Album Review – Dwight Yoakam’s “Second Hand Heart”
Regardless of what anyone may think about the music on Dwight’s latest record, it should be a point of universal consensus that it is good to have him carousing around country music once again. That dark age when it seemed he was dedicated more to his acting career was a difficult pill for fans of Dwight the musician to swallow, and say what you will about the Grammy Awards or Eric Church, having Dwight class up the joint as either an opener or duet partner with Brandy Clark sure makes being a country music fan so much easier to stomach.
There’s just a cool factor about Dwight that appears will never wear off, regardless if the hips don’t shake and the knees don’t knock as much as they used to, or even if he’s the perfect specimen for male pattern baldness under the low brim of that cowboy hat. He’s still Dwight, and that caramel voice and cutting yodel will never be deprecated.
It’s the voice where Yoakam’s special power resides. Put him right up there with George Jones and Vern Gosdin for the upper crust crooning overlords in the entire history of the country genre. Just reference Johnny Cash who once called Yoakam his favorite country singer. After Dwight ducked out of the original album cutting business for a full seven years, he came back in 2012 with 3 Pears. Though the effort seemed valiant, and the vaunted Beck Hansen showed up to co-produce (and some guy named Robert Ritchie co-write a song), the focal point of Dwight’s voice seemed to get a little lost in the effort to make an album more about songs and stylization. Not that Dwight the songwriter, or Dwight the composer should be swept under the rug, but this is no ordinary singer. If Yoakam’s songs aren’t setting up a vocal obstacle course for him to hurdle, he’s selling his music short.
Second Hand Heart was hailed ahead of the release as a return to the halcyon days of Dwight’s cowpunk past. What I’m hearing doesn’t really elicit visions of Jason & The Scorchers or anything, but this certainly is a more loose and organic recording compared to others, and it does get a little wild in places, and veers a bit more towards rock and roll, especially in the second half of the album with the sweaty recordings of “Liar” and “The Big Time,” and even in Yoakam’s rendition of “Man Of Constant Sorrow” that turned out surprisingly great. These “cut the mic on and see what happens” moments resulted in a vitality to this record that otherwise may not be present.
The first part of Second Hand Heart comes across a little more composed though, and this is really where the meat of the album lies. “She” is one of those creeper songs that you yawn through the first time you hear it, and next thing you know you can’t quit clicking rewind. It’s like the Stones’ “Sway” where time exposes its genius. The purely country track of the album is the saddle swaying “Off Your Mind,” and though terms like “rock” and “punk” have been used to qualify this album, it’s still more country than anything else, if only from Dwight’s involvement.
But what elevates Second Hand Heart to a worthy purchase is the showcase it creates for Yoakam’s vocal prowess. Dwight does some things on “Dreams of Clay” that no other singer could ever replicate. I’ll be frank: as a listener who pins their ear to songwriting first, I don’t even care if I can understand what Dwight is saying, in fact I may prefer it that way because of the feeling his voice conveys. The actual words are almost a matter of ambivalence. Imagine Dwight is singing whatever you want.
When Dwight cut Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” back in the day, some may have pegged it as his sellout moment, but this was Dwight selecting a song that was so ideal to showcase his singing style, you’d be a fool not to just sit back and appreciate the performance. There’s a handful of these spine-pricking moments on Second Hand Heart, and it shows that Dwight can still tackle one of the greatest hurdles of all for most songwriters: writing to your vocal strengths. In an era dominated by either singing lightweights or technically perfect singers with no style, thank the country music gods we still have Dwight around to entertain us.
I don’t hear a particular song that may end up on the short list of Dwight classics in the long term, and the track “Believe” seems to borrow a little to much in the melody from other works, but Second Hand Heart otherwise is a cover to cover listen, and one that matches the standards Dwight has set for himself over a solid, 30-year career.
Dwight Yoakam is the King of Cool in country music, and Second Hand Heart helps to continue that legacy.
1 3/4 of 2 Guns Up.
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April 15, 2015 @ 6:56 pm
Just listened for the second time. Found it at Walmart. Any opinions on the extended version from Target or the slower tempo of Freams of Clay.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:11 pm
Have not gotten my hands on the extended version just yet.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:18 pm
The original version of “Dreams of Clay” is on Dwight’s ‘Tomorrow Sounds Tomorrow’ (2000 ((I think)).
April 16, 2015 @ 4:23 am
It is, and I’m surprised I’ve found very few mentions of this around. This new version is very tempoed back.
April 16, 2015 @ 10:50 am
I picked it up, though I lack the context to give the type of opinion you’re looking for as I’m only a casual Dwight fan. However, the three extra tracks included are a 1989 demo version of “The Big Time,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “Nothing But Love.”
http://www.dwightyoakam.com/news/new-album-second-hand-heart-now-available-0
Tracks like these are always uploaded on YouTube at some point, so just keep an eye out. At the moment, Target is offering the album for $10.99, so I’d say go for the bonus tracks version if you haven’t yet gotten a copy.
April 15, 2015 @ 7:14 pm
Loved this very much after I was disappointed with 3 Pears. Dreams of Clay and Man of Constant Sorrow were highlights . I think that Dwight dueting with Sam Hunt and not criticizing modern country is an act of modesty. I think he realizes that his last two albums were not purely country; so, he might think he would be someone to call out the bros.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:13 pm
I agree this album is better than “3 Pears.” I don’t think Dwight’s assessment of his own music has anything to do with the Sam Hunt duet. My guess is he was asked, and he said yes.
April 15, 2015 @ 7:25 pm
Dwight is bad ass. No denying that. Love everything he’s done. Even love his acting. Nothing like some Doyle Hargraves quotes from time to time to make me chuckle haha. Trig, u plan on reviewing Hoge, Zane Williams, or upcoming Randy and Wade, William Clark Green ( really anticipating this one for some reason for the fact of love the creativeness of the title track Ringling Road )albums? Just curious
April 15, 2015 @ 8:16 pm
I listen to lots and lots of albums. The ones I review are the ones I can find words to express about them. All those albums are squarely in my radar. I did run an interview with Will Hoge the day before his album release. I’m not saying I won’t review the album, but I may prioritize something yet to be mentioned on the site site first. Thanks for the interest.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:21 pm
Word! Thanks for the comment. Oh trust me, I’m sure your plate is full. Thanks for the site and what you do. Been reading a yr or two now and found a lot of music thru it. Please keep the fight for country music up. We all appreciate it.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:22 pm
Thanks Brett.
April 16, 2015 @ 4:25 am
My personal favorite Dwight acting quote comes from the underrated “Red Rock West” where he pulls a gun on Nicholas Cage who’s on the roof of his truck:
“Does that tickle? Cause it won’t if I pull the trigger.”
April 16, 2015 @ 8:27 am
“Nothing like some Doyle Hargraves quotes from time to time to make me chuckle haha. ”
What’cha doin’ with that lawn mower blade Karl?
April 16, 2015 @ 10:39 am
Aim to kill you with it.
I like watching the rant at the band every once in a while on youtube.
(Throws beer bottle through living room window)… We don’t need to fuckin’ practice, Randy! And we don’t need no shit ass manager, neither! Ya motherfuckers! Y’all just a bunch a losers!
I didn’t know who he was when I first watched the movie, but later realized that the guy in the wheelchair is the late, great singer/songwriter Vic Chesnutt.
April 16, 2015 @ 11:32 am
The guy who says “I’ll tell you what we need; we need some payin’ gigs!” is the great Mickey Jones who played drums for Bob Dylan (during Levon Helms’s hiatus), Johnny Rivers, and The First Edition before becoming a prolific character actor.
April 15, 2015 @ 7:26 pm
I think the re-recording of “Dreams of Clay” was unnecessary. But for reasons Trig laid out, I’m focusing on the coolness of the album.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:18 pm
Re-recording a track is always a risky proposition because listener’s brains get used to the original version. Generally it’s a practice I would probably frown upon. But in my opinion, he kills this version, and it was one of my favorite songs on the album.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:31 pm
My biggest problem with this version of “Dreams of Clay” is it shows up on an album with only 10 tracks. It coupled with “Man of Sorrow” leaves only 8 tracks of new material. None of the new songs are really groundbreaking or that deep, so the album feels awfully light. But, I’m being critical.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:45 pm
That’s a fair point, especially since there’s bonus tracks floating out there. Maybe put one of the covers as the bonus material. But man I really dig both those songs.
April 16, 2015 @ 6:44 am
One more thing I wanted to add – it’s a very strange time we are living in as “country” music fans.
NPR is streaming “Second Hand Heart” as its album of the week.
WYEP (Pittsburgh’s independent Adult Alternative radio station) is the presenting station for the Old Crow Medicine Show/ Sturgill Simpson in July.
Two establishments I thought I would have very little affiliation with ten years ago.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:09 pm
Loved his Grammys duet with Ms. Clark, but I have to mention I have heard several country dj’s voice their distaste for Dwight’s shows when discussing eric church’s tour. I had thought he might of lost his groove until his recent appearance. I think I’ll take Buck Owens opinion over an eric church fan.
April 15, 2015 @ 8:21 pm
I can’t give an opinion on Dwight’s opening shows because I didn’t experience, but one thing I heard pretty consistently is that the sound wasn’t great, and it was too quiet. If a band doesn’t sound good, patrons may not know exactly why they are not connecting with it, but they just know they aren’t. Also openers are purposely turned down on mainstream tours to make the headliners sound especially loud and full. Let’s face it, we can give props to Eric Church for giving Dwight the opportunity, but Dwight doesn’t belong opening for anybody. He was just doing what he could to get his name out to a new generation.
April 16, 2015 @ 2:35 am
Saw him in Pittsburg opening for Church and went only for him and he killed it and left right after and I wasn’t the only one. Will be seeing him in Salamanca June 6th for a full show and can’t wait.
April 16, 2015 @ 10:59 am
I saw Dwight and Eric when they came to North Little Rock, Arkansas. I’m not sure what was going on with those other shows, but this one if anything was too LOUD. In fact, it was SO loud that the acoustics were adversely affected and I could hardly hear Dwight singing at all, just a garbled voice. The dumb thing is that holding my ears closed actually enhanced the sound to where I could hear every word Dwight and Eric said, so I spent most of the concert wishing I’d brought a pair of earplugs. Note: I’m hard of hearing so that no doubt had something to do with it, but my problems are more associated with the quality of the sound than the volume, so I don’t necessarily think it made a whole lot of difference but do with that information what you will.
I will say, though, that the majority of the crowd went crazy when Dwight got onstage. I felt kind of bad for him because his rather modest set and appearance seemed out-of-place once Church’s overblown rock show started (and for the record he wasn’t bad either, even if a bunch of his setup seemed gimmicky). I picked up a copy of 3 Pears at the show for the overblown merch price just to show my support.
April 15, 2015 @ 10:34 pm
First off , I’m a Dwight fan .
The track SECOND HAND HEART is Bruce without the sax and louder guitars…somehow . Very generic -sounding . It ain’t Bro but it ain’t country
LIAR is a ‘ rave-up’ rocker . It sounds like when my first basement band tried to learn the Stones’ ’19th Nervous Breakdown’ but nobody could play the guitar hook . It ain’t country , it ain’t bro . Probably work as an energy kick in a live show . Otherwise I can think of at least a dozen other Dwight songs I’d rather listen to . I haven’t heard the whole album but I’d sure hope there was at least a little Buck/ Bakersfield tucked away in there. And SOME semblance of growth as an artist . This stuff sounds like it was written on a jam while he was on a ‘writing break ‘ .
April 15, 2015 @ 11:18 pm
I think Dwight might take all of your criticisms as compliments. I think he wanted this to have a very loose, Stones-esque dirty rock vibe to it, and if that was his mission, I think it was successful. That doesn’t mean you have to like it, and it doesn’t make it especially country. But I do think it’s more country than anything else.
April 16, 2015 @ 4:26 am
I’m a Dwight fan as well. But this album was meh. After I listened to the whole thing I thought to myself…” Well I won’t be listening to that again”. Not one song did anything for me.
April 17, 2015 @ 8:33 am
Agreed. The only song I cared to hear again was the title track, Second Hand Heart. I’m still listening to 3 Pears, a much better collection of songs in my opinion.
April 16, 2015 @ 4:28 am
I noted in my own review that so often when an artist promises a “return to their roots” album or to go in a “new direction,” they often just end up putting out something that has nothing different about it. For me, “Second Hand Heart” delivered on that promise and really retroed back to an earlier sound. A lot of this reminded me of sounds from “If There Was a Way” and “This Time.”
April 16, 2015 @ 11:05 am
Or, on the other end of the spectrum, the artist sells it as a “return to their roots” but delivers something that’s as far away from the mothership as they’ve EVER been. That’s what happened when Montgomery Gentry issued their “Headlights” bro single. It featured rapping, hip hop beats and mindless partying in an attempt to gain relevance, and all of the comments on their social media were proclamations that they were “taking it back to their roots.” I don’t ever like to assume ignorance on anyone’s part, but that seriously caused me to question whether those guys even understand their own music (and it could have just been marketing, who knows).
What bothers me the most is when an artist drops something and all of the fan feedback is “it sounds like their first album” or something of that sort. Such comments were also pouring in on that MG song, which I really don’t get. I think people confuse liking a song with the actual sound.
April 16, 2015 @ 4:53 am
Anyone else notice that the main riff in Second Hand Heart is pretty much identical to the main riff of John Mellencamp’s song “Hurts So Good”? It definitely has that heartland rock feel, but to me the instruments are all kind of mushy sounding. Not a fan of the way it was mixed. I just wish Dwight would go back to his roots and do some more of that amped up Bakersfield country that made him famous.
April 16, 2015 @ 8:55 am
I hear a strange combination of “Hurt so Good” and “Pink Houses”…love the song though.
April 28, 2015 @ 6:48 am
Thanks for mentioning that riff…I am a big Fan but thought that someone in studio should have heard that and made a change to it. It still amazes me how many songs are similar with so few chords, but some radio hits make a certain riff unforgettable…to mainstream pop rock fans anyway.
April 16, 2015 @ 5:21 am
Have not listened to this yet, but I appreciate the reference to the most overlooked band in music, Jason & The Scorchers. Now, a new project from them would be most welcome! Still love me some Dwight, will be picking this up over the weekend.
April 16, 2015 @ 5:25 am
It’s not my favorite Dwight record, but it’s damn good and I’m glad I bought it.
April 16, 2015 @ 6:20 am
Looking forward to this… and to seeing Dwight and Jason Isbell co-headlin in June. Yowza!
Might be worth noting that (from my understanding, tho I just wikied for confirmation and it doesn’t mention it) Dwight’s baldness is more than male pattern hair loss – his scalp injured at birth by forceps.
April 16, 2015 @ 11:22 am
Are you going to the Cincinnati show or the Dayton show? We were going to get tickets for Cincinnati but the date worked better for the Dayton show and it’s closer. I’m looking forward to going to the new Rose Music Center for the first time. We ended up with front row in the center. I’ve seen Jason twice, but it will be our first time seeing Dwight in concert. I’m glad they are playing a couple shows together because I actually forgot how good Dwight Yoakam was.
April 16, 2015 @ 5:16 pm
Cincy – I am actually closer to Dayton, too, but I saw the Cincy first and grabbed tickets right away before the Dayton show was announced. Wish it were the reverse, but I have good seats! Really looking forward to the show. I saw Jason in Columbus this winter, but have not seen Dwight live.
Have not yet been to the Rose yet. Glad that we have a new venue here, though I tend to go to smaller chows.
April 17, 2015 @ 7:49 am
What?! Didn’t hear about this….was bummed when Sturgill was just starting to gain steam and missed him opening for Dwight. Would of been a hell of a show. Yoakam and Isbell would be incredible!
April 17, 2015 @ 1:54 pm
June 4th in Cincinnati and June 5th in Dayton (Huber Heights). I think those are the only two shows they are co-headlining. Not sure why, but I’m not complaining!
April 19, 2015 @ 5:05 am
Yep – Looking to be a good musical summer in these parts. Ray Wylie Hubbard is in Cincy (Newport actually) at Southgate May 24.
April 16, 2015 @ 8:27 am
I love Dwight Yoakum. This album is better than okay. It seems to be lacking something. IMO, his last good album was Blame the Vain. I have seen him live 3 times. He was great all 3 times. This album is better than a lot of the new stuff, and takes me back to my childhood when Dwight was actually popular. I am very interested in what Alan Jackson’s new album will be like. George Strait’s new single is underwhelming (will it be reviewed), but I am sure the new album will have a few gems. I am excited about all the new music coming this summer. Whitey’s new album is the one I can’t wait for. I love “Waiting around to die”.
April 16, 2015 @ 8:51 am
George Strait”™s new single is underwhelming (will it be reviewed), ”¦..”
Yeah ..this is just an exercise in stringing as many cliche”™s together as possible .The narrative goes in circles and ends up nowhere ,..no payoff ”¦ doesn”™t challenge George”™s vocal”¦.. doesn”™t tell a listener anything he doesn”™t know . And is that a steel drum in the last verse ? A steel drum ? What ”¦.? Unfortunately for a guy with so many sold songs , he”™s had a lot of difficulty finding them in the past few years . Look at his last 5 single releases . Not much going on there . I blame his producers as well as, perhaps George himself not having an ear for what will work ”¦on the radio or otherwise . Sad when there are so many amazing songs waiting to be unearthed .
April 16, 2015 @ 11:57 am
I wish Strait would do a whole album with Asleep at the Wheel like his cut on their new album. Love him in that context.
April 16, 2015 @ 12:39 pm
That would be awesome!
April 16, 2015 @ 8:33 am
Solid album. “Dreams of Clay” is easily my favorite song of the bunch. I love the original, but this more stripped down version is even better.
April 16, 2015 @ 8:47 am
“Put him right up there with Gorge Jones and Vern Gosdin for the upper crust crooning overlords in the entire history of the country genre.”
It’s statements like this that make me seriously wonder if you’re even in the right business, Trigger.
Were you trying to slide that in there to see if anybody would notice?
I do appreciate the heads-up about this being an album on Dwight’s Rock side though. You saved me $10 dollars, and 1 hour of my time.
April 16, 2015 @ 11:07 am
Do you not think that Dwight can sing? And what’s wrong with country rock, in your opinion? Didn’t we just have a whole conversation about Alabama?
April 17, 2015 @ 5:31 pm
Of course Dwight can sing. He’s one of the 10 best Country stylists of the modern era. But Trigger tiptoed right up to the edge of insanity, and put him in the same league as ‘The Voice’, and possibly the greatest singer in the history of recorded music.
A little bit of Soft-Rock, or Pop-Rock added to authentic Country music can be good sometimes. Alabama did it very well. But that side of Dwight has never appealed to me. I like Dwight when he’s pure Country.
April 17, 2015 @ 7:06 pm
“The edge of insanity?” I appreciate your earnestness, but in the end it’s just an opinion. There aren’t any objective standards for art. No matter what it is or who it’s made by, a work will always mean something different to someone, so assuming an opinion can be “wrong” is closer to the edge of insanity than Trigger voicing support for an artist with a voice he likes. No matter what one feels is the quality of the music in question, it’s always going to call back to subjectivity. You know what’s objective? Numbers. No matter who plays with them, if they’re correct you’ll always get the same answer. Art is nothing of the sort; it’s uniquely personal. Of course, what does and doesn’t constitute a style such as country or rock is much less personal, but that’s not the issue here. We all have our opinions, the only reason you rub us the wrong way around here every now and then is because you assert your own opinion as the only one that’s “correct.” If Trigger wants to claim that he thinks Dwight is one of the greatest singers in the history of country music on par with George Jones, he has every right to. Just because you don’t agree doesn’t make him “wrong,” and certainly not insane.
I’d also say Trigger is in the right business, as he’s brought us all together under the Saving Country Music banner.
April 18, 2015 @ 8:26 am
Well, to be fair, I’m not the only one who’s right. Everyone who agrees with me is right too.
I didn’t decide what Red is, AD. But I sure know it when I see it.
April 18, 2015 @ 2:01 pm
Colors are a perfect allegory for the subjectivity of art. You say “red,” but can you describe what it is to me? The only way for us to be on the same page is for you to point out a shade that you consider to be of the right color. Even then, I’ll never see it through YOUR eyes, so for all we know our disparate sets of eyes might be observing two totally different colors but we would have no way of knowing. Art is different to everyone, no one’s opinion of it is more “right” or “wrong” than anyone else’s. There’s literally no objective standard of quality with which to measure art; boil those standards down to their most basic of elements and they’re still firmly rooted in subjectivity. The contours of your ears that communicate the sound to your brain, the way your brain is designed, the sound system that the music is coming out of, your upbringing, your current life, loved ones or lack thereof; a literally infinite number of factors plays into one’s appreciation of music, film, literature, you name it.
2 + 2 = 4, you can get a right or wrong answer.
Art + You = ?, no right or wrong answer.
And yes, I know that you were being somewhat facetious with your “everyone who agrees with me is right” comment, but nonetheless this is how I see things. It’s my opinion that one of the worst mindsets one can go through life with is that of self-assured “facts” and the belief that everyone else is ignorant. My 2 cents, anyway.
April 16, 2015 @ 9:14 am
“Second Hand Heart” is a nice addition to the Yoakam canon. It’s always a pleasure to hear his brand of country rock. I’d put this near the top of his best albums, right up there with “Guitars, Cadillacs,” This Time,” and “Gone.”
Another thing I think worth mentioning is the longevity/creativity of the “Class of ’86.” Dwight, Steve Earle, and Lyle Lovett have all released some pretty groundbreaking stuff since their debuts. The evolution/career arc of those three is truly incredible; Earle has become one of the most respected singer-songwriters and his last record was a blues album; Lyle Lovett is another well respected songwriter and has been fronting a 14-piece swing band for some time now; and Dwight has been, well, Dwight by creating his own brand of country rock / cowpunk.
I just can’t imagine the “Class of 89” (Garth, Alan Jackson, Travis Tritt & Clint Black) being capable of any of this. Dwight, Lovett, and Earle are all artists in every sense of the word, and we as country music fans are lucky to have them.
April 18, 2015 @ 12:24 am
Maybe the Class of 89 artists you mentioned are not interested in pursuing that type of career arc. Not all artists desire to pursue genres outside the one that they are devoted to.
April 16, 2015 @ 10:21 am
I love him. Have been to many concerts and will continue to follow him around. Second Hand Heart is amazing. All of his music is awesome and this is coming from an AC/DC die hard fan. Dwight…Angus…it’s a draw.
April 18, 2015 @ 1:57 pm
Thanks a lot for the review Trigger. I’ve been a Dwight fan for a long time and couldn’t agree more about his voice. Never heard of Vern Gosdin till now. After checking him out, all I can say is wow. I’ve discovered discovered so much great music thanks to you. Keep up the good work.
April 21, 2015 @ 5:45 am
Slightly off topic, Trigger, but do you plan on reviewing Reba’s new album Love Somebody? I know, I know: the same reasoning behind your review choices applies. I’m mainly asking if we should expect one, not requesting it. After all, the debut album of NASH Icons is somewhat important, I’d say.
April 21, 2015 @ 5:29 pm
Great album.Dwight sounds as good as ever.I liked it on first listen but as on most good albums it takes a few listens to really get it,,to get the melodies into your head and really appreciate it.I’ve had a few spins of it now and it just gets better with each listen.Love the title track,the reworking of Dreams Of Clay,the cover of Man Of Constant Sorrow,the fun and sound of Liar,the words and sound of In Another World-love the backing vocals on that one.All in all just another great album from one of the true greats of Country music and it doesn’t matter what he does be it Rockabilly,Cowpunk,Rock n roll whatever when Dwight sings it it’s Country.