release date: Aug. 1979
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5]
producer: Ry Cooder
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA
Track highlights: 1. "Little Sister" - 3. "The Very Thing That Makes You Rich (Makes Me Poor)" - 8. "Don' t Mess Up a Good Thing" - 9. "I Can't Win"
7th studio album by Ry Cooder marks another change of style towards mainstream pop / rock. His first three albums were all dedicated to roots rock and americana with music written by "forgotten" composers from before WW2. On his fourth album Paradise and Lunch (1974) he incorporated more contemporary music with a new style: jazz. On his fifth album Chicken Skin Music (1976) he mixed his americana style with gospel and Hawaiian music, and on his sixth studio album, Jazz (1978), well, I guess that sort of says it all. On this album he does what he has become famous for: re-arranging other artists compositions in new ways. The selected songs are rhythm & blues and rock & roll classics, and in Cooder's versions they are all added a certain roots rock element. The album sold well, but I don't find it as good as his more stylistic "clean" and traditional arrangements. Although, it's solid workmanship, I find that it's too much r&b to my liking.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]
