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

Both the introduction to hard country for a generation of college kids and a key entry in what became the neotraditionalist movement, Dwight Yoakam's debut was a near-perfect re-creation of Buck Owens's Bakersfield sound. "Bury Me" and "Miner's Prayer" are heartfelt homages to Yoakam's real Kentucky roots, while honky-tonkers like "South of Cincinnati" remind how many Kentuckians eventually headed to Ohio for good jobs. Most immediately striking, though, are Yoakam's covers--particularly versions of Johnny Horton's "Honky Tonk Man" and Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"--which subtly tune up the Bakersfield sound with a rock & roll super-charge. --David Cantwell Amazon.com essential recording

Greatest album

I bought this years ago and wore it out in college... obviously you can see from all the reviews this is fabulous... good CD to buy to get a taste of DW. He rocks!!!!!!!!1 July 4, 2008

Get the 2006 Rhino Re-Issue Instead of This Version!

Don't get me wrong; I love this CD to death. But trust me: Spring for the extra few bucks and get that digitally remastered 2006 Rhino re-issue. Not only does it have ten demo tracks in addition to all ten tracks that are on this version of the CD on the first disk, but there's a second disk with a smokin' live concert from the Roxy in L.A. from '86. If I could, I'd give the Rhino re-issue six stars. It's that good. February 28, 2008

Rock-A-Billy Dwight

Classic this is a great album! What more can be said.

The Mean Eyed Cat
The Rock-A-Billy Review
KNON 89.3 Radio
Dallas, Texas March 30, 2007

Hillbilly music is the only thing that keeps me hanging on.

This was Dwight Yoakam's major label debut album. He previously had released an independent label album, which had several of the same songs that are on this one. (Good luck finding a copy of THAT album.) Dwight wrote seven of the ten songs himself. The remaining three songs are covers of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", Ray Price's "Heartaches By the Number" and Johnny Horton's "Honky Tonk Man" (which became Yoakam's first hit). Out of Dwight's original songs, "Guitars, Cadillacs" was a big hit and "It Won't Hurt" was a minor hit. Yoakam was a breath of fresh air at the time this album came out, playing a more traditional "honky tonk" sound, at a time when Nashville was embracing a slick "urban cowboy" sound. This is a solid debut album by an important artist. One peculiar thing about the album is that it ends with Marlon Brando asking "What Indian reservation is this?" October 13, 2006

Re-issue coming in September '06

There'll be an expanded re-issue coming with lots of early live tracks plus liner notes from Dwight himself. "Hooray!" she typed. July 27, 2006

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