from behind the camera and back into the studio. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 32 Title: Reprise Please Baby: The Warner Bros. Years Released: 2002 Tracks: 87 Duration: 5:02:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Honky Tonk Man (02:48) 2 Guitars, Cadillacs (03:05) 3 It Wont Hurt (03:05) 4 Miners Prayer (02:19) 5 Little Sister (03:02) 6 Little Ways (03:20) 7 Please, Please Baby (03:34) 8 Always Late With Your Kisses (02:11) 9 This Drinkin Will Kill Me (02:34) 10 Streets of Bakersfield (02:51) 11 I Sang Dixie (03:49) 12 I Got You (03:29) 13 I Hear You Knockin (03:15) 14 Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses) (04:33) 15 Long White Cadillac (05:19) 16 Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose (03:24) 17 Youre the One (03:59) 18 Nothings Changed Here (02:58) 19 It Only Hurts When I Cry (02:34) 20 The Heart That You Own (03:10) 21 The Distance Between You and Me (02:42) 22 Dangerous Man (04:17) 23 Send a Message to My Heart (03:15) 24 Takes a Lot to Rock You (02:57) 1 Carmelita (03:25) 2 Suspicious Minds (live) (06:55) 3 Doin What I Did (03:26) 4 Hey Little Girl (02:31) 5 Aint That Lonely Yet (03:20) 6 A Thousand Miles From Nowhere (04:29) 7 Try Not to Look So Pretty (02:55) 8 Pocket of a Clown (02:57) 9 Home for Sale (03:38) 10 Fast as You (04:47) 11 King of Fools (04:05) 12 Holding Things Together (02:37) 13 Nothing (03:52) 14 Dont Be Sad (03:20) 15 Sorry You Asked? (03:23) 16 Gone (Thatll Be Me) (02:48) 17 Claudette (02:55) 18 Baby Dont Go (04:00) 19 Train in Vain (03:22) 20 Rapid City, South Dakota (02:48) 1 Only Want You More (03:22) 2 Same Fool (03:01) 3 Things Change (03:45) 4 These Arms (03:31) 5 A Long Way Home (02:55) 6 Crazy Little Thing Called Love (02:21) 7 Thinking About Leaving (03:55) 8 New San Antonio Rose (03:03) 9 Two Doors Down (acoustic) (04:38) 10 Bury Me (acoustic) (03:12) 11 Love Caught Up to Me (03:50) 12 What Do You Know About Love (02:56) 13 Free to Go (04:48) 14 A Place to Cry (04:35) 15 I Want You to Want Me (03:28) 16 Alright, Im Wrong (04:16) 17 Who at the Door Is Standing (02:32) 18 The First Thing Smokin (03:40) 19 Im Bad, Im Nationwide (04:13) 20 Louisville (03:03) 21 Sittin Pretty (02:24) 22 Mercury Blues (02:25) 1 This Drinkin Will Kill Me (03:11) 2 It Wont Hurt (03:46) 3 Ill Be Gone (03:25) 4 Floyd County (02:37) 5 Youre the One (04:02) 6 Twenty Years (03:02) 7 Please Daddy (03:19) 8 Miners Prayer (02:43) 9 I Sang Dixie (03:45) 10 Bury Me (03:00) 11 Golden Ring (03:15) 12 Take Me (02:20) 13 Sin City (04:02) 14 Truckin (live) (07:21) 15 Grand Tour (live) (03:41) 16 Oh Lonesome Me (live) (03:29) 17 Today I Started Loving You Again (live) (04:29) 18 Mystery Train (live) (03:11) 19 Cant Tou Hear Me Calling (live) (03:19) 20 Heartaches by the Number (live) (03:41) 21 My Buckets Got a Hole in It (live) (04:11) |
| Reprise Please Baby: The Warner Bros. Years : Allmusic album Review : Randy Travis sold more records and George Strait was a purer country singer, but Dwight Yoakam was as influential as either on country music in the 80s. A Kentucky-born, Ohio-raised refugee from Nashville, he headed out to California where he managed to play Bakersfield country for L.A. punks, laying the groundwork for the Americana movement of the late 80s and 90s by not only revitalizing classic country from honky tonks to country-pop ballads through his traditionalist readings, but treating rock songs in a similar fashion. Nowhere is this more apparent than on Rhinos excellent four-disc box set Reprise Please Baby: The Warner Bros. Years, a superb chronicling of his time at Reprise/Warner Records. What makes this set so successful is that it doesnt focus simply on the hits, though theyre all here. Instead of just the hits, theyre interlaced with key album tracks, covers, duets, and songs cut for compilations, all necessary to understanding Yoakams music and his influence. Take his superlative duet with Flaco Jimenez on Warren Zevons "Carmelita" and how it blurs the lines between country, punk, classic rock, and singer/songwriters, creating the sound that would come to be known as Americana. Nearly every alt-country artist sought this expert balance of self-consciously classic instrumentation, contemporary subject matter, stylized yet sincere delivery, and clean production -- a delicate balance many sought to replicate, yet few succeeded in capturing. Its a brilliant moment, but one that wasnt on any Dwight album, and this rightly presents it, among other rarities, as key parts of his legacy. Among the revelations on Reprise Please Baby is that Yoakam had this balance perfected from the beginning, from before he released his landmark debut, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.; his ten-track demo from 1981 is included here on the all-previously unreleased fourth disc, and it holds its own among his best albums in both its songwriting and performance. This entire disc -- which also contains two fine duets with Kelly Willis and a string of covers, recorded anywhere from 1986 to 2002, all very good, with a nimble "Oh Lonesome Me" and a rip-roaring "My Buckets Got a Hole in It" standing as particular highlights -- makes it necessary for collectors, but the set wouldnt be much if it was just for the completists. What makes it such a success is that it presents Yoakams full achievement through a sharp, thorough examination of his prodigious output, turning in a convincing case for his greatness while being a hell of an entertaining listen. He produced his share of great albums, but Reprise Please Baby tells everything country fans of any stripe need to know. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 32 Title: In Others Words Released: 2003 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Borrowed Love (03:01) 2 Rocky Road Blues (03:09) 3 T for Texas (05:33) 4 Cattle Call (03:23) 5 Truckin (05:26) 6 New San Antone Rose (03:05) 7 Rapid City, South Dakota (02:53) 8 Louisville (03:05) 9 Holding Things Together (02:36) 10 Mystery Train (04:04) |
| In Other's Words : Allmusic album Review : In Others Words is a contract fullfiller, or just Reprise attempting to cash in on Dwight Yoakam once more. For those fans of Yoakams who buy his studio records and get frustrated at the sheer number of compilation and soundtrack cuts he has, this might do the trick to satisfy in lieu of a new album. Here are ten tracks culled from the various soundtracks and tribute albums Yoakam has participated in throughout the 1990s. In addition, there is one unreleased track, unavailable anywhere but here. Musically speaking, Yoakam puts the same amount of effort into his guest appearances. "Cattle Call," his cut from the Horse Whisperer soundtrack album, is every bit as satisfying as the material on his own album Gone. "Truckin," from the Arista labels Deadicated CD, is a classic as is his cover of Bill Monroes "Rocky Road Blues." In addition, his read of Merle Haggards "Holding Things Together" from Tulare Dust was one of that albums finest moments because of Yoakams down-cold delivery of the Bakersfield phrase. As for "Louisville," the lone new cut, its a mid-tempo honky tonker with more acoustic instruments than electric -- particularly the ringing dobro and shimmering mandolins. In Others Words is far from a stellar set but does fill in the gaps nicely. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 32 Title: Population: Me Released: 2003-06-24 Tracks: 10 Duration: 31:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Late Great Golden State (02:26) 2 No Such Thing (03:19) 3 Fair to Midland (03:26) 4 An Exception to the Rule (02:20) 5 Population Me (04:42) 6 Stayin Up Late (Thinkin About It) (02:50) 7 Trains and Boats and Planes (03:21) 8 If Teardrops Were Diamonds (03:20) 9 Id Avoid Me Too (02:59) 10 The Back of Your Hand (03:08) |
| Population: Me : Allmusic album Review : Dwight Yoakam returns on a new label with his first album proper in three years -- the soundtrack to his directorial film debut, South of Heaven, West of Hell is just that, not an album of songs. And while one might wonder if Population Me is more of the same brand of Bakersfield-styled honky tonk blues from Yoakam and be right, there are two arguments as to why its a necessary purchase. First and foremost, the quality of Yoakams material is the most consistent in country music since the outlaws of the mid-70s. Arguably, Yoakam has never released a shoddy album, and this one is no exception. Most importantly are the surprises, of which there are plenty. On the opener, "The Late Great Golden State," written by Mike Stinson, Yoakam does his best Jackson Browne-Eagles -- and actually reveals why the L.A. drugstore cowboy sound is timeless when done right. Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmidt lends a hand on the backing vocals and gives it a solid "take it easy" rollicking roll. Elsewhere, as on the title track driven by guitar ace Pete Anderson and pedal steel, banjo, and dobro king Gary Morse, Yoakam weaves a perfect blend of driving rockabilly, Chuck Berry, and honky tonk. On a banjo-drenched cover of Burt Bacharachs "Trains and Boats and Planes," Yoakam sings his skinny butt off, while Anderson rides the mandolin down into the lost wail of Scott Joss fiddle. They transform the pop song into a traditional country shuffle graced with the high lonesome sound of Earl Scruggs electrifying banjo work, punching the fills and turnarounds with grease and grit. "If Teardrops Were Diamonds" is one of Yoakams most beautiful ballads. Willie Nelson performs a duet with him, adding a gorgeous pop sensibility to Yoakams hillbilly moan. Through the rest, Yoakams songwriting continues to grow and transform itself into an accurate reflection of American culture as felt through the poetic heart of a country musician. The songs are right there: lean, tough, raw, and drenched with hooks as well as emotions -- check out the honky tonk stroll of "Id Avoid Me Too." This is stellar, kickin impure country. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 32 Title: Dwights Used Records Released: 2004-06-24 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Stop the World (03:08) 2 Down Where the River Bends (02:55) 3 Mercury Blues (02:29) 4 Waiting (04:37) 5 Some Dark Holler (03:21) 6 If You Were Me (02:50) 7 Little Chapel (02:57) 8 Loco Motion (03:44) 9 Miners Prayer (03:13) 10 Understand Your Man (03:13) 11 Wheels (03:16) 12 I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide (04:13) 13 Paradise (06:24) 14 I Said (Paradise reprise) (04:17) |
| Dwight's Used Records : Allmusic album Review : Few if any major country artists of the 1980s and 90s had as consistent a run of strong recordings as Dwight Yoakam, and this compilation proves that even the material he gave away was better than what most of his peers were sending out as top-shelf product. Dwights Used Records features cuts Yoakam contributed to several tribute compilations, duets that appeared on other artists albums, and a few unreleased covers, and while the results arent quite as cohesive as a proper album, nearly everything here would have fit the bill on a "real" Dwight Yoakam album. His duets with Deana Carter and Heather Myles show what a generous vocal partner he can be, while his turns with Ralph Stanley and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band add some new layers of depth to his traditionalist approach. Yoakams covers of "Im Bad, Im Nationwide" and "Mercury Blues" are sly and witty but never descend into self-parody, and he sure does right by Johnny Cash and Webb Pierce as he tackles their songs. The albums only real flaw would be the two back-to-back versions of John Prines "Paradise"; both performances are worthwhile, but over ten minutes of the song gets to be a bit much. Baring that, Dwights Used Records is a thoroughly enjoyable collection of odds and ends that congeals into some solid listening -- but how come his superb version of Merle Haggards "Holding Things Together" from the Tulare Dust album didnt make the cut? | ||
 | Album: 23 of 32 Title: The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam Released: 2004-07-27 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:09:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Honky Tonk Man (02:48) 2 Guitars, Cadillacs (03:04) 3 Little Sister (03:04) 4 Little Ways (03:21) 5 Please, Please Baby (03:35) 6 Streets of Bakersfield (02:51) 7 I Sang Dixie (03:49) 8 Long White Cadillac (05:20) 9 Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose (03:24) 10 Youre the One (04:02) 11 Suspicious Minds (03:52) 12 It Only Hurts When I Cry (02:35) 13 Aint That Lonely Yet (03:20) 14 A Thousand Miles From Nowhere (04:29) 15 Fast as You (04:48) 16 Crazy Little Thing Called Love (02:21) 17 I Want You to Want Me (03:28) 18 Things Change (03:45) 19 The Late Great Golden State (02:26) 20 The Back of Your Hand (03:08) |
| The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam : Allmusic album Review : Take a look at the title of Rhinos 2004 Dwight Yoakam collection -- this is The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam, not The Greatest Hits, which means that there are several hit singles missing. Actually, there are a grand total of 20 charting singles missing, the exact length of The Very Best Of and certainly more than can be winnowed down to a single-disc overview of his biggest hits. Inevitably, cuts had to be made, and the decision was made to span his entire career, coming at the expense at some of his earlier, bigger hits, which means this may not appeal as much to listeners who are familiar with Dwight from the time he had a steady string of singles in the country Top Ten. Instead, this collection skews toward a crossover audience -- or, to be frank, rock guys who like Yoakam. In that regard, its a success, giving a good idea of the range of his music, offering his biggest hits, along with popular countrified covers of "Suspicious Minds," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," and "I Want You to Want Me." It could be argued convincingly that Just Lookin for a Hit gives a better picture of Yoakam the hitmaker, but this is nevertheless a better portrait of his full career, and a better indication of what he wound up being: every alt-rockers favorite neo-traditional country singer. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 32 Title: Live From Austin, TX Released: 2005 Tracks: 14 Duration: 52:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Guitars, Cadillacs (04:00) 2 Smoke Along the Track (03:41) 3 What I Dont Know (04:07) 4 Home of the Blues (03:09) 5 1,000 Miles (04:24) 6 Please, Please Baby (03:22) 7 Little Ways (03:03) 8 Honky Tonk Man (03:02) 9 Streets of Bakersfield (03:29) 10 Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses) (04:37) 11 Always Late With Your Kisses (02:19) 12 Little Sister (03:52) 13 I Sang Dixie (04:36) 14 This Drinkin Will Kill Me (04:22) |
 | Album: 25 of 32 Title: Blame the Vain Released: 2005-06-14 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Blame the Vain (03:40) 2 Lucky That Way (03:22) 3 Intentional Heartache (04:25) 4 Does It Show (03:48) 5 Three Good Reasons (02:39) 6 Just Passin Time (03:45) 7 Ill Pretend (02:21) 8 Shell Remember (05:25) 9 I Wanna Love Again (02:57) 10 When I First Came Here (05:47) 11 Watch Out (03:04) 12 The Last Heart in Line (02:59) |
| Blame the Vain : Allmusic album Review : When Dwight Yoakam burst onto the charts with his first album in 1986, he was the young honky tonk firebrand who set out to remind Nashville of its noble past and celebrate the accomplishments of Bakersfield heroes such as Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. The irony is that nearly 20 years later, Yoakam is in pretty much the same boat as the artists he championed in the 1980s -- hes a respected veteran of the country scene who still has a loyal audience but lost the interest of the major labels and isnt drawing the attention he used to get. But if any of this troubles him, youd never guess to listen to 2005s Blame the Vain, which is his sharpest and liveliest set in some time. With Yoakam producing himself for a change without the help of longtime studio partner Pete Anderson, Blame the Vain also finds him fronting a new band anchored by guitarist Keith Gattis, and the new blood seems to have done wonders for Yoakam -- while he wasnt exactly in a slump, Blame the Vain boasts a sharper and more energetic approach than his last several efforts, with "Just Passin Time," "Three Good Reasons," and the title cut revealing that Yoakam is still a honky tonk man supreme. Elsewhere, the whacked-out intro to "Shell Remember" and the ad-libbed final rant on "Intentional Heartache" show Yoakams firmly in touch with his inner goofball weirdo, the songwriting is both literate and down-home in the manner of his best work, and he sings up a storm from front to back. Two decades into his career, Dwight Yoakam is still the man who is too country for Nashville, and on Blame the Vain he shows hes got too much strength and soul to let anyone hold him down -- this is inspired stuff from a rebel who still has plenty to offer. | ||
 | Album: 26 of 32 Title: The Essentials Released: 2005-10-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Little Sister (03:04) 2 Crazy Little Thing Called Love (02:21) 3 Aint That Lonely Yet (03:20) 4 Youre the One (04:01) 5 Guitars, Cadillacs (03:04) 6 Fast as You (04:47) 7 I Sang Dixie (03:49) 8 Honky Tonk Man (02:48) 9 Streets of Bakersfield (02:50) 10 A Thousands Miles From Nowhere (04:29) 11 I Got You (03:30) 12 Please, Please Baby (03:35) |
 | Album: 27 of 32 Title: The Platinum Collection Released: 2006 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:01:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ring of Fire (03:13) 2 Heartaches by the Number (03:13) 3 Always Late With Your Kisses (02:11) 4 Home of the Blues (02:53) 5 Honky Tonk Man (02:47) 6 Smoke Along the Track (03:11) 7 Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues (03:18) 8 Playboy (02:23) 9 North to Alaska (03:36) 10 Streets of Bakersfield (02:51) 11 Guitars, Cadillacs (03:04) 12 I Sang Dixie (03:48) 13 Oh Lonesome Me (03:29) 14 Grand Tour (03:38) 15 Today I Started Loving You Again (04:29) 16 Mystery Train (03:11) 17 These Arms (03:29) 18 Louisville (03:03) 19 Train in Vain (03:23) |
| The Platinum Collection : Allmusic album Review : The British division of Rhino issues this 19-cut best-of Dwight Yoakam on their Platinum Collection. Its strangely put together, relying mostly on covers from album tracks during Yoakams long tenure with Warner between 1986 and 2003. This is problematic, however, because Yoakam is a fine songwriter -- as evidenced by ""Guitars, Cadillacs,"" ""These Arms,"" and ""I Sang Dixie,"" all of which are here. Its completely understandable that covers like ""Ring of Fire,"" ""Honky Tonk Man,"" his live read of ""Heartaches by the Number,"" ""Streets of Bakersfield"" (with Buck Owens) and the Clashs ""Train in Vain"" are here; whats head-scratchingly puzzling is Yoakams not-particularly-good or distinctive version of Danny OKeefes ""Good Time Charlies Got the Blues,"" the inclusion of ""Playboy"" and ""North to Alaska."" It seems there is a real bias on the part of the series compilers -- this set was done by Gary Wallington who wrote dodgy (at best) liners for the volume -- for Yoakams readings of traditional country songs. Whats weird is hes written plenty of them. Stick with the domestic best-ofs, youll be better served. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 32 Title: Dwight Sings Buck Released: 2007-10-23 Tracks: 15 Duration: 47:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 My Heart Skips a Beat (02:25) 2 Foolin Around (02:54) 3 I Dont Care (Just as Long as You Love Me) (02:15) 4 Only You (03:56) 5 Act Naturally (02:33) 6 Down on the Corner of Love (02:40) 7 Cryin Time (02:40) 8 Above and Beyond (02:36) 9 Loves Gonna Live Here (02:04) 10 Close up the Honky Tonks (06:24) 11 Under Your Spell Again (03:13) 12 Your Tender Loving Care (03:18) 13 Excuse Me (I Think Ive Got a Heartache) (02:36) 14 Think of Me (02:53) 15 Together Again (04:36) |
| Dwight Sings Buck : Allmusic album Review : Is there any singer better suited to record an album of Buck Owens covers than Dwight Yoakam? Yoakam first came onto the country scene in the 1980s as the new face and voice of Bakersfield country, a subgenre Owens and Merle Haggard had put on the map. Yoakam not only sang the praises of Owens, he sang with the West Coast legend, and their duet on a cover of Owens "Streets of Bakersfield" reached number one on the country charts in 1988, despite Yoakams refusal to play by the rules of the Nashville-based industry. With Owens death in 2006, it was only a matter of time before Yoakam honored his idol, but even if Dwight Sings Buck was inevitable, that doesnt make it any less of a welcomed event. Yoakams love for these anthems is palpable in every track. He doesnt set out to imitate Owens style or delivery, but he does capture the essence of each song, playing them as Buck intended: no frills, no foolin around (even if thats the title of one of the songs Yoakam takes on). Yoakam even takes care to absorb the instrumental backings provided for Owens by his great Buckaroos, particularly the guitarist Don Rich. That doesnt mean the album is an exercise in retro: Yoakam does put a contemporary sheen on classics like "Act Naturally," "Close Up the Honky Tonks," "Together Again," "Cryin Time," and "Under Your Spell Again" -- they sound natural coming from his mouth rather than Owens yet there is no mistaking whose songs these are. If there is one disappointment its that Yoakam didnt include "Ive Got a Tiger by the Tail," one of Owens best-known hits. Still, despite that one glaring omission this is a tribute in the purest sense of the word, and an album no fan of either artist should miss. | ||
 | Album: 29 of 32 Title: 3 Pears Released: 2012-09-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 45:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Take Hold of My Hand (03:43) 2 Waterfall (03:37) 3 Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (03:42) 4 Trying (02:55) 5 Nothing but Love (03:04) 6 Its Never Alright (04:09) 7 A Heart Like Mine (03:58) 8 Long Way to Go (03:51) 9 Missing Heart (04:34) 10 3 Pears (02:44) 11 Rock It All Away (04:20) 12 Long Way to Go (Reprise) (04:34) |
| 3 Pears : Allmusic album Review : Dwight Yoakam effectively went into hibernation after the release Blame the Vain in 2005. He spent some time acting and playing shows, releasing an excellent Buck Owens tribute in 2007, but he shied away from original material for a full seven years, and when he re-emerged in 2012 with 3 Pears, it was to return to the Warner group after spending the 2000s as an independent artist. Oddly enough, 3 Pears feels more indie than anything hes cut in the new millennium, and not just because hes enlisted alt-rocker Beck as a producer for a pair of tracks. Yoakam, who produced the bulk of the album on his own, has decided to delve deeply into the spirit of the 60s, looking beyond Bakersfield and adding some serious swatches of pop color throughout the album. Certainly, this is steeped in the thick twang thats been at the heart of Yoakams music since the start, but hes attempting more sounds and styles here than at anytime since 1993s This Time. This is an album where one song in no way predicts what comes next: it opens with "Take Hold of My Hand," a song propelled by a percolating bass hook reminiscent of Motown, then the album eases into the cool reflective groove of "Waterfall," a song thats a significant tonal shift from its predecessor. By the time the swinging, ringing "A Heart Like Mine," the first Beck co-production, arrives, Dwight has dabbled with sweet soul ("Trying"), laid-back into some straight-ahead rock & roll ("Nothing But Love"), and turned the honky tonk standard "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke" into a cowpunk raver that kicks harder than anything hes done since Guitars, Cadillacs Etc. Etc. By the time 3 Pears draws to its conclusion with a voice-and-piano rendition of "Long Way to Go" -- performed earlier in a lighter-hearted full band version -- Yoakam has surprised by digging deeper into every one of his obsessions, creating a record that captures the careening, adventurous spirit of the 60s without ever feeling doggedly retro. Its as fresh as any music hes ever made, and one of his very best albums. | ||
 | Album: 30 of 32 Title: 21st Century Hits: Best of 2000-2012 Released: 2013-09-30 Tracks: 14 Duration: 47:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Sad Side of Town (02:51) 2 The Late Great Golden State (02:28) 3 The Back of Your Hand (03:07) 4 If Teardrops Were Diamonds (03:19) 5 Long Goodbye (03:40) 6 Intentional Heartache (04:25) 7 Blame the Vein (03:39) 8 I Wanna Love Again (02:57) 9 Just Passin Time (03:44) 10 Crazy Little Thing Called Love (02:21) 11 Close Up the Honky Tonks (06:24) 12 My Heart Skips a Beat (02:24) 13 Act Naturally (02:33) 14 A Heart Like Mine (04:00) |
| 21st Century Hits: Best of 2000-2012 : Allmusic album Review : The title 21st Century Hits: Best of 2000-2012 is likely meant with a wink, as Dwight Yoakam hasnt exactly burned up the charts in the new millennium. He left Reprise after 2000s Tomorrows Sounds Today (the soundtrack to South of Heaven, West of Hell appeared the next year but its hard to count that as an official release), then released Population Me on Audium Records in 2003 before moving to New West in 2005, releasing Blame the Vain that year and the tribute album Dwight Sings Buck two years later. Thats a total of three albums in a decade -- Dwight returned to the label in 2012 for 3 Pears -- and there were just four charting singles among them: "The Late Great Golden State," "The Back of Your Hand," "Intentional Heartache," and "Blame the Vain," not one of them placing higher than 52 on the country charts. Thats pretty thin gruel for a compilation, so 21st Century Hits bends the rules a little bit, adding his rockabilly cover of Queens "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" -- his last genuine hit single, but it peaked at 12 in 1999, so it merits inclusion here by appearing on the soundtrack to the 2006 Jennifer Aniston/Vince Vaughn film The Break-Up -- a cut from Tomorrows Sounds Today ("The Sad Side of Town"), a cut from 3 Pears (the terrific "A Heart Like Mine"), and "Long Goodbye," a previously unreleased duet with Michelle Branch that aims for a crossover and may have gotten there if it had a discernable melody. Its inclusion is nice for the sake of completeness and it also underscores how Yoakam wasnt especially focused during the first decade of the 21st century. He certainly made good music, much of it included here -- this samples nicely from Population Me and Blame the Vain but Dwight Sings Buck deserves to be heard in its entirety -- and one of the nice things about the collection is how it never suggests how it took Dwight a little while to find his footing after he parted ways with longtime collaborator producer Pete Anderson after Population Me. By squeezing a decade or so to 14 songs, 21st Century Hits condenses Dwights transitional years into a solid little record; anybody who came back aboard through 3 Pears will find it useful. | ||
 | Album: 31 of 32 Title: Second Hand Heart Released: 2015-04-16 Tracks: 10 Duration: 40:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In Another World (03:52) 2 She (03:12) 3 Dreams of Clay (05:35) 4 Second Hand Heart (04:19) 5 Off Your Mind (04:37) 6 Believe (04:11) 7 Man of Constant Sorrow (04:16) 8 Liar (03:29) 9 The Big Time (03:06) 10 V’s of Birds (04:13) |
| Second Hand Heart : Allmusic album Review : Dwight Yoakam recalibrated his career with 2012s 3 Pears, returning to his former home of Warner and reconnecting to the nerviness of his first albums. With Second Hand Heart, Yoakam continues this unfussy revival, sharpening his attack so the record breezes by at a crisp, crackling clip. Once again, hes reviving himself through reconnecting the past but what gives Second Hand Heart life is specificity, both in its songs and sound. The former is what makes the greatest initial impression, as it seems as if hes synthesized all the big Capitol Records acts of 1966 into one bright, ringing sound. To be sure, theres a fair amount of Bakersfield here, especially apparent on the loping drawl of "Off Your Mind" and the crackerjack rockabilly of "The Big Time," but the Beatles loom even larger than Buck Owens, surfacing in the chiming 12-strings of "Believe" and harmonies of "She" and evident in the general spirit of adventure that fuels Second Hand Heart. Some of Dwights tricks are familiar -- the jet propulsion of "Man of Constant Sorrow" borrows a page from the glory days of cowpunk -- but his execution is precise and he never lets the record settle in one groove for too long, not even when he tears through "Sorrow," "Liar," and "The Big Time" at a breakneck pace. Such sequencing gives Second Hand Heart momentum but what lasts are the songs, a collection of ten tunes -- all originals save the standard "Sorrow" and the sweet denouement "Vs of Birds" -- that are sturdy yet sly, their hooks sinking into the subconscious without ever drawing attention to themselves. All this means is that Second Hand Heart is prime Dwight Yoakam: traditional yet modern, flashy yet modest, a record that feels fresh but also like a forgotten classic. | ||
 | Album: 32 of 32 Title: Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars Released: 2016-09-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What I Don’t Know (02:52) 2 Free to Go (03:49) 3 Sad, Sad Music (03:16) 4 These Arms (03:57) 5 I Wouldn’t Put It Past Me (03:38) 6 Listen (04:25) 7 Two Doors Down (04:17) 8 Guitars, Cadillacs (03:21) 9 Home for Sale (03:07) 10 Please, Please Baby (02:43) 11 Gone (That’ll Be Me) (03:28) 12 Purple Rain (04:42) |
| Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars : Allmusic album Review : One described as "the man who was too country for Nashville," Dwight Yoakam has always been an artist who is passionate about the themes and variations of classic country, but hes never treated his beloved Bakersfield sound as a museum piece. In Yoakams world, country is not like a vintage auto thats too precious to drive, but a dinged-up but still powerful hot rod that has plenty of miles left in it, and hes happy to prove it by taking it out on the highway and opening the throttle. Judging from his 2016 album, Swimmin Pools, Movie Stars…, Yoakam views bluegrass much the same way; this is his first album in the revved-up down-home style, and while the acoustic backing gives Yoakams music a different spin, the energy, passion, and unpretentious smarts of these performances are absolutely in his wheelhouse. For Swimmin Pools, Movie Stars…, Yoakam has opted to re-record a handful of tunes from his songbook (with the exception of a re-working of Princes "Purple Rain"), and while that might seem a bit lazy, by the time hes done, these songs have taken on a different music personality, and if these versions may be quieter than the originals, Yoakam is putting his all into this music, and the band is expert and muscular at the same time. The band Yoakam assembled for Swimmin Pools is first class, including Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Bryan Sutton on guitar, Adam Steffey on mandolin, and Scott Vestal on banjo. The pickers respect the craft of Yoakams tunes while giving them a high-lonesome tone thats powerful and satisfying, and the harmonies mesh beautifully with Yoakams confident lead vocals. And while the notion of Yoakam doing a bluegrass cover of "Purple Rain" might sound like a high concept hipster joke, he wrings loneliness and loss from that tune with a delivery thats moving without becoming histrionic. A belated companion piece to the underrated 2000 effort dwightyoakamacoustic.net, Swimmin Pools, Movie Stars... is a stylistic detour for Dwight Yoakam, but its execution sums up many of his greatest strengths as an artist, and its a strong, powerful piece of work thats passionate and plenty of fun at the same time. | ||