Guitar Man

J.J. Cale

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 25, 1996)
• Original Release Date: June 25, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B000007XSV
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #19,243 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
For a man who wrote such rock standards as "After Midnight," "Cocaine," "Call Me the Breeze," and "Magnolia," J.J. Cale maintains a surprisingly low profile. The Oklahoma singer/songwriter pioneered the fluid, laid-back, country-blues shuffles that provided aural blueprints for Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton, but not one of Cale's 12 albums has penetrated the top-40 charts. Guitar Man, Cale's 12th album, is his strongest in a long time for several reasons. He recorded it almost all by himself out in his California desert studio, and his imagination seems to have been stimulated by his experiments with drum machines, synthesizers, and sequencers. A bluesy rootsiness still dominates his sound, but around the edges is a new high-tech crispness that provides a welcome edge to his lazy drawl. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scarey initial reaction, July 28, 2006

By	Psychman (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

When this recording started I was wondering what was wrong with my balance on my system. The production on the first track must have been done by a drummer. Overkill on the drums drowns out an easily overwhelmed voice of the man, JJ Cale. What a relief when the second track reverted to a familiar mix that highlighted Cale's guitar and voice. Really great guitar work on this one, making the title appropriate. However for this fan it's the feel of Cale's recordings that soothes my soul. Great stuff.

14 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars !, February 2, 2000

By A Customer

Why pay this much for a weak recording when you can get a domestic copy for less. Some of the compositions are a welcome addition to Cale's considerable songbook. Others are not. It is the production that buries this disc. There is an unfortunate reliance on Drum machines throughout. The "beats" prove to be an unwanted distraction to what could have been a strong recording. Cale still has his guitar chops but could have benefited with sticking to his clean strat tone as he is overproduced here as well. Go with anything up to 1980's Shades. After that he began to succumb to ill-fitting production work which eventually began to spoil his recordings. Give this one a pass...Simon

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars JJ Cale is almosr God!, April 21, 2008

By	Baljit S. Grewal "tbgrewal" (Los Angeles CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Did I mention that I have every recording? God bless America for producing this man. His mission was to blend the blues with rock and take the music to the masses to show them the light. JJ Cale makes album after album of amazing songs.