Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. '2006

Tracks list

Dwight Yoakams Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. began as an EP issued on the
California Oak label. When Reprise signed him, they added four more tracks to
the mix to round it out as an album. Yoakam, a Kentuckian, brought country music
back into its own medium by reviving the classic Bakersfield sound with the help
of his producer and lead guitarist, former Detroiter Pete Anderson. As a result,
the new traditionalist movement was born, but Yoakam was always a cut or three
above the rest, as this album displays in spades. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
kicks off with a smoking cover of Johnny Hortons Honky Tonk Man, a song now so
closely associated with Yoakam, the original has all but been forgotten. But
this is only the beginning. Yoakams own songs such as Bury Me, a duet with Maria
McKee, and South of Cincinnati reference both the pastoral and dark sides of his
native state. South of Cincinnati is a paean to those who left Kentucky for Ohio
in search of jobs, and Bury Me celebrates the land itself. In addition, the
title track, with Andersons Don Rich-influenced guitar style, walks the Buck
Owens line until the line extends to Yoakam. With fiddles and backing vocals,
Yoakams street poetry is both poignant and profound, built into a barroom
anthem. In addition to this there is the gorgeous Miners Prayer, an acoustic
number powered by dobro (courtesy of David Mansfield), flat-picked guitar, and
Yoakams singing of his grandfather and generations like him who lived and died
in the mines of Kentucky. Here Bill Monroe meets Ralph Stanley meets Bob Dylan.
In the grain of Yoakams voice there isnt one hint of irony, only empathy and raw
emotion. Yoakam also does a more than acceptable version of June Carters Ring of
Fire, the Cherokee of country music — meaning that if you can play it and
pull it off, youre taken seriously by the veterans. The album closes with the
Harlan Howard classic Heartaches by the Number. Because of Ed Blacks steel
playing, Brantley Kearns fiddle, and Andersons guitar, the accompaniment is
stronger and far edgier than the Ray Price version, but from Yoakams throat
comes an entirely different story than Prices. In Prices case the song was a
plea; in Yoakams its a statement of fact. An astonishing debut, Guitars,
Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. changed the face of country music single-handedly and
remains one hell of a party record.

Dwight Yoakams debut was a fantastically twangy blend of tears, beers, and
blue-collar grit... (Q)

This is a darn good release for Yoakam fans who really want to get a sense of
his output and energy back when he made a name for himself... (Dirty Linen)

Dwight Yoakam, vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals
Maria McKee, vocals
Pete Anderson, electric guitar, 6-string bass
Jay Dee Maness, steel guitar, pedal steel guitar
Ed Black, pedal steel
David Mansfield, mandolin, dobro
Brantley Kearns, fiddle, background vocals
Glen D. Hardin, piano
Gene Taylor, piano
J.D. Foster, bass, background vocals
Jeff Donavan, drums

Tracklist:
01. Dwight Yoakam - Honky Tonk Man (2:48)
02. Dwight Yoakam - It Wont Hurt (3:05)
03. Dwight Yoakam - Ill Be Gone (2:46)
04. Dwight Yoakam - South of Cinncinnati (4:51)
05. Dwight Yoakam - Bury Me (feat. Maria McKee) (3:18)
06. Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs (3:03)
07. Dwight Yoakam - Twenty Years (2:42)
08. Dwight Yoakam - Ring of Fire (3:11)
09. Dwight Yoakam - Miners Prayer (2:20)
10. Dwight Yoakam - Heartaches by the Number (3:12)

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