Dwight Yoakam – “Close Up the Honky Tonks”

Dwight Yoakam is arguably the most brilliant and innovative cover artist in the genre’s history. However, when it comes to interpreting the songs of his hero Buck Owens, most of Dwight’s recordings and live performances are remarkably conservative. Thus, I had low expectations for Dwight’s upcoming album of Owens’ songs, fearing that it would be more similar to The Derailers’ uncreative Buck tribute than audacious Dwight projects like Under the Covers.

While lead single “Close Up the Honky Tonks” may not be representative of the rest of the material on the album, it dispels all of my fears about Dwight Sings Buck. Straight-laced Bakersfield covers don’t open with congo drums and other acoustic instrumentation, and an artist wanting only to channel Buck Owens wouldn’t sacrifice the upbeat arrangement of the original for mournful crooning. As usual, Dwight infuses his cover with presence and fresh interpretation as he sounds more like an artist cutting another writer’s original than one remaking a classic. The fact that the result is a rather boring radio release doesn’t particularly matter, as Dwight’s radio days are behind him. The important thing is that Dwight continue to produce compelling albums, and if “Close Up the Honky Tonks” is any indication, his run of quality is not about to end soon.

Listen: Dwight Yoakam – “Close Up the Honky Tonks”