Classic Rewind: T Graham Brown – ‘Wine Into Water’

Album Review: Dwight Yoakam – ‘Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room’

Dwight’s third album was released in August 1988, and was another big hit for him. It was eventually certified platinum, and was his third (and surprisingly last) #1 album. produced as before by Pete Anderson, the mood is determinedly retro-cool with prominent fiddle and sometimes steel allied to a strong beat and Dwight’s hillbilly whine which imbues the songs with emotion.

Ever since his rise to prominence, Dwight had openly admitted the major influence of the Bakersfield Sound in general and Buck Owens in particular, and the great man came out of retirement to duet with Dwight on the first single, ‘Streets Of Bakersfield’ (a revival of a Homer Joy song which Buck had recorded back in the 70s). It became Dwight’s first, and Buck’s last, #1 single. A defiant stand against those who looked down on the southerners who lived in Bakersfield in the 60s, the duet sounds a little cheerier and buddyish than the lyrics demand, but it’s an entertaining track, helped along with Flaco Jimenez’s accordion. Buck was to make this a real comeback attempt, recording three new albums for his old label Capitol in the next few years, but radio was cool towards his new solo material and he retired again.

Dwight, on the other hand, was on an upswing, both commercially and artistically. ‘The Streets Of Bakersfield’ was followed to the top by the outstanding story song ‘I Sang Dixie’. The protagonist sings the song ‘Dixie’ as an act of love for a dying alcoholic from the south washed up in LA, as others pass by unmoved. Touching without being sentimental, and beautifully played, this is one of my favorite ever Dwight Yoakam songs.

The gritty romantic opening track ‘I Got You’ is all about love getting you through the hard times served up with a little helping of wit and an insistent rhythm. This was the third single, and hit #5.

‘Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses)’, the title track and final single, was not a hit with radio, failing to creep inside the top 40. It is another story song, but this time a Mexican flavored murder ballad which calls to mind some of Marty Robbins’ big hits, with more Flaco Jimenez. It is one of several songs on the record in which Dwight’s take on cheating songs leans to explorations of the cuckold’s murderous response, although this is the only one where he actually proceeds to commit the deed. All are excellent.

In the mid-tempo ‘What I Don’t Know’ he isn’t quite certain his woman is doing him wrong (or rather, doesn’t want his suspicions confirmed), but his gun is ready:

Smith and Wesson juries hold a real mean nasty court
And the verdict that they pass is never slow

In the prettier sounding but equally bleak ‘One More Name’, he broods darkly as his wife is talking unwisely in her sleep, confirming the local gossip he has denied. The protagonist’s palpable hurt and desperation not to believe the truth make these songs more than just expressions of revenge; you can sympathise with the pain if not the homicidal intention.

‘Floyd County’ paints the picture of the funeral of a family man from the mountains of Kentucky.

Dwight wrote the majority of the songs, but a couple of classic hits from the 50s also got fairly respectful covers. Cash’s ‘Home Of The Blues’ is efficient and enjoyable enough but closer to filler than anything else here. Hank Locklin’s romantic pleader ‘Send Me The Pillow’ is sung as a duet with rock (and onetime cowpunk) singer Maria McKee (with Pete Anderson playing mandolin). The less well known rockabillyish ‘I Hear You Knockin’ is cheerfully vibrant.

Dwight closes the album with a slice of traditional-style country gospel, ‘Hold On To God’ (written and recorded for his mother), with harmony vocals from a short-lived duo called the Lonesome Strangers who had been included on one of the Town South Of Bakersfield compilations which had introduced a number of LA based country artists including Dwight himself.

This is an excellent example of the neotraditional movement of the late 80s, and one which stands up exceptionally well today, with no weak tracks. It was records like this that revived some of the traditional forms of country music without making them sound old-fashioned to a new generation.

Grade: A+

Inexpensive copies are easy to find.

Classic Rewind: Connie Smith – ‘I Don’t Want To Talk It Over Anymore’

Week ending 1/8/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: I Love You A Thousand Ways — Lefty Frizzell (Columbia)

1961: Wings Of A Dove — Ferlin Husky (Capitol)

1971: Rose Garden — Lynn Anderson (Columbia)

1981: One In A Million — Johnny Lee (Asylum)

1991: I’ve Come To Expect It From You — George Strait (MCA)

2001: My Next Thirty Years — Tim McGraw (Curb)

2011: Felt Good On My Lips — Tim McGraw (Curb)

Week ending 1/8/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Connie Smith – Cute ‘N Country (RCA Victor)

1971: Ray Price – For The Good Times (Columbia)

1976: C.W. McCall – Black Bear Road (MGM)

1981: Kenny Rogers – Greatest Hits (Liberty)

1986: Kenny Rogers – The Heart Of The Matter (RCA)

1991: Clint Black – Put Yourself In My Shoes (RCA)

1996: Garth Brooks – Fresh Horses (Capitol)

2001: Tim McGraw – Greatest Hits (Curb)

2006: Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts (Arista)

2011:Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Big Machine)

Classic Rewind: Dwight Yoakam – ‘It Won’t Hurt’

Classic Rewind: David Frizzell – ‘I’m Gonna Hire A Wino’

Album Review: Dwight Yoakam – ‘Hillbilly Deluxe’

Released in July 1987, Dwight Yoakam’s sophomore effort built upon the success of the previous year’s Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. Like its predecessor, it reached the top spot on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, though it failed to produce any Top 5 singles and ultimately didn’t sell quite as well. Pete Anderson was back on board as producer. Yoakam was the sole songwriter for seven of the album’s tracks; the remaining three tracks were covers of well-known country and rock songs.

Overall, the album has a more rockabilly feel than its hardcore honky-tonk predecessor. This was immediately apparent with the release of the lead single, “Little Sister”, which had been a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for Elvis Presley in 1961. Yoakam’s version reached #7 on the country singles chart. The next release, the self-penned “Little Ways” had a more Bakersfield sound, while “Please, Please Baby” was also in a rockabilly vein. These tracks peaked at #8 and #6 respectively and allow the listener to hear a side of Yoakam that hadn’t been as apparent on his debut album.

Based on the first three singles, one might think that Hillbilly Deluxe is a rockabilly-dominated album, but it is, in fact, a quite diverse and eclectic set of songs. Dwight takes a detour into more traditional territory for the album’s fourth and final single, a polished cover of Lefty Frizzell’s “Always Late With Your Kisses”, a #9 hit that is one of my favorite tracks on the album despite the slightly intrusive background vocals which make the record sound a bit dated to modern ears.

The rest of the album is more traditional. “Smoke Along The Track” is a cover of a 1959 Stonewall Jackson hit, and “Readin’, Rightin’, Route 23″, another Yoakam original composition seems reminiscent of Merle Haggard’s early records. Less polished are the fiddle-driven “Throughout All Time” and “This Drinkin’ Will Kill Me”. Both tracks were too rootsy to be considered for release as radio singles; the latter track was a remake of one of Dwight’s unreleased recordings that helped him secure his deal with Warner Bros. The original version, probably recorded at the same time as the tracks that were on the original Guitars, Cadillacs EP, can be heard on the expanded 20th anniversary re-release of Guitar, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. which was released by Rhino Records in 2006.

My favorite track on the album is “Johnson’s Love”, a beautiful, understated ballad about, what else — a broken heart. It’s somewhat similar in theme to “He Stopped Loving Her Today”, but unlike in that classic recording, the protagonist in Yoakam’s song continues to pine after his lost love even after his own death:

And some people claim they still hear him call her name
“Hey, hey, Maureen”, swear they hear it just that plain
Deep in the night, and oh, sometimes right at dawn
See his body died some years ago, but around here
Mr. Johnson’s love lives on.

Enjoyable as this album is, I don’t like it quite as much as Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc, though Dwight deserves a pat on the back for making a deliberate and conscious effort to make a record that is different from the first one, instead of opting for the easier, play-it-safe route, which might have scored him some bigger hits at radio. Today’s artists would be well advised to take note.

Grade: A-

Hillbilly Deluxe is available on CD and as a digital download from Amazon and iTunes.

Classic Rewind: Dwight Yoakam – ‘Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc’

Something to look forward to

We spent part of last month rounding up the best and worst of 2010. Now we’re into a brand new year, it’s time to start looking forward again, and wondering what the year ahead may hold in store.

Newly crowned CMA Entertainer of the Year Brad Paisley’s This is Country Music has a release date in March, with the lead single already on its way up the charts. Current Arista labelmate Alan Jackson is reportedly considering his future options now that he has fulfilled his obligations to the label, and perhaps we will see him moving to pastures new like Martina McBride and Trace Adkins, although either way I don’t really expect a new album from him this year. Ronnie Dunn has already been into the studios for his contribution to the Country Strong soundtrack, and is working on his solo album. I doubt he can expect Brooks & Dunn levels of success for this, even if he was the voice of the duo’s hits, but I’m looking forward to hearing what he comes up with.

The Sony group has relied on American Idol to pick up new artists with a built-in fanbase for several years; this tie-in has now ended, with the group now planning to be associated with Simon Cowell’s rival X Factor show (launching in the fall), and the Idol link now picked up by the Universal Music Group (country imprints are MCA and Mercury). The most successful of these signings is of course Carrie Underwood, whose pattern of releases to date suggests a new album at the end of 2011. I don’t expect any change in direction from her high-energy pop-based style, but more intriguing are the things Kellie Pickler has been saying about her third album being more firmly rooted in traditional country music. I haven’t been particularly impressed by her music to date, but I’m willing to keep an open mind. The latest Idol alumnus to go country after the show is Texan Casey James, who finished third on last year’s Idol and is now with BNA (as the Casey James Band); his roots seem to be more blues than country but he may be worth watching out for. RCA will be releasing a second album from the previous year’s third place finisher Danny Gokey; his debut sold pretty well but failed to set the radio alight or to connect with more traditional country fans.

RCA has lost one of its superstar acts in the form of Martina McBride. It will be interesting to see what (if any) effect Martina’s move to Republic Nashville has on her music: a determined attempt to regain the limelight following the relative under-performance of her last album and recent singles by appealing to modern radio tastes a la Reba’s recent work, an artistic resurgence, or just more of the same? Sunny Sweeney’s Republic debut is also keenly anticipated.

Sticking with RCA, Sara Evans’s long-delayed new album (originally announced for January 2010) is now due to come out in March, taking its title, Stronger, from her Country Strong cut, which is rising up the charts. Again, we’ll have to wait to see if she is trying to get radio play by concentrating on her pop crossover style, or returning to her country roots. I suspect the former, particularly since she has been working with Taylor Swift’s producer Nathan Chapman. My favorite RCA artist at the moment is Chris Young, and I hope he will be back in the studios this year, as his breakthrough second album was released in September 2009. I feel his material to date has (with a few exceptions) not been worthy of his great voice, and I hope that now he can claim two #1 hits, he can demand the very best of what Nashville’s songwriters have to offer.

Reigning CMA Male and Female Vocalists of the Year Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert have a wedding to plan, but Miranda in particular will be expected to produce a follow-up to her acclaimed 2009 release, Revolution. Blake divided his 2010 output into two “Sixpak” EPs (neither of them very good, the first producing just one single), and it will be interesting to see if he sticks with this template or reverts to a fullscale album in future.

I hope this will be the year Ashton Shepherd finally breaks through commercially. The prolific George Strait tends to release an album a year, so with nothing new in 2010 he is overdue for a new album. Joe Nichols has a Greatest Hits set out soon, so I assume Show Dog Universal has stopped promoting 2009′s Old Things New, and perhaps we can look forward to something new later in the year. But the artist I’m most hoping for new music from is Lee Ann Womack, especially after her stellar contribution to the Country Strong soundtrack.

Over at Curb, it seems that Tim McGraw may finally be out of his contract. LeAnn Rimes’s Vince Gill-produced covers set was supposed to be released last year, but may appear this year, although I’m not inspired by what we’ve heard so far. Heidi Newfield is also supposedly due to have her second solo effort for the label out this year. I’d like to hear more from talented duo Martin Ramey and Star de Azlan, but as it’s Curb I’m not exactly holding my breath in anticipation.

One of my favorite artists, Randy Travis is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his groundbreaking Storms Of Life with his second duets album, the success of which will depend partly on the choice of duet partners. Legends who have new music in the works include Dolly Parton and Charley Pride. And of course, I’m also hoping to hear some great music from new acts.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

Classic Rewind: Rodney Crowell – ‘She’s Crazy For Leaving’

Album Review: Dwight Yoakam – ‘Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.’

Even though Guitars, Cadillacs hit the streets in the Summer of 1986, Dwight Yoakam had recorded the set a full two years earlier for the small Oak Records label out of California.  The stories behind most of these songs actually date back to the late 1970s when a young Dwight chose the southern California music scene over Nashville with its urban country music fan trends of the time.  From the honky tonks and punk rock clubs in and around Bakersfield, Dwight honed his sound and picked up a considerable following for his unique brand of hard honky-tonk with straightforward rock and roll-influenced lyrics.  The club favorite Yoakam soon found himself with a contract with the new-to-country Warner Brothers affiliate Reprise Records.

His first single for the label was a cover of a song Johnny Horton had a hit with not once, but twice.  But where Horton’s two hits had dangled around the top 10 both times, Dwight took the song into the top 5, at an eventual #3 peak.  Hard-driving bass lines backed by a twangy fiddle characterize Dwight’s debut single – the sound that would quickly become his signature.  Next up to radio was the album’s title track.  It too follows the hillbilly rock sound format while Dwight sings so fondly of all the trappings that hillbilly rock stars love, it would make anybody want to move to Bakersfield, or at least go for an extended visit.  This was another top 5 hit, landing at #4 just about the time of the album’s release.

But for all his immediate popularity, even Dwight couldn’t yet revive the country shuffle at radio as ‘It Won’t Hurt’ barely cracked the top 40 as the album’s third and final single.  This is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and as is evidenced here, few could match Dwight’s mournful wail when he was singing this kind of love-lost ballad – the theme that would serve as a constant on each album following this.

The centerpiece of Guitars, Cadillacs to me has always been the acoustic ballad ‘South of Cincinnati’ that tells of two lovers, 14 years separated.  Here, a woman writes the simple chorus daily on a letter kept tucked inside the Book of Luke in her Bible.  Meanwhile, the man she pines for is also miserable, holed up drunk in a Chicago apartment.  This kind of simple, woeful tale of unrequited love would also come to dot Dwight’s catalog.

Likewise top-notch are the country barn-burner ‘Bury Me’ a duet with Maria McKee, whose twangy timbre is a perfect match for Dwight’s vocal.  I always thought the two should have recorded more together.  The banjo-infused ‘I’ll Be Gone’ and the way-too-clever ‘Twenty Years’ are also not to be missed.

‘Miner’s Prayer’ is a heartfelt and honest narrative told in the voice of a coal miner, which Dwight wrote in memory of his grandfather Luther Tibbs, who himself was a miner for 40 years.  But it finds itself sandwiched between two redundant covers towards the end of the album.  Dwight’s reading here of ‘Heartaches By The Number’ is enjoyable enough, but his performance lacks the originality of his own material.

Guitars, Cadillacs would be the first of many Dwight Yoakam albums produced by Pete Anderson.  Save for the three cover songs, Yoakam wrote each song for the album and the singer tackles several styles – all decidedly traditional country and all each his own.  With this album, Dwight Yoakam made a mark on the country music scene, but also delivered a timeless collection of quality honky tonk and solid country music.

Grade: A

The album is still widely available at amazon. The 2006 re-release, which features 10 demo tracks from 1981 and 12 additional live recordings from 1986 – for a total of 32 songs – is a much better bargain at roughly the same price.

Classic Rewind: Dwight Yoakam – ‘Honky Tonk Man’

Classic Rewind: Jim Ed and Maxine Brown – ‘Looking Back To See’

Spotlight Artist: Dwight Yoakam

1986 saw the release of the debut albums of two new Warner Bros. signees — Randy Travis and Dwight Yoakam — who are credited with jump-starting the New Traditionalist movement of the mid-80s. Though primarily regarded as a traditionalist, Yoakam was actually responsible for incorporating a variety of sounds including rockabilly, cowpunk, and pop, along with the more traditional honky-tonk and bluegrass, into his music. We’ll be giving Yoakam’s catalog a thorough going-over as we feature him as our spotlight artist for the month of January.

Born on October 23, 1956, in Pikeville, Kentucky, Dwight David Yoakam was raised in Columbus, Ohio where he graduated from high school and briefly attended college before dropping out to pursue a career in music. Nashville in the late 70s was not particularly interested in Dwight’s brand of “hillbilly music” as he referred to it, so he headed west to California where he continued to hone his craft playing in honky-tonks and punk clubs.

In 1981, he recorded and released an EP on the independent Oak Records label, which eventually garnered the attention of Warner Bros. Nashville. A re-recorded and expanded version was released in 1986 on Warner’s Reprise imprint. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. sold more than two million copies, beginning a string of gold and platinum-selling albums that would continue until the late 1990s. His debut single for Reprise, a cover of Johnny Horton’s “Honky Tonk Man” reached #3 on the Billboard country singles chart, and the follow-up single “Guitars, Cadillacs” reached #4. In 1988 he reached the top spot on the singles chart for the first time when he teamed up with his idol Buck Owens and released an updated version of “Streets of Bakersfield”. The success of that record brought Owens back into the spotlight and radio airwaves after a long absence, and resulted in a brief career revival. The following year, Yoakam racked up his only #1 hit as a solo artist with “I Sang Dixie”.

Beginning in 1996, Dwight began looking at creative outlets outside of music, and turned to acting, earning critical acclaim for his roles in a number of films including Sling Blade, Panic Room, and Hollywood Homicide. In 2000, he starred in and directed South of Heaven, West of Hell. The accompanying soundtrack album, which Dwight also wrote, marked the end of his association with Warner Bros. Records. Since then, he has recorded less frequently for a variety of independent labels. His most recent release is 2007′s Buck Owens tribute album, Dwight Sings Buck.

Dwight Yoakam is one of those rare artists whose appeal reaches beyond the confines of country music. He managed to bring a hipness factor to the genre, which appealed to those who didn’t normally listen to country, without alienating his more traditional fanbase. We hope that you’ll enjoy our look back at the career of this unique and fascinating artist.

Classic Rewind: Johnny Cash – ‘Ring Of Fire’

Week ending 1/1/11: #1 singles this week in country music history

1951: Moanin’ The Blues — Hank Williams (MGM)

1961: Wings Of A Dove — Ferlin Husky (Capitol)

1971: Rose Garden — Lynn Anderson (Columbia)

1981: One In A Million — Johnny Lee (Asylum)

1991: I’ve Come To Expect It From You — George Strait (MCA)

2001: My Next Thirty Years — Tim McGraw (Curb)

2011: Turn On The Radio — Reba McEntire (Starstruck/Valory)

Week ending 1/1/11: #1 albums this week in country music history

1966: Connie Smith – Cute ‘N Country (RCA Victor)

1971: Johnny Cash – The Johnny Cash Show (Columbia)

1976: C.W. McCall – Black Bear Road (MGM)

1981: Kenny Rogers – Greatest Hits (Liberty)

1986: Kenny Rogers – The Heart Of The Matter (RCA)

1991: Clint Black – Put Yourself In My Shoes (RCA)

1996: Garth Brooks – Fresh Horses (Capitol)

2001: Tim McGraw – Greatest Hits (Curb)

2006: Carrie Underwood – Some Hearts (Arista)

2011:Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Big Machine)

Classic Rewind: Loretta Lynn and Ernest Tubb – ‘Who’s Gonna Take Your Garbage Out?’

Happy New Year to all our readers.