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Even diehard fans of the late
Johnny Paycheck are likely to find revelation in these tracks. Casual listeners know the country maverick best for "Take This Job and Shove It," given a rousing cross-generational sendoff here by
Radney Foster,
Bobby Bare,
Buck Owens, and
Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. Yet this tribute, produced by
Robbie Fulks, celebrates a range and depth beyond that anthem of defiance. Among the eclectic highlights: gospel singer
Mavis Staples transforms the title track into pure church,
Johnny Bush ("the country Caruso") applies his operatic pipes to "Apartment #9,"
Dave Alvin brings a bluesy swagger to the jailhouse in "11 Months and 29 Days," and
Neko Case turns desperation into triumph on "If I'm Gonna Sink, I Might as Well Go to the Bottom." Only popster
Marshall Crenshaw seems miscast, sounding a little too bright to reflect the darker recesses of Paycheck's soul. While Paycheck has been embraced as a kindred spirit by younger renegades, contributions by his former employer
George Jones and legendary steel guitarist Lloyd Green show the respect that his legacy earns from his peers.
--Don McLeese