Dwight Yoakam

The good folks who put this compilation together were smart enough to leave off some of the money-making chart toppers that Yoakam might be better known for. This is not a bad thing: like the Rolling Stones and Gram Parsons, Yoakam's album work rocks harder than his radio hits (as proven by his Queen cover).

Although there was no such thing as purist honky tonk before Yoakam came along, now there is, and in controlled doses it's as sharp as the crease in his crotch. The 20 selections never tail off, and neither does Yoakam's voice as it transports Buck Owens from the flats of Bakersfield to the Blue Ridge mountains of your mind. (Grade - )