Search - Dwight Yoakam :: Guitars Cadillacs Etc (Dig)

A Piece of History Just Got Better

Thomas D. Ryan | New York | 11/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dwight Yoakam has probably done more to revitalize good ol' honky-tonk Country music than anyone, and this album serves as proof. My radio show, "How Music Changed," is dedicated to explaining how various facets of our musical culture change, continue to develop, or simply waste away. By the mid-eighties, Texas Swing, Hillbilly Country, and Honky Tonk music had fallen on hard times. It is possible that it could have faded away entirely. The only thing that keeps music styles alive is when an artist understands the genre and is talented enough to contemporize the style for a new audience. That is exactly what Yoakam does on "Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc."

The `Deluxe Edition' of this disk contains the entire original album as it appeared in 1986, plus the original demos which were recorded back in 1981. Five years is a long time to wait for your vision to take hold, but Yoakam must have been dead set on realizing his without compromise. The demo recordings are fully realized songs that only benefited from the spit and polish of the album versions. Best of all is the absolutely incredible live show that takes up the second disk, recorded at Los Angeles' Roxy soon after the album was released. If it weren't for the stage patter and the rock and roll infusion of electric energy, this could have been a long lost document from a Texas roadhouse circa 1956. Yoakam's voice is a natural wonder. His band is stunning, too, sounding for all the world like they are ready and able to break out and reinvent Country music in the image of its heroes, rather than the pabulum that has been passed off as `new' country. Even if you already own the original disk, this edition is a must if only for the live disk; this is some of the best live country music I have ever heard in my life.

The best way to appreciate this album is to simply listen to it, but it wouldn't hurt if you compared it against its contemporary competition, either - If you ever listened to a radio show that focuses on music from the `80s, you can be sure that they aren't going to play anything from this album. Instead, you may hear Huey Lewis, or the Human League, or Phil Collins, or Wham! - only a few of the best-selling artists from 1986 - which proves all the more the miracle that is "Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc." Today, those artists are about as fresh as a bowl of soggy corn flakes, while Dwight Yoakam's statement lives on, and may have even grown in stature. If you already loved it, then this copy will blow your mind, If your new to this, then prepare yourself, because this disk will stay crunchy for decades. A Tom Ryan"

A Classic Album Gets the 'Deluxe Edition' Treatment

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 01/30/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If Dwight Yoakam had never released another album after 1986's GUITARS, CADILLACS, ETC., Etc., he would still be considered a savior of traditional country music. When this album first came out twenty years ago in 1986, it was the swift kick in the ass that country music had needed. While the first single was a remake of Johnny Horton's 1956 hit, "Honky Tonk Man," Yoakam proved he was no slouch as a songwriter. Songs like "It Won't Hurt," "Miner's Prayer" and "South of Cincinnati" proved Yoakam was an artist to be reckoned with.



This deluxe edition includes the original 10-track Warner Bros. album recorded in 1986. In addition, disc 1 includes the original 6-song EP issued on the Oak label in 1984 along with four other tracks recorded at the same time. These tracks featured a different lineup of musicians, including Jay Dee Maness on pedal steel. [All 10 tracks first appeared on the 2002 box set REPRISE, PLEASE BABY.]



The real bonus is disc 2, a 1986 live set performed at the Roxy the same month the album was released nationally. Yoakam is backed by the Babylonian Cowboys, featuring producer/guitarist Pete Anderson. This is a killer live set. After performing a rousing version of Bill Monroe's "Can't You Hear Me Calling," Yoakam jokes with the crowd saying, "Well...it's just ol' hillbilly stuff." Don't believe it. This is powerful stuff. Nine of these tracks are previously unreleased. [Only "Can't You Hear Me Calling," "Heartaches by the Number" and "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" were previously issued (on REPRISE, PLEASE BABY).] Yoakam and his crack band rip through originals like "Guitars, Cadillacs" and "I'll Be Gone," and in between do respectful covers of Bill Monroe's "Rocky Road Blues," Junior Parker's "Mystery Train" and June Carter and Merle Kilgore's "Ring of Fire." This live disc alone is worth the price of admission.



For fans of Dwight Yoakam and honest country music this rerelease is an essential purchase. [Disc 1 - 64:14; Disc 2 - 46:51 ] VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

Outstanding Addition to my Dwight collection

J. Graves | Maryland | 11/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This has not left my cd player since I purchased it. Truly a beautiful cd, I love the song Floyd County and Twenty Years. It has great booklets in it and all sorts of songs to listen to. I just love this damn cd."