Customer Reviews

5

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A perpetual complaint about J.J. Cale is that he always records the same record. I'm happy to report that the charge may be true. On a bright side, the end result is that Mr. Cale never recorded a bad album, that his songs are always soulful and beautiful and passionate no matter how simple or laidback they are. The emotional core of his music is what makes the songs/albums appear all alike, and this consistency makes him an artist unlike any other. Or, okey, like a very selected few.

The album in front of you, "5," is perhaps one of his best. (And as many fans - that many personal favorites you'll find.) It certainly is high on my list, I'll admit it. It's pure J.J. magic: a mix bag of blues, country, soul, subdued funk, traces of early digital life (simple rhythm machines and echoes of synths, remember, this was 1979) and suggestions of what would later be defined as "americana," - the mix that makes Mr. Cale's sound so unique.

Never taking himself very seriously, J.J. created an opus as serene and colorful as life in the West is, mixing effortlessly bits of sadness and humor and earnestness and joy to paint mini pictures of life's simple pleasures (or troubles, depending on where you stand). Songs that make you smile at your own blues, justifying the feeling while making it a bit ridiculous.

What makes this album stand out in the whole opus is one track -"Sensitive Kind," which I like to define as perhaps the only song ever to be presented in Cinemascope and old fashioned Technicolor. If you can imagine that. It's a simple love song that preaches better understanding and promotes patience in the everlasting battle of the sexes, but it is so touching it'll make your skin crawl. Strings and horns and mellow solo guitar and Rhodes piano... ah, pure beauty. And if the record is worth having, for anything - it's for this track. I'm not saying that the rest are bad - I love "Friday," "Boilin' Pot," "Mona," "Don't Cry Sister," to name just a few - it's just that "Sensitive Kind" is such a standout track, it towers over whole of Mr Cale's lifetime achievements.

And that pretty much makes this album the one to have.

A bit of a WARNING: although listed, the latest Universal pressing of this CD doesn't contain "Katy Kool Lady" and if that is the track you crave for, you may end up disappointed; instead, there is a mysterious track in it's place which is a bonus for hardcore fans but some could be upset if they want the exact replica of the original LP. (I'm lucky, I have the original vynil so I'm not complaining.)

That also raises another question: why is Universal Music Group so cheap? I'm not even sure they properly remastered J.J.'s catalog they own, and the reprinted covers are so poorly designed I'm thinking I'd do better job converting my vynils into digital tracks and just xeroxing the covers.

Instead, why not expand the existing albums with outakes and/or some rare tracks - I'm sure there are some lying around, the one included here by mistake is a living proof - maybe add liner notes by a fan or Cale's opus connoisseur, or even some of the musicians who admire him so much, why not make it worthy of such a great talent that Mr. Cale is?

Unless that happens soon, stick to this edition, you will not regret a single note of the music here.

Cale's fifth album is Cale back on the Tulsa Rootrock track again, After some records where it seem's he had some difficulty to decide wath kind of music he would play now his nr 5 feels like he's comming home.Išts a relaxed and sensitive Cale we meet here.Christine Lakeland and some of the best musicsions in USA help him to create some of his best songs so fare.Songs like Boiling Pot,Do'nt Cry Sister, Sensitive Kind,Friday, Let's Go To Tahiti,Thirten Days and the beutiful song Mona,where Carl Radle does one of his best studiowork ewer.This is a record thath just growes the moore you here it and the music makes you feel, and thats what music is all about,is'nt it?

Yep' I had this on vinyl when it came out -70's? SO long ago!! and as previous reviewer says , there is no Katy Kool Lady track on c.d. version .. but a mystery track good tho' it is! . so where IS Katy Kool Lady? All Cale stuff of this period is absolutely fantastic . Cale Fan . DB .

This one's defintitley a keeper. It'll surprise you again and again. JJ has paved a solid path for future groovesters to follow. I'll treasure it forever... it's a gem.

This is a great album, my favourite. Let's Go to Tahiti, Friday,Thirteen Days, Don't Cry Sister, Sensitive Kind. This was made for CD, 15 years to early. Okay I like JJ,but this to me is the peak. And Eric Clapton hasn't covered a single track of this!

This is a good album consistent with J.J. Cale's earlier works. One note to J.J. Cale fans, the distributor has changed track #10, it is not Katy Kool Lady (one of my favorites on the album). For some reason, they have replaced it with a mystery track. Not a bad song, just disappointed that it is not true to the original album.

This album is so ouststanding, I can't do it justice...but i'll try. First, it's one of JJ's more ambitious albums, musically, including strings and steel drums (although I should point out that the reggae gem Katy Kool Lady is on the vinyl record, but not this CD, despite its inclusion in the track listing on the bank).They replaced it with and excellent song, "Out of Style", but when you buy CDs one by one to replace your vinyl records, it's very jarring to have that tune progression you know so well disrupted. Note to one of the other reviewers, Eric Clapton actually did record a song from the is album: "I'll Make Love to You Anytime".

A friend of mine in 1980 had just got back after a road trip with his parents and found this cassette in some lone truck stop out in who knows where. He had it playing and I thought this to be good especially the song "Thirteen days". I was sold when the bass thump of "Friday" came on.

I know of this guy writing many great songs that others have got rich off of. I don't think any of those artists could do any better with any of these songs.

Great album. Sit back with a drink and lose yourself.

Discovered JJ Cale thanks to PANDORA radio (on the web); Buying up all of the JJ Cale albums because of it; Abolutely love the music of Mark Knopfler and only came across this artist because of a recommendation by pandora radio - what a pleasant surprise. Wish I had heard of JJ Cale earlier, but better late than never!

Normally I would not write a review after listening to an album just twice, but I want people to know that I bought this CD from Amazon recently, and the song "Katy Kool Lady," which other reviewers have noted being removed from the disc and replaced by a different song, is now back in its rightful place. I believe my version of the disc is an import, even though it only cost $9.98.

"5" is very much in the same vein as Cale's previous four albums, which is to say, it is prime J.J. Cale. The album just before this one, "Troubador," is my least favorite of the early albums, as it is a little too slick for me. "5" is similar in sound, but a bit punchier, which is a move in the right direction. There are three songs on which J.J. plays all the instruments, but there are a few others where the arrangements are more fleshed out than is usual for him. Most notable among these is "Sensitive Kind," which clocks in at over 5 minutes and contains vibes, congas, strings, and horns. It's a beautiful song that lives up to its name.

Another difference here is the use of female voices on many tracks, which makes the songs seem less insular and more universal. This is where Cale began collaborating with Christine Lakeland. In fact, "Katy Kool Lady" was cowritten with her. It has an easy-rolling rhythm and a sing-along chorus, and is one of the album's many highlights. On the opposite end of the spectrum--which is really not a very broad spectrum because this is a man who knows what he does best and does it--is "Friday," which is pure rhythmic punch along the lines of "Anyway the Wind Blows" (from Okie) or "Mama Don't" (from Shades).

I am quite sure already that "5" is among Cale's best. So why do I only give it four stars? That's because none of Cale's albums knock my socks off. But there is something to be said for keeping one's socks on. This is honest, unpretentious music that is easy to listen to and easy to live with--perfect for listening to after a hard day's work.