Yeah, I wrote "overproduced?" in the subject line quickly without
attempting to label Dwight one way or another. (I call him Dwight because
I can never remember whether Yoakam is spelled with an "am" or a "um.")
Anyway, I just think it's interesting that a performer such as DY and a
producer such as PA have mutual reputations for being fairly traditional,
or rootsy, or honky-tonk -- and for being able to do what they want, and
not kow-tow to pop-country radio. Yet, when you listen to that 99 Dwight
record, it's pretty heavily arranged, from song to song, and doesn't hew
to any preconceptions about sparely produced roots music. He can get away
with that, and succeed at it, because he's already paid his dues, I
suppose. Yet, when someone like Mike Ireland does some "revolutionary"
things production-wise, it turns into a big discussion point in all the
music rags (and lists). -- Terry Smith, whose precise point continues to
elude him
ps And, I'll repeat, that DY record was one of my top 10 from last year,
so I don't have any particular problem with the production.
