In the past, I've occasionally stumbled upon ESPN's live coverage of the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee contest conducted in Washington, DC. I never paid much attention because the event never seemed to be all that exciting. However, this 2002 documentary of the 1999 National Spelling Bee is anything but boring.

In the beginning, the viewer is given brief but informative backgrounds on each of the film's eight subjects. The one thing that begins to come across almost immediately is how much these kids care about competing and succeeding and the fact that the parents of each care almost as much (or perhaps even more in some cases) as the kids themselves. Most of the parents spend their free time helping the kids practice spelling words.

We're told early on that nine million kids participate in spelling bees every year and that only 249 will make it to Washington, DC. The fact that these 8 (and the other 241 who are not a focus of the film) have already won numerous local and regional spelling bees within their own states is an accomplishment itself. That one will end up being the best speller out of nine million (and beat the best of the best), is simply amazing.

As the film focuses more and more on the national competition, I found myself becoming nervous right along with the kids and parents, hoping that I wouldn't hear that little bell at the end of a misspelled word which tells the participant that they may now exit stage right as it is all over with. I wanted all eight to win but the one I found myself rooting for the most was Neil Kadakia, a 12 year old Indian boy from San Clemente, California. His dedication, as well as that of his parents (particularly his father, who makes some encouraging and appreciative comments about the USA) was incredible. It is mentioned that Neil and his father studied thousands, yes thousands, of words a day in preparation. I'll not spoil the outcome for those who haven't seen it. Maybe one of the eight wins, maybe they don't.

Moreover, this is a remarkable depiction of dedicated people. Unlike some so-called "documentary filmmakers", director Jeffrey Blitz is content to make a true documentary by allowing his subjects and their surroundings tell the story. Like other great documentaries (Harlan County USA, American Dream, The Thin Blue Line) this is also a great film.

Whenever I pop this disc in I know I'm really going to be enjoying the next thirty-something minutes. This is probably MC's best album and the "big" sound can be said to have something to do with that. "Whenever You're on My Mind" is one of MC's best ever and it doesn't stop there. "Our Town" is maybe one of the album's more underappreciated tunes (since the previous song is a tough act to follow), and "Try" is one of the slower songs on the album but still one of the best, as are "For Her Love" and "One Day with You".

The final four songs are all MC gold. I personally love "Monday Morning Rock" which is one of the most up-tempo songs here (along with "Hold It") and has a great guitar solo. "All I Know Right Now" is another great slow "love" song that fits quite well with "Try". "What Time is It" is a somewhat unconventional song but "Hold It" may be the best song here, with great lyrics, guitar, and backing vocals. Don't delay in picking up this album. This is simply MC at his best.

While this is a very good first album from MC it isn't even his best which should tell one a great deal. Of course there's the great, the good, and the not so good among these songs, but in the end the whole is greater than its parts, adding up to a solid 4 stars.

"There She Goes Again" is classic Crenshaw and sets the tone for the entire album (he does this on most albums). It's followed by "Someday, Someway" which received considerable airplay at the time if memory serves. One of my favorite songs among the bunch is "Girls", which my wife thinks qulaifies as disco (trust me, it doesn't). "Cynical Girl" and "Mary Anne" are also A list material. Having said all of that, "Rockin' Around in NYC" has never done a thing for me and the same is true of "Not for Me".

Overall, this is a very good first album for a guy who represents the best of 80's pop and a whole lot more. If you find you like this album, be sure to check out his even better offerings in Field Day, Downtown, and Life's Too Short.

It's so great to know that in a world of CMT cookie-cutter country wannabees that DY is still out there doing it the way it was meant to be. This latest album is stripped down, bare bones Yoakam and it's just about as good as anything he's ever done (it's hard for me to decide since This Time and Tomorrow's Sounds Today are both classics).

"The Late Great Golden State" is an up-tempo, banjo twanger and is a perfect song to begin the album. "Fair to Midland" is more slowed down as is the great duet with Willie Nelson "If Teardrops Were Diamonds". Many of these songs are up tempo but with downbeat lyrics, including my personal favorite "No Such Thing". Don't expect to be cheered up while listening to it. "I'd Avoid Me Too" is another one (the title should pretty much give it away) but the most downbeat of the bunch is the title song and it does take some getting used to. I found it disjointed at first but eventually warmed up to it.

"Stayin' Up Late (Thinkin' About It)" is another fast one lacking cheery lyrics and "Trains and Boats and Planes" is excellent with some sweet mandolin. Moreover, this is yet another great album from DY (I'm amazed at how he keeps doing it) and if you're new to his music you can begin here and work your way back.

This isn't a bad album and it has some high quality offerings but it could hardly be considered one of DY's best (IMO). There's a handful of tunes that rank among his best, including "I Sang Dixie", "Floyd County", the title song, and "One More Name", which is my personal favorite in the bunch.
"I Got You", "Send Me the Pillow" and "Streets of Bakersfield" with Buck Owens (always a treat) are also pretty good. However, "Home of the Blues" and "I Hear You Knockin'" are both utterly forgettable and I sometimes wonder if they shouldn't have been left on the cutting room floor, as it were.

After his red hot debut Guitars, Cadillacs, etc. etc. and the not quite as good Hillbilly Deluxe, Dwight made this his third album which, unfortunately, isn't even as good as the latter. Much of that has to do with the fact that I think DY was in transition at this time, as he was going from country performer to artist. His next album If There Was a Way would be the beginning of his greatest period (which, coincidentally is still going on). That makes it easy to forgive him for making just an okay album sixteen years ago instead of a great album which he has now gotten quite used to doing.

I just picked up this album and was amazed at how good it is. There's really nothing "tomorrow" about it, but that's a good thing. One of the things I've always loved about Dwight Yoakam is the fact that he makes country music the way I remember classic country artists from the 60's and 70's making it. Bringing back Buck Owens for a couple of duets only goes to reinforce that perception.

There's very little that could be considered weak here, unless "Place to Cry" (which can seem a bit out of synch with the rest of the album) or "World of Blue" qualify. A lot of the songs remind me of the best material played on shows like Hee-Haw in the 70's like "Promise You Can't Keep", "Sad Side of Town", and "What Do You Know About Love". There's also some of his best work on any album including the perfect opener in "Love Caught Up to Me", "Free to Go", "For Love's Sake", and the best song of the bunch, in my opinion, "Time Spent Missing You". The cover of Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me" is also great with an added country flavor that only Dwight could supply.

Like I said, while the "tomorrow" part of the title may be misleading (this is retro and proud of it) the album ranks as one of Dwight's best. With his catalog, that's quite a feat.

I couldn't care less that Mr. Moore is anti-gun. My advice to him would be to protest by not buying or possessing a firearm. What does bother me is his distorting, telling half-truths, his manipulating audio and video to make things appear truthful, and other times just flat-out lying to make others believe what he's presenting as fact.

In the "film", Moore attempts to portray the NRA (yes, I'm a proud, dues paying member) as cold and heartless for coming to Denver after the Columbine shootings for, as he puts it, a "large pro-gun rally". This is misleading. In fact, all rallies, dinners, sporting events, etc. were canceled out of respect for victims' families. The only thing that took place was an annual members' meeting which was required to be held under corporate law. At the same meeting, Moore takes the snipets of a Charlton Heston speech and puts them in the order that he wants. Heston is reading a letter from the mayor of Denver asking that the meeting be cancelled. Heston is shown to reply, "Don't come here? We're already here." Again, this is meant to make the NRA look defiant, cold, and heartless. However, Moore leaves out the part where Heston is saying that there are already scores of NRA members living in the Denver area. "We're already here", refers to them. But playing the speech the way it was originally delivered doesn't make Heston look like a cold-blooded monster, so Moore had to make changes.

The next lie centers on the young girl that was shot near Flint, MI. Again, Moore states "Just as he did after the Columbine shooting, Charlton Heston showed up in Flint, to have a big pro-gun rally." Never one to leave out unimportant facts, Moore fails to mention Heston was in Flint eight months after the shooting for a "get out the vote" rally. Vice-President Gore was also in the area at that time for the same purpose but Moore apparently found that acceptable.

The cartoon comparing NRA members to KKK members is also pure nonsense. The NRA was founded in 1871 (five years after the KKK)by Union officers who were supportive of the rights of black citizens. In fact, eight of the first ten NRA presidents were former Union veterans including President U.S. Grant. Teddy Roosevelt was also a life member.

Finally, the interview with Heston in his home by Moore was particularly underhanded, in my opinion. Moore presents himself as an NRA life member, which helps him gain entrance into Heston's home. Perhaps Heston made a disagreeable comment or two, but Moore still takes advantage of a man in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Moore takes advantage of the fact that Heston has a foggy memory of the events by continuing to act as if Heston came to Flint soon after the six-year-old girl was shot. Just like his final act of placing the picture of the girl at Heston's door, the entire visit was a play for the cameras. Moore apparently has no shame.

No one was a bigger fan of Roger and Me when it was released and I enjoyed "TV Nation" when it played on NBC in the mid-90's. Moore showed that he genuinely knew about the topics in Roger and Me which concerned the loss of good manufacturing jobs and corporate greed. He should return to that theme if he has to lie to play the role of gun grabber. Like I said before, Moore is entitled to his opinion about firearms or anything else. It doesn't bother me that he doesn't like guns. His attempts to influence others through lies and deception does.

Probably the number one reason that I love Dwight Yoakam is best contained in this album: he's very reminiscent of older, great country artists that played REAL country music such as Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard. In a modern country music world of CMT cookie cutter, top 40 pop music wannabes, DY has struck his own unique path.

As great as *If There Was a Way* and *Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.* are, *This Time* has them all beat. This is simply the best collection of songs by DY on any one album. There's a little bit of everything here and nearly all of it is great songwriting.

"Pocket of a Clown" was a big country radio smash and is good but is not one of the gems of the album. I agree with another reviewer that "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere" is not only a great song, but was indeed a fitting ending to the excellent film Red Rock West. As the credits roll, the song is a perfect summing up of the main character's situation. "Home for Sale" is another slowed down song about lost love. The title song is a classic honky-tonker very reminiscent of classic Buck Owens. One of my very favorite songs here is "Two Doors Down". Perhaps there's nothing happy about it, but the feeling that comes through seems genuine. "Ain't That Lonely Yet" is another excellent song that probably sums up a lot of broken relationships. "King of Fools" is good stuff as well and "Fast as You" may be the "rockinest" song on the disc. "Lonesome Roads" is a very fitting ending to the album and always reminds me of something Merle Haggard might have played.

In short, DY has it all going on. The man is simply a great musician with a great voice and he writes and plays songs that actually mean something. What else could one ask for?

DY shows great range on this album and I think this was the first time he showed he was a true musician: the substance was now unquestionably matching the style. Don't get me wrong. I love *Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc.*, and *Hillbilly Deluxe* is also a nice ride, but neither has the overall range of *If There Was a Way*.

The opening track, "The Distance Between You and Me" is great country fare, as are "Nothing's Changed Here", "It Only Hurts When I Cry", and "I Don't Need It Done". Naturally, some songs are stronger than others and "Send a Message to My Heart" and "Let's Work Together" don't thrill me like the others do, although there is no bad song in the bunch here.

The highest quality material here include "Sad, Sad Music", "Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose", a somewhat popish "Dangerous Man", and "Since I Started Drinkin' Again", which is just great old-fashioned bluegrass. In my opinion, this was DY's first truly great album (I concede that I haven't yet heard *Buenos Noches from a Lonely Room*) and he would get even better (yes, it's hard to imagine) with the great *This Time*.

There's just no getting around it (for me anyway): this album simply does not have the electricity of *Guitars, Cadillacs, etc.*, the overall range of *If There Was a Way*, or the depth of the great *This Time*. Having said that, what's here is still very good and certainly worth having in your collection.

Both "Little Ways" and "Smoke along the Track" are good but are pretty much standard country fare. The same is true of "Always Late with Your Kisses", "Throughout All Time", and "This Drinkin' Will Kill Me". They're all good songs but there's nothing extra special about them. However, the remake of the Elvis standard "Little Sister" is reminiscent of the remake of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" from the first album. Both recall the old adage that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

The real strengths of the album lie in "Johnson's Love", a great ballad, "Please, Please Baby", an electric country-rocker, "Readin', Rightin', Rt. 23", and the best of the bunch, "1,000 Miles", not to be confused with "A Thousand Miles from Nowhere" from the *This Time* album. Enjoy.