The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam

1	Honky Tonk Man
2	Guitars, Cadillacs
3	Little Sister
4	Little Ways
5	Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose
6	Streets Of Bakersfield / Buck Owens
7	I Sang Dixie
8	Long While Cadillac
9	You're The One
10	Suspicious Minds
11	It Only Hurts When I Cry
12	Ain't That Lonely Yet
13	A Thousand Miles From Nowhere
14	Fast As You
15	Crazy Little Thing Called Love
16	I Want You to Want Me
17	Things Change
18	The Late Great Golden State
19	The Back Of Your Hand

Barnes & Noble

For those wondering what all the fuss concerning Dwight Yoakam is about, this 20-track overview -- think of it as an abridged version of the essential box set Reprise Please Baby: The Warner Bros. Years -- should be an illuminating experience. It's a scorching disc of brilliantly executed and deeply felt hard country, surveying Yoakam's career, beginning with his 1984 indie EP, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., which evolved into his Warners debut of the same title. That classic slice of modern country is represented here by the freewheeling title track and an electrifying remake of Johnny Horton's "Honky Tonk Man." From there the selections hit high spots over the next 19 years of albums, culminating in two tracks from 2003's indie release, Population Me. There's no arguing with these choices, which range from an electrifying remake of "Streets of Bakersfield," featuring Yoakam's Bakersfield-based spiritual and musical touchstone Buck Owens, to "I Sang Dixie," a heartrending ballad about an alcoholic's lonesome death on the L.A. streets. Other highlights include Yoakam's searing remake of Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" (Dwight being Elvis's premier interpreter, it's only fitting that his urgent reading of "Little Sister" be included as well), the sadistic magnificence of "Ain't That Lonely Yet," and "It Only Hurts When I Cry," a lively honky-tonk monument to self-pity, along with inspired covers of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and a western swing take on Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me." The story behind the story is, of course, Pete Anderson, who imbues these tracks with his rich productions -- which are seamless short courses in country and rock 'n' roll history -- and his dazzling lead guitar work, a second voice to Yoakam's own. This is an excellent primer on one of modern country music's most fascinating performers. David McGee

All Music Guide

Take a look at the title of Rhino's 2004 Dwight Yoakam collection -- this is The Very Best of Dwight Yoakam, not The Greatest Hits, which means that there are several hit singles missing. Actually, there are a grand total of 20 charting singles missing, the exact length of The Very Best Of and certainly more than can be winnowed down to a single-disc overview of his biggest hits. Inevitably, cuts had to be made, and the decision was made to span his entire career, coming at the expense at some of his earlier, bigger hits, which means this may not appeal as much to listeners who are familiar with Dwight from the time he had a steady string of singles in the country Top Ten. Instead, this collection skews toward a crossover audience -- or, to be frank, rock guys who like Yoakam. In that regard, it's a success, giving a good idea of the range of his music, offering his biggest hits, along with popular countrified covers of "Suspicious Minds," "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," and "I Want You to Want Me." It could be argued convincingly that Just Lookin' for a Hit gives a better picture of Yoakam the hitmaker, but this is nevertheless a better portrait of his full career, and a better indication of what he wound up being: every alt-rocker's favorite neo-traditional country singer. Stephen Thomas Erlewine