42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Before Buena Vista, there was Chicken Skin, November 12, 2001
This review is from: Chicken Skin Music (Audio CD)
For the uninformed, "chicken skin" is the Hawaiian equivalent of "goose bumps". In other words, this is the kind of music that is meant to send chills down your spine, whether it's the blues, folk, tejano, or Hawaiian music. This album, for me, is highlighted by Gabby Pahinui. Cooder played on a number of Pahinui's albums, and Pops felt it was important to return the favor. Anyone who enjoys the guitar, especially ki ho'alu (slack key) will enjoy hearing Gabby play along with Ry Cooder. But despite the title, it's not an all-Hawaiian album. Celebrate it for its diversity, and come out of it with chicken skin. Auwe!
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cooder's Vision of American Roots Music, January 25, 2004
This review is from: Chicken Skin Music (Audio CD)
Ry Cooder is one of my all-time favorite artists. [One of my first amazon.com reviews back in 1999 was for Cooder's classic PARADISE AND LUNCH.] And CHICKEN SKIN MUSIC is right there at the top of my list of favoirte Cooder albums. While he's spent the better part of the last two decades doing soundtrack work, this album displays his encylopedic knowledge of musical styles. He's also a gifted mulit-instrumentalist (bajo sexto, mandola, mandolin, even accordion, in addition to being a superb guitarist. Also, Cooder relies on a wealth of talented session musicians, including Jim Keltner, drums; Flaco Jimenez, accordion; and Chris Ethridge, bass.
The album opens and closes with a couple classic Leadbelly songs, "The Bourgeois Blues" and "Good Night Irene." In between he covers gospel ("I Got Mine"), Tex-Mex ("He'll Have to Go," "Stand By Me"), Hawaiian ("Yellow Roses, "Chloe"--both actually recorded in Hawaii, with native musicians Gabby Pahinui and Atta Isaacs), and all of it filtered though Cooder's vision of what constitutes the roots of American music.
In his liner notes, Cooder states, "For me, this album reaches a level of real understanding and mutuality in music." It is one of Cooder's most satisfying albums. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just Outstanding Music, December 5, 1999
This review is from: Chicken Skin Music (Audio CD)
To be honest I had never heard of Ry Cooder before his Buena Vista Social Club fame. After seeing the movie and falling in love with the music of BVSC, I thought I should check into this Ry Cooder guy who had gotten all of these wonderful Cuban musicians together. Wow! What I had been missing! If you love blues you'll love this album. Even if you don't love blues, just get it! It's very good!
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