Customer Reviews

Dwight's Used Records

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4 star:		(3)
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This collection of fourteen tracks, pulled from tribute albums and guest appearances on other artists' albums, displays the breadth of Yoakam's work with a conciseness that his own albums never could. To be fair, Yoakam's releases have been purpose-built as more focused efforts, and this collection, drawing from disparate sources across a full decade of recording, has a broader charter. It's astounding to hear in one place just how easily Yoakam fits into rootsy mountain bluegrass, honky-tonk country, smooth adult contemporary pop, and earthy blues-inspired country-rock.

Yoakam provides the ballast for Ralph Stanley's high-and-lonely on the latter's "Down Where the River Bends," and Stanley returns the favor by taking Yoakam's "Miner's Prayer" into the hills from which it was dug. Yoakam's honky-tonk outlaw heroes are recognized on covers of Waylon Jennings' "Stop the World (And Let Me Off)," Johnny Cash's "Understand Your Man," and Webb Pierce's "If You Were Me (And I Were You)." The latter, featuring harmonies by Gail Davies, is just one of several wonderful duets that include Deana Carter's adult-contemporary "Waiting" and Heather Miles' Mexicali-flavored "Little Chapel."

Yoakam is transcendent, surrounded by the acoustic sounds of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and tearing through "Mercury Blues" and ZZ Top's "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide." Bonus tracks include previously unreleased covers of Little Eva's "Loco-Motion" and two versions of John Prine's "Paradise." Other artists may have similar range, but precious few have the artistic gravity to make such a compilation cohesive. This is an essential collection for fans and an interesting introduction to Yoakam's breadth.

As a huge fan of Dight Yoakam's brand of neo-traditionalism since his 1986 debut, I have eagerly bought every studio album he has released during the ensuing two decades. Why I waited nearly three years to purchase this collection of songs from tribute albums, collaborations with other artists, and a handful of new recordings is unclear. But now that I have it, DWIGHT'S USED RECORDS is one of my favorite albums.

"Stop the World (And Let Me Off)" from I'VE ALWAYS BEEN CRAZY: A TRIBUTE TO WAYLON JENNINGS: Yoakam does a rousing version of Waylon's second RCA single.

"Down Where the River Bends" from SATURDAY NIGHT & SUNDAY MORNING: Yoakam shows off his Kentucky roots on a duet with bluegrass patriarch Ralph Stanley.

"Mercury Blues" from REPRISE PLEASE BABY: This song has been covered by everyone from the Steve Miller Band to Meat Loaf. Yoakam cranks up the honky tonk factor on this sizzling version.

"Waiting" from I'M JUST A GIRL: Yoakam duets with Deana Carter on this ballad which they co-wrote.

"Some Dark Holler" from WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN, Volume III: Yoakam performs this traditional number with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and once again shows that he has a honest feel for bluegrass music.

"If You Were Me (And I Were You) from CAUGHT IN THE WEBB: A TRIBUTE TO WEBB PIERCE: Yoakam tackles this classic weeper from honky tonk legend Webb Pierce.

"Little Chapel" from SWEET TALK & GOOD LIES: Yoakam teams up with like minded honky tonk enthusiast Heather Myles on this conjunto-flavored song.

"Locomotion" is a new recording that would have fit in nicely with Yoakam's UNDER THE COVERS. A countrified version of the Goffin-King pop classic by Little Eva.

"Miner's Prayer" from SATURDAY NIGHT & SUNDAY MORNING: A Yoakam original relating his family's connection to the Kentucky coal mines. A touching song.

"Understand Your Man" from A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH: Cash wrote and recorded this song in 1963; Yoakam puts his Bakersfield sound on this mid-charting single. [Cash's original went to No. 35 on the pop charts.]

"Wheels" from WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN, Volume III: An arrangement very similar to the Flying Burrito Brothers' original--although Dobro replaces the pedal steel as the lead instrument on Yoakam's rendition. [This is the second time Yoakam has covered a FBB song. He dueted with k.d. lang on "Sin City" for his first greatest hits package JUST LOOKIN' FOR A HIT.]

"I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" from SHARP DRESSED MEN: A TRIBUTE TO ZZ TOP: Pete Anderson's guitar drives Yoakam's take on this ZZ Top classic.

"Paradise" is a new recording. Yoakam slows down this John Prine chestnut to make this lament of the ravages of "Mr. Peabody's coal train" sound like a funeral dirge, and the lonesome fiddle playing just drives the point home. [This version stretches the song out to 6:13.)

"I Said (Paradise Reprise)" is another new recording and is another take on "Paradise" at a pace more uptempo than Prine's original. This one will set your toes to tapping.

Bottom line? Your Dwight Yoakam collection isn't complete without this. [Running time - 50:44] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

picked this up thinking it would be good stuff, then the covers realization set in and i regretted it, but then i listened to it a few times and i can't live without it. some really strange choices (Locomotion) but i'll be darned if they don't all work. Stop The World is one of the best covers i've ever heard, ditto for Understand Your Man. the bluegrass gets a little old, but it's still good. a bizarre hodgepodge of odds & ends that really work individually. color me surprised and impressed.

While certainly many (most) of the titles on this compilation can be purchased elsewhere, the tracks that are new to this collection, specifically John Prine's "PARADISE" , both as a slow ballad and then repeated again but done in a totally different vein are worth the purchase price. If for nothing else than to once again give creedence to the fact that Dwight Yoakam should go down in the history of country music as the "red headed stepchild" who thumbed his nose at disbelievers, did it his way, and made it!!!!! These last two tracks show the versatility of this artist by taking one frequently covered song and putting his signature on it not once but twice!!! Woe to anyone who tries to cover "Paradise" from this point forward.
True, a couple of the treatments he has chosen on a couple of the songs seem unusual, but they work well. "Stop the World" and let me off ( a signature Waylon Jennings song) is a joy to listen to as is Dwight's version of Johnny Cash's "Understand Your Man" . Both cuts , in my opinion, should be getting radio air play.

Little Bit of Rhythmn & a lotta Soul*

Dwight's Used Records: Even the title sounded interesting and being a big fan of His music it was a "must" on the day of its release. Can the album get any better with the choices of songs?!? He goes from covering 'The Late Great Waylon Jennings' and His modern day version of *Stop the World [and let Me off*] to Johnny Cash and 'Understand Your Man' one of the coolest tracks on there and deserves first listen. The ones that have appeared on previous albums, but this being a compilation album it has some great tunes to take along and listen if You dont feel like searching thru Your cd collection and would satisfy even the most die hardest of listeners. His voice so convincingly somber with Ralph Stanley on 'Down where the river bends'and then the ultra fave that I was lucky enough to hear Him do live last year on His 'Almost Alone' tour the two versions of *Paradise*. A cover song of John Prine's that the Singer says tells a similar story of His upbringing in Kentucky. The two versions are favourites at the end and His range in style also with covering ZZ Top on 'Im Bad Im NationWide' You just never know what to expect and find He always leaves Us wanting more with His future music that He is creating and covering here and there for Us to enjoy. Yes, definitely highly recommended, and the three new recordings produced with Mr Keith Gattis are worth getting it for Those that already may have the other songs on previous releases. *Stop the World and let Me off *Down where the river bends *Mercury Blues *Waiting *Some dark Holler *If You were Me *Little Chapel *Loco Motion [new recording produced by Dwight Yoakam/Keith Gattis *Miners Prayer *Understand Your Man *Wheels *Im Bad Im NationWide *Paradise [new recording produced by Dwight Yoakam/Keith Gattis *"I said" Paradise Reprise [new recording produced by Dwight Yoakam/Keith Gattis
Submitted by Yolanda Casey in Fresno, Cal

My girlfriend recently gave me Dwight's Used Records. She won this CD from a contest on the Bakersfield Biscuits website. Dwight is the real deal. He's not a poser like most of today's "country" artists. He's been recording great music for a long time, and Dwight's Used Records is no exception.

I love this CD. I think it is some of Dwight's best work. I liked the mix of songs, especially the almost 60's sound of Stop the World and Understand your Man and how the contrasted with the "classic" Yoakum sound of Miner's Prayer. The more often I listen to it, the more I like it, the beat is good and you can dance to it (smile). Dwight keeps getting better and better.

Dwight does it again. He takes traditional country songs and brings them to life in the 21st century. Other country "singers" take heed. This is the real deal!

Some squeamish professorial types apparently think my reviews of Dwight Yoakam's albums verge on softcore porn. Well, to that I say a) what kind of soft porn have you been reading? (seriously, you're gettin' gypped), and b) the singing, songs, musicianship and soul in Dwight Yoakam's albums all warrant my swoon-y hyperbole.

USED RECORDS is my favorite because of the breadth of styles and songs. There's the incomparable duet with Kelly Willis, "Waiting," my favroite song ever. Then tehre's the gorgeous tarditional songs, like the Ralph Stanley duet "Down by the Sycamore Tree," then there are great push-your-tush numbers like "Loco-motion" and "Mercury Blues." And tasty Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings covers...I could go on and on. Stop me before I drool!

The bottom line is this: Buy this, it will be well-used by you (harhar) and cherished for many years to come.

I was very pleasnatly surprised when I first played this album. Having other Dwight Yoakam albums I never realized that he had a bluegrass side. If you like bluegrass or Dwight it is a great album.