* Current: Dwight Yoakam - Dwight Sings Buck (10.23 - New West Records)
The only thing I could look forward to more than a new Dwight Yoakam album would be a Dwight Yoakam album full of Buck Owens' covers. For a fan of The Bakersfield Sound (yes, I used that term), that's kind of like Jesus (Muhammad) covering God's (Allah's) greatest hits. But, truth be told, we probably all saw this one coming.
Not only did Dwight namedrop Buck in his 1990 hit "Turn It
On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose," but Buck has been his major touchstone
throughout a long, fantastic 13-year career. The album is due out next Tuesday and you can
hear the first single on Dwight's MySpace page. This one certainly won't be a
blockbuster, but it's an essential chapter in the history of traditional
country - not to mention one I've been waiting on for quite a while.
* Vintage: Waylon Jennings - Dreaming My Dream (1975 - RCA Victor)
While we're looking up to our heroes, we might as well throw Waylon's half-hearted tribute on the player. On 1975's Dreaming My Dream, Waylon sings "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" (about Hank Sr.) and "Bob Wills is Still the King" (about Bob Wills, obviously) in addition to covering Roger Miller and "appropriating" Jimmie Rodgers. The respect and admiration Waylon showed for the originators of country music clearly helped him win the hearts of country audiences. The album was his first No. 1 and his second in the vein of outlaw country (the good kind).
But the album's highlight comes with its third single, "Let's All Help the Cowboys (Sing the Blues)," one of my all-time favorites and a glimpse at the sensitive side of a cowboy. The song was apparently written by the incredibly kooky Cowboy Jack Clement. Sounds about right.
Finally, the album's liner notes were penned by none other than middle-aged crooner Neil Diamond. Here's a live version of the album's opener:
