Music
30 Mar 01

Dwight Here, Dwight Now

Last Chance for A Thousand Years by Dwight Yoakam.

This is the twelfth album that Dwight Yoakam has released to date. That makes six albums proper, one live album, one Christmas album, one compilation of odds and sods and one covers album, as well as two greatest hits collections.

Last Chance, the latest of these, is subtitled Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits From The '90s and includes, as is the custom in America these days, new tracks - three in this instance. One of these, his cover of Queen's 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' is gaining exposure as part of GAP's current TV campaign, and if released as a single it could easily boost his UK profile beyond the cult status he now holds. The album closer, sounding a little like a lost Presley Sun Studios outtake, proves what a fine stylist Yoakam is.

The two other new recordings also reaffirm Yoakam as one of the best exponents of country music, in the classic sense, of the last decade. 'I'll Go Back To Her' is a Waylon Jennings song about a man hoping to get back with his former partner. Meanwhile 'Thinking About Leaving', a co-write between Yoakam and Rodney Crowell, is based on the opposite scenario. That's life for you!

These tracks, good, hard country outings make the purchase of this album essential for fans. But there's lots more great music here. The first four cuts are singles, taken from the decade opening If There Was A Way. Next up is his take on 'Suspicious Minds', which was featured in the Honeymoon In Vegas movie, again he manages to pay homage to The King while still making the song his own.

Four cuts from This Time follow, including a couple of his classic heartbreak songs in A Thousand Miles From Nowhere and the Kostas/James House song 'Ain't That Lonely Yet'. He excels at this kind of lost-love song, managing to bring out the essential core of regret and hurt that permeates the very best of traditional country music.

Finally, two tracks from his last album Gone are featured. In particular, 'Sorry You Asked?' has a wry humour that many accuse Yoakam of lacking.

Last Chance For A Thousand Years confirms Yoakam's status, as a singer and writer par excellence. If you want to know what country should be about, get this.