Beyond Country: The Best of Alt Country

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 26, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Time Life Records
• ASIN: B0000ALFY8
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,789 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Guitar Town - Steve Earle

2. Tennessee Flat Top Box - Rosanne Cash

3. Streets of Bakersfield - Buck Owens

4. She Never Spoke Spanish to Me - Joe Ely

5. She's No Lady - Lyle Lovett

6. Baby, Now That I've Found You - Alison Krauss

7. Love at the Five and Dime - Don Williams

8. L.A. Freeway - Jerry Jeff Walker

9. Highway Patrol - Junior Brown

10. Desperados Waiting for a Train - Guy Clarke

11. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams

12. Drive South - John Hiatt

13. Two More Bottles of Wine - Emmylou Harris

14. What a Cryin' Shame - The Mavericks

15. Even If It's Wrong - BR5-49

16. The Last of the True Believers - Nanci Griffith

17. Timber, I'm Falling in Love - Patty Loveless

18. Our Town - Iris DeMent

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great but Not Edgy, May 31, 2004

By 

Thomas A. Holmes (Johnson City, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Country: The Best of Alt Country (Audio CD)

The performers on this disc deserve credit for being significant players in "Alt Country/Americana," but the selection of songs seems curious for a 2003 compilation. One would expect, for example, one of Emmylou Harris' edgier performances (such as something from WRECKING BALL, for example) rather than her neo-traditionalist "Two More Bottles of Wine." Steve Earle would have been better represented by perhaps "Copperhead Road" than the mainstream "Guitar Town" offered on this disc. Patty Loveless' nod to her bluegrass roots (MOUNTAIN SOUL) is not represented here; instead, we have "Timber, I'm Falling in Love," another mainstream country hit. That's pretty much the nature of this disc: good but too often safe tracks by some of contemporary country's best singer/songwriters. We hear the Roy Orbison echoes on The Mavericks' "Crying Shame," another of many clever Lyle Lovett lyrics, and an Alison Krauss standard. It's a treat to find Lucinda Williams, Joe Ely, and Guy Clark here. No Wilco, no Son Volt, no Gillian Welch, no politically touchy lyrics, no challenge, and no controversy can be found on this disc. It does serve as a reminder, however, that country music programming directors should be ashamed of themselves for leaving out so many of these fine acts.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some not so great tracks still can't bring this one down, May 23, 2004

By 

Mark McLaughlin "pop culture junkie" (Deerfield Beach, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beyond Country: The Best of Alt Country (Audio CD)

I'm really beginning to appreciate country music thanks to acts like these. Also Johnny Cash and The Carter Family are helping with that as well. With people like Steve Earle, Roseanne Cash with an amazing track and a new favorite mix tape song Highway Patrol by Junior Brown. Also is the new classic Lucinda Williams song and the always fabulous Emmylou Harris and Alison Krauss.