Album Description
From his '86 multiplatinum debut Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. through '01s South Of Heaven, West Of Hell, this expansive 4-CD boxed set culls material from Yoakam's entire Warner Bros. career. Presents 87 tracks circa 1981-2002, encompassing singles, album, cuts, previously unissued material, rarities, and soundtrack selections. Contains 3 brand new recordings (exclusively available to this set): "Sittin' Pretty," "Louisville," and "Mercury Blues."
Includes a full disc comprised of nothing but previously unreleased material, including rare early demos from 1981, and live gems from various venues spanning nearly a decade, including renditions of "Truckin'," and "Mystery Train."
Also features Yoakam's contributions to tribute albums honoring Kinky Friedman, Merle Haggard, Bob Willis & The Texas Playboys, and ZZ Top.
Includes guest appearances by Buck Owens, Kelly Willis, Asleep At The Wheel, Patty Loveless, Bekka Bramlett, Flaco Jimenez, and Sheryl Crow.
Deluxe booklet features rare photos and tributes from Yoakam devotees including Dennis Hopper, Billy Gibbons, Dave Alvin, and Buck Owens.
Though Dwight Yoakam casts himself as the classic outsider, no contemporary country artist has been able to achieve more mainstream success while retaining more alternative credibility. This four-disc set (including more than an entire disc of previously unreleased material) documents the uniqueness of Yoakam's musical legacy, as he combines a core commitment to the hard twang of honky-tonk--in breakthrough hits such as "Guitars, Cadillacs" and the Buck Owens duet "Streets of Bakersfield--with a stylistic expansiveness that knows no limits. In addition to his underrated strength as a songwriter, no other country artist could extend himself from Queen ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love") to Cheap Trick ("I Want You to Want Me") to the Clash ("Train in Vain"), while paying the obligatory tributes to Elvis Presley, George Jones, and Merle Haggard. The three new recordings may be inconsequential (a shuffle rendition of "Mercury Blues" holds the most interest), but the archive of previously unreleased material includes a 10-song demo from 1981 (before Yoakam's pivotal pairing with guitarist/producer/bandleader Pete Anderson), two duets with Kelly Willis, and the eight live performances that conclude the set. --Don McLeese
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