Tomorrow's Sounds Today

Amazon.com essential recording
Though Dwight Yoakam is tagged with a well-deserved (and in his case complimentary) "outsider" label, he is, ironically, one of country music's most accessible artists. Tomorrow's Sounds Today, his follow-up to the wonderful, acoustic-only Dwightyoakamacoustic.net, is proof. While it may be difficult to think of Yoakam as accessible--his music and persona are brash, cocky throwbacks to the days when slightly dangerous country artists actually did fall off their barstools--he has become so adept at incorporating a broad palate of influences that music fans of many stripes feel comfortable with the Kentucky cowboy. On Tomorrow's Sounds Today, Yoakam again reaches to hard-driving, old-school, honky-tonk country as the main ingredient while leavening the mix with jolting shots of rockabilly, Tex-Mex shuffle, and ain't-love-heartbreakin' sentiment. Yoakam's primary influence, Buck Owens, guests on three tracks, "The Sad Side of Town", "I Was There" (featuring Pete Anderson's growling guitar work), and "Alright, I'm Wrong," which showcases the accordion of Flaco Jimenez. Elsewhere, Yoakam delivers rocking country backbeats, memorable hooks, dusty down-home waltzes in full drawl, even a cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me." As usual, Yoakam's impeccable band is up to the task, handling the songs with ease while not sacrificing a single volt of electricity. --S. Duda

Tracks:

Love Caught Up To Me
What Do You Know About Love
Time Spent Missing You
Free To Go
A Promise You Can't Keep
A Place To Cry
The Sad Side Of Town
Dreams Of Clay
For Love's Sake
The Heartaches Are Free
A World Of Blue
I Want You To Want Me
Alright, I'm Wrong
I Was There

Amazon.com essential recording

Though Dwight Yoakam is tagged with a well-deserved (and in his case complimentary) "outsider" label, he is, ironically, one of country music's most accessible artists. Tomorrow's Sounds Today, his follow-up to the wonderful, acoustic-only Dwightyoakamacoustic.net, is proof. While it may be difficult to think of Yoakam as accessible--his music and persona are brash, cocky throwbacks to the days when slightly dangerous country artists actually did fall off their barstools--he has become so adept at incorporating a broad palate of influences that music fans of many stripes feel comfortable with the Kentucky cowboy. On Tomorrow's Sounds Today, Yoakam again reaches to hard-driving, old-school, honky-tonk country as the main ingredient while leavening the mix with jolting shots of rockabilly, Tex-Mex shuffle, and ain't-love-heartbreakin' sentiment. Yoakam's primary influence, Buck Owens, guests on three tracks, "The Sad Side of Town", "I Was There" (featuring Pete Anderson's growling guitar work), and "Alright, I'm Wrong," which showcases the accordion of Flaco Jimenez. Elsewhere, Yoakam delivers rocking country backbeats, memorable hooks, dusty down-home waltzes in full drawl, even a cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me." As usual, Yoakam's impeccable band is up to the task, handling the songs with ease while not sacrificing a single volt of electricity. --S. Duda

Customer Reviews:

Yoakam deserves the comparisons to Patsy and Hank..........2006-12-10

I was channel surfin', and the video for "What Do You Know About Love?" kept coming on. I watched it. I didn't think much of the video, but I loved the song. Then I got a chance to get this CD as a free bonus, so I went for it. And I love every note of it. Dwight is one of the few modern country stars with SOUL. He can be compared to country music's great artists, like Hank and Patsy. His stuff has the soul of old country music, and it's modern at the same time. He really means what he sings. This CD are amazing. I especially adore the first 3 songs. I never get tired of them. A friend of mine call this album "whiny", and I got quite irritated at her. She was raised on modern country music, which is generally crappy, overly sentimental ballads, or right wing, jingoistic, wrap yourself in the flag garbage. Dwight is real country music, and it isn't whiny, it's sincere. Country music is white man's blues, with songs about heartbreak, cheating wives, battles with the bottle, redemption, etc., etc., and Dwight knows this, and he lives it, especially on this album. This is a wonderful album, one of Yoakam's greatest, and one of the best country albums in a long, long time.

Thank You Dwight........2006-04-24

If You People, Been Looking At My Other Reviews, You Understand That I Like This Kid. He Brings Us An Other And Different Kind Of Country Music. A Kind Of Music I Realy Like.

This is it!.......2005-09-05

Some folks say "Hillbilly Deluxe" or "This Time" were the finest Dwight albums ever. I strongly disagree. This is the one. If Dwight never released another album or never sang another note, we'd still have "Tomorrow's Sounds Today". You cannot (and will not) EVER find a country music album so complete. Hey, this album should be required listening for any fan of country music. I can't pick one song that stands out on this whole album; they are all equally good. I dont think I can say enough about the quality of this piece, but it is by far the finest Country Music album of the past 30 years; and you can take that to the bank! A++++++

"Tomorrow's Sounds Today".......2004-12-18

I'm pretty new to Dwight Yoakam's music. Unlike many other reviewers of this album, I have not been a long-time Yoakam fan, nor do I own everything from his musical catalogue. In fact, this is only the third studio album of his I have purchased. Perhaps I do not have the same insight that other Yoakam fans may have, but this CD is simply too good for me to let go unrecognized.

Take just one listen and you'll see that Dwight Yoakam is not like any of his contemporary country acts. "Tomorrow's Sounds Today" is a collection of 14 exceptionally unique, beautifully presented, and well-written songs. As a whole, the CD is delightfully entertaining and well textured with a varied selection of material, almost all of which was written by the man himself.

Some of my favorites on this CD are "Free to Go" (which focuses on the uncertain nature of love), "Dreams of Clay" (a beautifully written song about love gone astray), and "Heartaches Are Free" (which is reminiscent of the classic Hank Williams.) Over all, I'd recommend this CD for anyone who likes real country music that has a bit of an alternative twist.

Entusiastic "real" country that refuses to dissapoint.......2004-04-20

Dwight Yoakam's Tomorrow's Sounds Today is a conspicuous title considering the album's constant references to a sound that witnessed its livelihood many a yesterday ago. But, any listener familiar with Yoakam's reputation, would come to expect that the country singer's retro-styling would only make the music involved more interesting.

Riding on the strength of these tunes, this album shines as bright as a southern star. While it's safe to say that Yoakam has once again spent some time writing from a room at the Heartbreak Hotel, with songs such as "Time Spent Missing You," "A Place To Cry," and the exceptional "Dreams of Clay," it is also quite obvious that he still possesses his uncanny ability to make it sound hip to be broken-hearted. Armed with his trademark country croon, Yoakam trots through an album that revisits influences ranging from Buck Owens (of which he duets on the album's closing bonus cuts) to Elvis to Cheap Trick, with a cover version of their age old hit "I Want You To Want Me." Basically, there is a gem of some sort here for most anyone. Although not quite a seminal D.W. recording, this one still concludes making you feel pretty cool to be blue.

Music Album:

Music Album