Yeah, I know you. You were going through that roots phase, probably brought on by the Blasters or some other gateway band, from the cusp of some shared bill. He came along at the right time. An authentic country and western heartthrob that college radio wasn't afraid to play. Trying his darnedest to make Bakersfield cool again. He was hot and you were ready. He even recorded with Buck Owens, right out of that gate. He nodded to you, covering a couple of songs that you loved so much in the original versions before you had your little roots epiphany. He was so cool, with his tight jeans and lowered brim. Then came the internet. Before the internet, all of his promo photos were tightly controlled, and in every photo he looked so cool. But that nasty gossiping internet was a temptation as much as it was a minefield. Dare you do a search for "Dwight Yoakam without his hat"? One day, you went ahead and did it. And you were horrified by what you saw. You're a music purist all right.
For everything you can say about Dwight Yoakam, he did one thing. He got some people to listen to country and western that may not have otherwise. Image or no image, whether or not he sold out, he got the hipsters of the era to dabble in a genre that wouldn't have ordinarily stood a chance. That's an honorary pass here.
~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:Dwight Yoakam - I Want You To Want Me mp3 at Give Get Take and Have Cheap Trick cover
Dwight Yoakam - Crazy Little Thing Called Love mp3 at Brian Wiprud (?) Queen cover
Dwight Yoakam - Here Comes the Night mp3 at Culture Greyhound Them cover
Dwight Yoakam with Buck Owens - Streets of Bakersfield mp3 at The Look back
1 comment:
Yoakam without a hat? Never even considered that concept before… Checked out the pics. What can I say? Snigger.
Being a simple city boy, I never got into the guy myself – just seemed like the wrong kind of (starched) corny to me – but I remember my good friend PG used to replicate those (air)guitar-to-the-side-and-bootheel-based-window-wiper-foot moves (hope that description sort of hits the intended mark adequately enough) on a regular basis. Mostly before hitting the town on a Friday or Saturday, like a pre- or post-shower ritual kind of thing.
Don't know how much of a lady of the eighties he is these days, but I'm gonna send him this link.
Thanks… I think.
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