If There Was a Way

Dwight Yoakam

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 29, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino Flashback
• ASIN: B0016B6ZB0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,722 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #10 in	Music > Country > Classic Country > Bakersfield Sound
  #30 in	Music > Country > Roadhouse Country
  #45 in	Music > Indie Music > Country > Alt-Country & Americana

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Dwight Yoakam's fourth studio album was his most muscular yet. Alongside the overtly rocking cuts, his honky-tonkers also kicked harder than anywhere in his catalog; on top of all this, he gave his loosest, most assured-sounding vocal performances to date. That he cowrote one of the disc's biggest singles, "It Only Hurts When I Cry," with Roger Miller makes perfect sense; Yoakam and Miller shared an ambivalently loving attitude toward the country-music establishment. Yoakam's insistence on going his own way would lead to even more indelible long-players, but If There Was a Way remains among his most impressive. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gateway to a New Era in Yoakam's Music, July 9, 2003

By	K. Fontenot "Prairie Cajun" (The Bayou State) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: If There Was a Way (Audio CD)

When I first bought this album, I didn't really care for it. It just didn't sound right. Still, I persisted in listening to it and I finally realized that this was one of the best albums I had ever listened to. "If There Was a Way" shows us that Dwight is paving a new trail once again. Though the honky-tonk sound is still there, this disc leans toward a more raw, hardened sound hinted at in the previous "Buenas Noches From a Lonely Room." This album isn't as dark, however. "Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose" is great, hands down. "It Only Hurts Me When I Cry" is too. "Dangerous Man" and "Takes A Lot To Rock You" gives us a taste of the rockier edge that Dwight Yoakam and Pete Anderson seem to be leaning to on this album. Other great songs include "The Distance Between You and Me," "You're the One" and "The Heart That You Own." This is a good album to get if you want a taste of both the younger, more rockabilly sound of Dwight and the older, more experimental sound.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece from Dwight, April 23, 2004

By	Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: If There Was a Way (Audio CD)

One of the signs of a truly great album is that most of the tracks could be considered for single release - this is one such album. Dwight demonstrates that he can rock hard but he also includes some outstanding ballads. He wrote or co-wrote most of the songs. Although Dwight has shown a liking for recording covers as well as originals in his career, there is only one cover here.

The country hits were Turn it on turn me up turn me loose (a brilliant up-tempo song), You're the one (a nice love song), It only hurts when I cry (co-written with Roger Miller who is famous for King of the road), The heart that you own (an aching ballad) and Nothing's changed here. The first four make up the first four tracks on his greatest hits collection, Last chance for 1,000 years but Nothing's changed here is omitted.

Apart from the hits (which aren't necessarily the best songs here), some of the highlights for me are Sad sad music (another aching ballad), Since I started drinking again (with a hint of bluegrass), Send a message to my heart (a duet with Patty Loveless that I really expected to be released as a single) and Let's work together (a cover of the blues-rock classic that became a huge hit for Canned heat). And if you play this album and find that your favorite song is one I haven't mentioned, that won't surprise me at all, such is the quality of this album.

If you enjoy any of Dwight's music, you'll surely love this album.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific, March 29, 2006

By	Suzanne Elaine Smith - See all my reviews

This review is from: If There Was a Way (Audio CD)

I have varied tastes, and I can go from opera to country music, and like them both. "Honky Tonk" country is usually not my favorite - but I love this album. If you are a fan, this is one of Dwight's best.