Track Listing

1. Same Fool
2. Curse
3. Things Change
4. Yet to Succeed
5. I Wouldn't Put It Past Me
6. These Arms
7. That's Okay
8. Only Want You More
9. I'll Just Take These
10. Long Way Home
11. Listen
12. Traveler's Lantern
13. Maybe You Like It, Maybe You Don't

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15261 in Music
• Released on: 1998-06-09
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
In the vein of 1995's Gone, Dwight Yoakam continues to argue for an alternative-country future. Expanding his retro Bakersfield sound with significant flourishes of more contemporary and not-so-contemporary pop, rock, and soul, A Long Way Home is an aurally stunning and eclectic recording. "These Arms" begins as a Ray Price shuffle, then seamlessly morphs into a dramatic pop gem, while the thrilling "Yet to Succeed" and "I'll Just Take These" are modern countrypolitan. And mixed among the country pop are roadhouse rockers and bluegrassy hollers, all with some of the more arresting lyrics of Yoakam's career. His last three releases--collections of live tracks, quirky covers and Christmas songs--have been distressingly subpar, but A Long Way Home finds Yoakam not as far from home as we'd feared. --David Cantwell

No Depression
Mostly, A Long Way Home represents his Roy Orbison move. Big, grand, sweeping, operatic and heart-on-the-sleeve emotive....

Country Music Magazine
You'll find no covers here, and that's good because [Yoakam's] own writing has sufficiently improved to the point that he doesn't need to draw on oldies. His compositions capture a variety of moods, all with an unrelenting sense of urgency and immediacy.

Customer Reviews

Yoakam's Most Consistent Album - Not A Clunker In The Bunch
Yoakam's eleventh album was his first of all new material in nearly three years. A Christmas set and a mediocre album of cover tunes were released in the meantime, while he
concentrated on acting in films like Sling Blade and The Newton Boys. Just when it seemed that Yoakam might never give music his full attention again, he delightfully surprised us with his
most consistent and personal effort to date.

Yoakam composed all of the thirteen tracks on A Long Way Home without collaboration. The overwhelming theme of these acoustically-driven numbers is romance and its inevitably
negative outcome. This potentially depressing subject matter turns engaging, thanks to the variety of musical styles Yoakam incorporates, be it the shimmering "Things Change," the
honkytonkin' "I Wouldn't Put It Past Me" or the Bakersfield weeper "Yet To Succeed." Amidst the romantic chaos are homages to Johnny Cash ("The Curse"), Roy Orbison ("Listen") and
Elvis Presley ("Maybe You Like It, Maybe You Don't").

The one thematic detour is the mountain ode "Traveler's Lantern," featuring bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley on banjo and backup vocals. Its message of illuminating the path one
walks could also be applied to the music of Dwight Yoakam: when he is at his best, like on A Long Way Home, country music is left a better place.

Displays all Dwight's musical ability in its very best light
The first thing that struck me about this fabulous work of Dwight's is that you feel comfortable from the first listen. Often reviewers indicate they weren't in love with a CD on the first play, 'it grew on them'. This one grabs you from the git-go and never lets go. Don't let that statement make you believe this is old material and therefore not worth your interest. 'A Long Way Home' is full of surprises and excellent exhibits of what makes Dwight all that he is. Dwight did indeed 'come home'.

'The Curse' will stir remembrances of the heydays of Johnny Cash. The influence of Buck Owens is, as always, a welcome presence in 'I Wouldn't Put It Past Me'. Still these offerings manage to sound new and fresh.

Newcomers to Bluegrass who fell in love with Ralph Stanley (O Death) on the S/T to 'Oh Brother, Where Art Thou' will instantly recognize his supreme distinct voice and be glad to hear it singing backup on 'Traveler's Lantern' as Dwight travels into the Bluegrass genre.

Dwight's sense of humor and mimicking ability shine in the Elvis Homage introduction and version of the cut 'I Only Want You More'.

No one in music today writes lyrics like Dwight. If you question that statement, listen to 'That's Okay' This song is the perfect example of Dwight's writing ability. Who else in country music could develop the following lyrics then set them 'to tune' and make the result sweet to the ear? 'Voices about us softly mumbling words that trip my heart a stumbling' or 'I embrace small shards of silence to avoid a loss this violent'. Folks, remember this is country music we're talking here! A field built on beers/years, cry/die, and you/and anything that rhymes with it, etc. Dwight writes with the sophistication of a natural modern poet and marries the work with the ultimate 'country sound'.

'Things Change' and 'I'll Just Take These' are pure Dwight and sweet country and should put to rest any belief this is not a 'country' endeavor. It it country at its best.

My first introduction to Dwight Yoakam was his 'This Time' CD and it has always been my favorite. But 'Long Way Home' is tied for second, along with nearly all the others. In my repeated efforts to review his music, I have become repetitive and redundant (see?), and still haven't come even remotely close to describing his tremendous talent. So, instead of sitting there mumbling under your breath about my irritating efforts to describe the indescribable, get busy and obtain yourself a copy of this CD and prepare to listen and listen because you won't want to stop.

An outstanding collection of original songs
At the time Dwight recorded this album, people could be forgiven for thinking that Dwight had run out of ideas - after all, he'd recorded a covers album and a Christmas album, which was predominately covers. With this album, Dwight proved that he could still write and sing brilliant original songs. As ever, Dwight's traditionally based country music has a rock edge that appeals to a wider audience while still appealing to most traditional country fans. Only the most diehard traditionalists could fail to appreciate Dwight's music. The overall feel of this album is very upbeat.

Dwight grabs your attention from the opening Same fool and holds it until the closing Maybe you like it maybe you don't, singing his way through a selection of songs that are incredibly varied yet still sit comfortably together. Dwight's influences are many and varied but fans of Buck Owens, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley will all hear echoes of their music in this album. Of course, Dwight's hillbilly vocal style combined with Pete Anderson's brilliant producing make his music unmistakeable for any other.

Dwight makes a rare incursion into bluegrass territory on Traveller's lantern, on which Ralph Stanley plays banjo. As Dwight had already appeared as a guest on Ralph's Clinch mountain country album, this was no surprise. Judged on this effort, it would be great to hear Dwight do a whole bluegrass album.

Dwight has recorded many outstanding albums (and one or two duds) but this is certainly one of the best albums Dwight has ever recorded and my may well be the best of the lot.