Highways and Heartaches established Ricky Skaggs as one of the most important figures in the bluegrass and country crossover of the early 1980s. Released in 1982, the album reached number one on the Billboard country charts and produced the signature hit 'Highway 40 Blues,' a hard-driving lament that showcased Skaggs's piercing tenor and his command of traditional Appalachian vocal phrasing. The record also featured 'I Wouldn't Change You If I Could,' a country gospel standard that spoke to Skaggs's deep roots in the music of Bill Monroe and the Stanley Brothers. The album signaled a genuine return of acoustic sensibility to mainstream country radio at a moment when the format had drifted far from its Appalachian origins.
Tracklist
- 1 Heartbroke 3:17
- 2 You've Got a Lover 3:57
- 3 Don't Think I'll Cry 2:38
- 4 Don’t Let Your Sweet Love Die alt version 3:58
- 5 Nothing Can Hurt You 4:44
- 6 I Wouldn’t Change You If I Could Source Recording 2:59
- 7 Can’t You Hear Me Callin’ alt version 3:16
- 8 Highway 40 blues Source Recording 3:08
- 9 Let's Love The Bad Times Away 2:45
- 10 One Way Rider 5:27
