This renegade country artist acquiesced to fan requests for an album full of acoustic treatments of both his hits and lesser known songs.

And it's a good thing.

The idea, which came from the unplugged portion of Yoakam's legendary live shows, works extremely well, for the most part.

Now if only every artist -- make that every great singer-songwriter -- would do this at some later point in their careers.

Out Tuesday, this 25-song, 78-minute collection highlights Yoakam's sexy, yearnful crooning and adept guitar-playing, especially on the more poignant songs like 1,000 Miles, Johnson's Love, Sad, Sad Music, Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses), Two Doors Down, A Thousand Miles From Nowhere, If There Was A Way, Home For Sale and Lonesome Roads.

Other good tunes can be filed under drinking and road songs: Bury Me, It Won't Hurt, This Drinkin' Will Kill Me, Readin' Rightin', Rt. 23 A Long Way Home, and Things Change.

Yoakam basically went into the studio with longtime producer-touring guitarist Pete Anderson and let 'er rip with just an acoustic guitar.

The songs that don't quite come off are surprises.

Yoakam's normally fiery cover of the Elvis Presley signature tune, Little Sister, plus his own Little Ways and It Only Hurts When I Cry , lack the oomph that come with electric backup. Then there is the not-for-everyone

a-cappella rendition of Guitars, Cadillacs, which ends the album. But these are small complaints.

Sadly, there is so far no Toronto date on Yoakam's current tour.

Sunday, May 28, 2000

Dwight Yoakam goes acoustic