Don't Look for a Heartache

1	Dallas 3:29
2	Fair & Square 3:11
3	Deep Eddy Blues 3:19
4	Don't Look for a Heartache 3:08
5	That Hardwood Floor 2:58
6	Just a Wave, Not the Water 4:47
7	Honky Tonk Song 3:25
8	See the Way 3:17
9	White Freight Liner Blues 3:24
10	Beautiful Rose 3:21
11	Ramblin' Man previously unreleased 3:51
12	Rain Just Falls 3:45
13	Red Chevrolet 2:35
14	Honky Tonk Masquerade 3:06
15	When the Nights Are Cold 4:58

Barnes & Noble

A 15-song compilation of Jimmie Dale Gilmore's first two solo albums for the Hightone label, Don't Look for a Heartache finds the Texan singer-songwriter at an early but fairly formed stage of his singular sensibility. Six of the tracks were produced by Gilmore's Flatlanders running buddy Joe Ely; the other eight were co-produced by Bruce Bromberg and Lloyd Maines in Nashville with some stellar session players on board (including Harold Bradley on guitar and bass, David Briggs on keyboards, and Maines himself on steel guitar). No matter the locale or the array of instrumentalists on hand, Gilmore's music remains unabashedly and unapologetically his own, replete with deep roots in traditional folk and country; feathery, buoyant melodies rich in unusual twists; and that quavering, dramatic tenor laying on so much depth in subtextual insinuation. Those familiar with the Flatlanders' eerie take on Gilmore's classic "Dallas" will find it rendered here in less sinister fashion, with a western swing lope and a jaunty vocal that fairly mocks the town with "a death wish in her eye." A gentle swing, swirling pedal steel, electric guitar lines, and a bluesy vocal elevate Ely's "Honky Tonk Masquerade" into an edgy heartbreaker suitable for the hardwood floor, which is itself the subject of the Gilmore–Butch Hancock treatise, "The Hardwood Floor," a shuffling, aching honky-tonk classic reflecting on the enduring pain of a breakup. Tortured and keening, Gilmore's voice delivers more deep, mournful feeling than a man should be allowed in "Deep Eddy Blues," a mid-tempo weeper supported by Tommy Williams's fiddle and David Briggs's keyboard fills. A previously unissued version of Hancock's "Ramblin' Man" is a steady-rolling homage to the footloose life. Don't Look for a Heartache offers a compelling portrait foreshadowing further greatness. David McGee

All Music Guide

Early in his career, Jimmie Dale Gilmore seemed to have a hard time deciding if he wanted to be a honky tonk man or a songwriting Zen Cowboy, and while most of his best albums (most notably the lovely After Awhile) have landed solidly in the latter category, his first two solo records made it clear he knew how to make with the West Texas dancehall sound when he needed to, and could do it up right. Don't Look for a Heartache was compiled from 1988's Fair and Square and 1989's Jimmie Dale Gilmore, both recorded for Hightone at the dawn of Gilmore's solo career when he was using his elliptical lyrical style and trademark wavering tenor in the service of neo-traditional Texas country sounds. While this set doesn't do much to improve on Gilmore's fine self-titled album, it is a more consistent and compelling listen than Fair and Square, and the folks who compiled this disc have managed to harvest most of the best moments from each album and assemble them in a form that serves the material well. (The remastering sounds swell, too, and an unreleased track from the Jimmie Dale Gilmore sessions has been added for good measure; "Rambling Man" falls well short of life-altering, but it's good swinging fun, with solid steel and fiddle work.) While completists and serious fans will want the two original albums, dabblers curious about Gilmore's early releases will be well served with Don't Look for a Heartache, which manages to be contemplative and good fun at the same time. Mark Deming