Editorial Review:

Amazon.com essential recording:
Both the introduction to hard country for a generation of college kids and a key entry in what became the neotraditionalist movement, Dwight Yoakam's debut was a near-perfect re-creation of Buck Owens's Bakersfield sound. "Bury Me" and "Miner's Prayer" are heartfelt homages to Yoakam's real Kentucky roots, while honky-tonkers like "South of Cincinnati" remind how many Kentuckians eventually headed to Ohio for good jobs. Most immediately striking, though, are Yoakam's covers--particularly versions of Johnny Horton's "Honky Tonk Man" and Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"--which subtly tune up the Bakersfield sound with a rock & roll super-charge. --David Cantwell

Rating: - Greatest album
I bought this years ago and wore it out in college... obviously you can see from all the reviews this is fabulous... good CD to buy to get a taste of DW. He rocks!!!!!!!!1

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Rating: - Get the 2006 Rhino Re-Issue Instead of This Version!
Don't get me wrong; I love this CD to death. But trust me: Spring for the extra few bucks and get that digitally remastered 2006 Rhino re-issue. Not only does it have ten demo tracks in addition to all ten tracks that are on this version of the CD on the first disk, but there's a second disk with a smokin' live concert from the Roxy in L.A. from '86. If I could, I'd give the Rhino re-issue six stars. It's that good.

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Rating: - Rock-A-Billy Dwight
Classic this is a great album! What more can be said.

The Mean Eyed Cat
The Rock-A-Billy Review
KNON 89.3 Radio
Dallas, Texas

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Rating: - Hillbilly music is the only thing that keeps me hanging on.
This was Dwight Yoakam's major label debut album. He previously had released an independent label album, which had several of the same songs that are on this one. (Good luck finding a copy of THAT album.) Dwight wrote seven of the ten songs himself. The remaining three songs are covers of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", Ray Price's "Heartaches By the Number" and Johnny Horton's "Honky Tonk Man" (which became Yoakam's first hit). Out of Dwight's original songs, "Guitars, Cadillacs" was a big hit ... Read More

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Rating: - Re-issue coming in September '06
There'll be an expanded re-issue coming with lots of early live tracks plus liner notes from Dwight himself. "Hooray!" she typed.