Album Review: Dwight Yoakam’s ‘Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars…’
For his latest musical project, the veteran performer revisits many of his older catalog titles – but in a Bluegrass form.
Being a native of Pikeville, Kentucky, it would stand to reason that the music of the hills is as natural to Dwight Yoakam as oxygen or water. For his latest musical project, the veteran performer revisits many of his older catalog titles – but in a Bluegrass form. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of this when I first received the disc. After all, it’s basically redoing songs that one has done before – but in adapting the material to a new sub-genre, Yoakam pulls a winner out of the hat.
Amazingly enough, one comes away from listening to the disc realizing just how “Bluegrass” some of this material actually was in the first place. Take for instance, “What I Don’t Know.” The song originally appeared on his 1988 disc Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room album. Then, the song had a dark and brooding mentality that served it well. But in an acoustic setting, it actually keeps that emotion – adding to it in a way that would make The Stanley Brothers proud (Keep in mind, this is the duo that recorded the classic murder ballad “Pretty Polly”).
Yoakam keeps that attitude on the well-written “I Wouldn’t Put It Past Me,” as well as the warning-filled “Listen.” All throughout this disc, the spirit of Appalachia is very much intact, with “Free To Go” almost conjuring up images of the mountains that were – and are – all around Yoakam’s Pikeville (also the hometown of Patty Loveless). “Two Doors Down” finds the singers’ vocals in as pristine shape, as always.
Two of his biggest hits also get the Bluegrass treatment, and both are very interesting. “Guitars, Cadillacs,” of course, was the title cut from his landmark 1986 debut album. In this setting, he slows down the tempo considerably, and the result is actually one of the most enjoyable cuts on the album. “Please, Please Baby” followed on his sophomore album Hillbilly Deluxe, and the tempo of the song makes it work even better as a Bluegrass song.
As the old saying goes, you’re only as good as those you surround yourself with – and Yoakam has the cream of the crop of musicians on this album. Bryan Sutton adds his musical genius, as does Stuart Duncan with some very tasty licks on the fiddle. Scott Vestal’s five-string work on “What I Don’t Know” is nothing short of outstanding as well, in addition to the incomparable mandolin work of Adam Steffey.
Of course, the bulk of the headlines concerning this album revolve around his cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” and as he always has, Yoakam delivers on the cut. In all honestly, if you had never heard the song….you might think it’s a pure-bred Bluegrass classic. He does an exceedingly great job at making it come across as authentic as possible. And, in the case of Dwight Yoakam, this music from the hills rings as true and as heartfelt as his contributions to the Los Angeles “Cowpunk” scene in the early to mid 1980s, as well as his musical allegiance to the Buck Owens Bakersfield sound. This is definitely one worth checking out!
Pick up your copy of Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars… on iTunes HERE.
