Mickey Gilley - Overnight Sensation: Country Hits 1974-1984 CD

Overnight Sensation: Country Hits 1974-1984 buy CD music It's no coincidence that maverick country star Dwight Yoakam rose to prominence in Los Angeles during the 1980s, playing clubs with the likes of Los Lobos, X, and the Blasters. Yoakam's roots revivalism, which borrows equally from the Bakersfield honky-tonk of Buck Owens and vintage Sun Studios-era rockabilly, has much in common with a punk-inspired, back-to-basics approach. THE VERY BEST OF proves that despite--or maybe because of--Yoakam's category defiance, his music is immensely appealing. Yoakam's willingness to bend the rules is evident in his choice of covers. Included here are a punchy version of "Suspicious Minds," a countrified take on Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me," and a swinging cover of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." To these and other tunes, Yoakam brings his country-rock flair and his truly beautiful baritone croon. But nothing matches his late-'80s cuts, particularly the rave-up barroom classic "Honky Tonk Man" and Yoakam's own "Guitars, Cadillacs," standouts on this excellent collection representing one of country's coolest and most distinctive stars. Photographer: Davis Factor. Personnel: Dwight Yoakam (vocals, guitar); Buck Owens (vocals). Liner Note Author: Holly George-Warren.

Overnight Sensation: Country Hits 1974-1984 songs The title of Epic/Legacy's 16 Biggest Hits is slightly misleading -- not because the collection doesn't contain big hits, but because there's really 17 songs on this collection, with the last cut a bonus track on the CD only. This doesn't really matter, since it doesn't really effect the tenor and purpose of the collection, which is to serve up 16/17 of Mickey Gilley's biggest hits for Playboy/Epic from the '70s and early '80s. Of course, this was done very effectively with the definitive Ten Years of Hits in 1984, and this collection cribs heavily from that two-LP/single-disc set, sharing no less than 15 songs with that previous collection. This does have the advantage of chronological sequencing -- something that helps Gilley more than some other artists, since he shifted toward slicker material as his career rolled on and it's nice to hear the purer stuff grouped together -- along with better sound. However, as a representation of his best, Ten Years of Hits edges out this set because it captures his prime better; the two songs on 16 Biggest Hits not on Ten Years -- "Fool for Your Love" and "Paradise Tonight" -- are from 1983 and aren't among his best, while everything, even the sappy stuff, on Ten Years of Hits showcases Gilley at his best. That said, this still has more than enough of his best to make it worthwhile, especially if it's found at a reasonable price. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Internet