Dwight Yoakam - This Time
Dwight Yoakam hit his stride with the release of This Time. While his early years were sparked by a great deal of radio play and some excellent performances, all his artistic genius shines in this brilliantly crafted album of music. From Bakersfield honky-tonk to hard-driving southern-fried rock, Dwight proved without a doubt that he was more than just a guy in tight jeans and a buff-colored Stetson.
From the swinging "Pocket of a Clown" to the closing bars of the gentle "Lonesome Roads," every single track on This Time is a gold nugget. More than half of the songs were released as singles, and won Dwight a number of awards for sheer volume of radio play, including "Pocket of a Clown"; "A Thousand Miles From Nowhere"; the perennial favorite "Fast As You," which is still perhaps his best-known and most-played single; and the brilliant, poignant, and biting "Ain't That Lonely Yet," which received nominations for the ACM Single of the Year, and the CMA Song and Single of the Year.
With its very familiar cover, Dwight's face unseen under the ever-present hat and the clock face, This Time has also some of the loveliest artwork to be found on a CD jacket insert. Every song on the album is written by Dwight with the sole exception of "Ain't That Lonely Yet" (Kostas/James House); while his lyrics are simple, they are deeply rich and powerful, proving him truly a genius with words. All in all, This Time ranks up there with any of the best country albums to be found, and it is well and truly acknowledged as Dwight Yoakam's masterpiece.
Reviewed by Kathy Coleman.
