My Kind of Country

Country music from a fan's point of view since 2008

Rare tracks: Sara Evans

10 Comments Posted by on February 13, 2009

Since the recent discussion about Sara Evans generated a lot of comments, I wanted to share this track which many of you may not have heard.  It appeared on a 1998 tribute album to Dwight Yoakam.  This is the sort of thing I’d like to hear Sara sing all the time.  Hope you enjoy it:

The Distance Between You and Mesara

Blurbs ,

10 responses to “Rare tracks: Sara Evans”

  1. J.R. Journey February 13, 2009 at 9:45 pm

    Yep. I really like that track. Always have. My only complaint is that the music kind of overpowers Sara’s voice at times. How could she go wrong with a Dwight Yoakam tune though?

    The album is called Will Work for Food and was a benefit for homeless or food banks, one of the two (I don’t remember).

    Reply
  2. Steve from Boston February 14, 2009 at 12:46 am

    Love Sara’s version of this great Dwight Yoakam song…She almosts “out-Dwights” Dwight!

    Seriously, this song shows just how Country Sara can sound, and how naturally the traditional sound comes to her..

    There is an old quote where Sara states that she wanted to be like a “female Dwight Yoakam”…It’s almost scary how well she succeeds here!

    Reply
  3. Occasional Hope February 14, 2009 at 5:56 am

    Yes, Sara really should abandon the pop stuff. Traditional Sara was great.

    This tribute album is actually Will Sing For Food. It was for the homeless. It’s quite interesting that Sara’s really the biggest mainstream name on it – I guess the Pete Anderson connection got her involved as he was her producer at the time.

    Reply
  4. Razor X February 14, 2009 at 11:11 am

    My guess is the song is left over from the Three Chords and the Truth sessions; one of the songs that didn’t make it to the album.

    Reply
  5. Occasional Hope February 14, 2009 at 11:56 am

    That’s a very interesting suggestion, and you could be right.

    BTW, talking of Sara’s early material, have you heard The Early Years? Recordings from 1992 of songs she mostly wrote herself; it’s very country and underlines the fact that she started out as a real country singer, but the songs aren’t that great quality-wise.

    Reply
  6. Razor X February 14, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    No, I haven’t heard it. I’ve actually been avoiding it, thinking it was probably an example of before she was ready for prime time.

    Wikipedia says that she’s working on a new album for 2009 with a new single expected in the spring.

    Reply
  7. Occasional Hope February 14, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    It is, really. It’s not unpleasant to listen to, but nowhere near the standard of Three Chords And The Truth.

    It’s about time she released something new. I hope the quality is up to standard. Apparently it’s produced by Taylor Swift’s producer, which isn’t such good news.

    Reply
  8. Steve from Boston February 15, 2009 at 12:51 am

    The Early Years is actually quite good in my opinion…I believe any Sara Evans fan would enjoy it a whole lot. Her voice is exquisite, the songs are fresh, Country, and from the heart…I think some of the songs are as good as anything she’s done,(certainly better than the throwaway stuff she added to her Greatest Hits album, IMO.)

    Trust me, this album is captivating…Some of the songs would fit in quite well with on the Restless album (songs like You’re Gonna Go, and Another Day…very classy Pop-Country) and some are much more Traditional Country would not sound out of place on Three Chords and the Truth (songs like Heart of Stone, Love’s Not Blind, and Here Come’s that Old Heartache..),. And Sara wrote all the songs herself, with a few co-written with her brother Matt..

    This album was recorded when Sara was only 21, and there is some controversy regarding the rights to the music…the dispute was settled in favor of her first manager, who now owns the rights to the material. This may explain why the songs have not found their way onto Sara’s subsequent albums, but it is certainly not for lack of quality.

    I have heard other artists “unreleased early years” type albums, Shania’s included, and I gotta say, Sara’s is the best of it’s kind I have ever heard. By far…

    I highly recommend this album, and if anyone’s interested, it can be purchased from CD Baby…

    Reply
  9. Steve from Boston February 15, 2009 at 2:02 am

    Just a clarification…I don’t mean to imply the The Early Years is a perfect album…there are just a couple of places where Sara’s voice sounds strained..(the chorus of All the Way to Heaven, for example) ..

    And the lyrics are sometimes naive sounding and cliche’d.. But at other times, Sara’s lyrics are elegant in their simplicity, and rich in charm.

    But musically, this album is brilliant.. often .melodically sophisticated yet accessible , and vocally.. pure and compelling, Sara’s voice is rich and resonant, and VERY moving throughout.

    Reply
  10. Steve from Boston February 15, 2009 at 2:16 am

    Oh, just one more recommendation for a cool and rare Sara Evans track, then I promise I’ll call it a night! 😉

    From Ralph Stanley’s “Clinch Mountain Sweethearts” album, a song called “Are You Tired of Me My Darling” ..I swear, Sara sounds a LOT like Patty Loveless when she sings Bluegrass with the good Dr. Stanley, and that’s a GOOD thing!

    Reply

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