There are two things that have never been used in the same
sentence – the word subtle and the name Dwight Yoakam. Though I can’t state
that to be an actual fact, unless you were talking about the two being polar
opposites, I can’t imagine how the two would fit together.
In 1986, the sound of Country Music was very much
crossover-influenced, with records by acts such as Kenny Rogers, Anne Murray,
and Alabama hitting the top of the charts. However, as the year went on, there
was some hope for fans of a more traditional sound. Acts like Ricky Skaggs,
Reba McEntire, and George Strait were recording more earthier sounds, and there
were a pair of newcomers who were both blazing new trails with old sounds –
Randy Travis (whom I will write about in a few weeks) and Dwight Yoakam.
While both men were very traditional in their sound, their
approaches couldn’t be more different. Randy Travis was the “Aw Shucks”
soft-spoken country boy, who was quickly becoming the poster child of Nashville
with his retro appeal. Then, there was Dwight Yoakam. His music was also
influenced by the sounds of California – from the cowpunk scene of Los Angeles
to the sounds coming from two hours north in Bakersfield. The guitars were
loud. His performances were as hip as you could get. But, the songs definitely
were familiar. His debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc, Etc featured songs
originally made famous by Johnny Cash (“Ring Of Fire”), Ray Price (“Heartaches
By The Number”), and the set’s first single was a tip of the hat to Johnny
Horton with an electrifying version of “Honky Tonk Man.”
His style – apart from music – was also different. Early on,
he would be critical of Nashville’s cross-over stylings, and he was a very
outspoken against Columbia Records president Rick Blackburn – who did the
once-unthinkable in the summer of 1986 by dropping Johnny Cash from the label’s
roster after a historic three-decade run. He quieted down his approach
gradually as time went on, as he began to make friends with several in
Nashville, including Minnie Pearl. And, who can forget those jeans with the
holes in them? Nobody had been as trendy, hip, and chic in years – while also
remaining very much old school in his sound.
Join me on Wednesday, July 8 from 1-3pm on WNKX as we take a
look at the excitement that was Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc. on “Crazy
Chucky’s Classic Country Corner” as part of the “House That Built Me Series.” I
am enjoying playing you some of my favorite albums that influenced me, and hope
you’ll tune in!
By the way, “What Indian Reservation Is This?”…..If you have
ever listened to the album, you will know the significance to that question. I
can’t say that I understand it, but I rewound that time in and time again back
in 1986….Ah…the memories!
