Customer Reviews

Music By Ry Cooder

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

 

 

I think some of the reviewers here miss the point: this is background music, which means that unlike some of Cooder's other, greater albums like PARADISE AND LUNCH, CHICKEN SKIN MUSIC, or INTO THE PURPLE VALLEY. Unlike these albums, the music here isn't supposed to call direct attention to itself. It is supposed to create mood and generate atmosphere. You can't listen to individual cuts with the same kind of attention that you would to his recording of Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man." I don't mean to denigrate the album by representing this as background music. That is simply what it is, and you have to judge it by different standards than music that is meant to perform a different function.

I derive enormous enjoyment from this album by employing it for the same purposes that it served in the various movies for which it was recorded. Reading, taking a bath, working, writing a friend to a letter: this is great music for any of those and a multitude of other activities. We sometimes want every piece of music to conform to a single use, but that simply isn't realistic.

I do want to make two general comments about this album. One is that the highpoint for me is the absolutely stunning song from the Jack Nicholson film THE BORDER (one of his greatest performances) entitled "The Borderline," written by Jim Dickinson and sung by Freddy Fender. It is simply a great song, and unlike the rest of the album, in no sense background music. The other remark is that a complaint that I have is that so little music from THE LONG RIDERS soundtrack was included. The best music that Cooder ever did for a movie was for that one, and I could have stood to have a great deal more included here. We get three cuts, but I would have enjoyed 4 or 5 more. Anyone enjoying those, however, should search out the entire soundtrack.

For those of you that are fans of 'Ry Cooders' work, collecting his music is something of a daunting proposition. With a collection of regular Studio albums totalling some 25+ albums (with 2005 utterly sublime "Chavez Ravine", being the most recent). If you are (like I am) a relatively newbie to his music, picking which albums to start with is an slightly tricky option.

For someone that has handled a multitude of genres: Rock, Blues-Rock, Ethnic Fusion, Slide Guitar Blues, Cuban, Film Music, Roots Rock, Latin, Worldbeat, & Blues, finding an album that encapsulates all his influences is going to be a compilers nightmare. Unfortunately...this isn't it!!, but before you head off to view the reviews for: "Why Don't You Try Me Tonight?: The Best of Ry Cooder" (Tremendous, overall 1 Cd Summary of his work), or "River Rescue: The Very Best of Ry Cooder", as compilations of his work. You should be really give this reasonably expensive 2-Cd compilation, your attention. Why??....well, this isn't as mentioned before, an 'Overall Summary' of his work, and instead is a compilation of the great many compositions for film soundtracks, that he has either composed or performed over the years.

This is predominately an album that although focusing on soundtracks, shows an incredible level of diversity and proficiency on his chosen instrument....(The Guitar), and seeing as Ry is one of the most gifted guitar Multi-instrumentalists of his generation, his excellence of his many uses of guitar are perfectly captured here. Although a lot of the work here, showcases his unprecedented work with the 'Slide Guitar', and manages to be some of the most organically expressive and Lush sophisticated guitar work, committed to CD.

The various arrangements here, are an incredibly diverse bunch. Moving from, stark, acoustic slide pieces that are self-consciously introspection in tone, to both loose and sophisticated thoughtful tracks, powerful Electric guitar for the more traditional numbers, fragile and laid-back Cuban numbers, intimate and elegant Rhythm & Blues, Romantic and mellow Latin-tinged Jazz guitar, upbeat surf guitar melodies that float over altering rhythms, southern-styled U.S. roots numbers, mixed with bittersweet & gloomy country blues, or dusty North American folk songs that touch upon the more rustic side and earthy side of his playing. Some tracks even touch upon a uniquely modest sounding country & Western-tinged feel, and Cooders excellence in merging tracks that have a distinctly Mariachi feel, work across a magnificent cross-breeding of genres that truly highlight that the man is arguably deserving to be classed amongst some of the worlds greatest guitarist.

But what impresses most is the sense of mood and atmosphere that Ry is so superbly able to convey in what largely consists of the majority of the work here, which is Instrumental. (Although several tracks do feature vocals, there are more performed as vocal accompaniments to the instrumentals, rather than tracks with Lyrics, searching for instruments). And such is the proficiency of Ry performances, that it isn't hard to imagine what sort of film these quite stunning instrumentals are likely to be soundtracking. Although personally I didn't recognise any of the soundtracks on this two CD from any particular film, you get the impression that even if the film itself, might have been mediocre, the accompanying soundtrack music is tremendous.

Although this is a absolutely exceptional compilation and amongst some of Ry's greatest works, if you are new to the wonderful world of Ry Cooder, then I would have to suggest that unless you are a huge fan of instrumental tracks (which admittedly, I am...) you should first get yourself acquainted with his more largely recognised works/Studio albums, even if it's just a studio album or two (I very strongly suggest): "Into The Purple Valley", "Paradise and Lunch", "The Long Riders", "A Meeting by the River", "Chavez Ravine"....or a compilation, to bring yourself up to speed with the great mans work, as It leads perfectly into this album, which is a beautifully compiled work of his virtuosity with the guitar. And for those that already are familiar with the great mans work, (or merely want an album of intricately performed, and expressive guitar music), should add this to their Cooder collections immediately. I have around 5 Ry Cooder albums (and growing), and this is arguably one of the albums that has the most plays, due to the sheer volume of material contained, the accessibility of the tracks and more importantly an album that doesn't necessarily require you to be in a particular mood to enjoy. (I use this album to occasionally Chill-out to, have as background music when I'm working, or indeed just fancy listening to something different), a absolute 'Must have' if your a fan of Ry Cooders work.

The collection of Ry Cooder's motion picture contributions I find to be essential for just that reason. There is a substantial amount of quality material here which, first off, is perfect for the person who doesn't know much about his music and would like to taste his stylings from different sources of inspiration ~ (Crossroads, Streets of Fire, Alamo Bay, Trespass, Paris, Texas, Johnny Handsome, e.g.) Secondly, and more importantly for me, there are also selections here that are otherwise unavailable (music from the soundtrack to Southern Comfort), which I think is a necessary element to complete any Cooder collection. Much of the music on this CD is ambient, but at the same time paints a very definite picture of landscapes and scenes through roots guitar playing. There are also a good number of tunes which feature the Leslie amplifier (a guitar amp with a rotating tremolo speaker which produces a drone effect), the mastering of which is an art in and of itself. The inner sleeve, although short, has some information regarding the logistics of each track, with a blurb by Cooder himself.

There are definitely other Ry Cooder releases which I would choose as my personal favorites (hence only three stars), however I think that none is as diverse as this double CD. A bit pricey, but overall, a nice compilation.

Jeez, none of these guys (other reviewers) seem like any fun. You can find a whole bunch of intellectual reasons to carp about this album's Musical Merit, but it just SOUNDS SO GOOD. Yeah, the CD is basically a pile of riffs, but the riffs SOUND SO GOOD. While I have several of Ry Cooder's "better" CDs, this one just keeps getting played over and over because it SOUNDS SO GOOD. Maybe they get by with charging over 30 bucks for material that could not have cost squat to put out on CD because it SOUNDS SO GOOD. If you can't justify the expen$e, buy it for your car; it'll ride a lot nicer and improve your gas mileage.

Update 2008: Now that the price has dropped substantially, there is no longer any excuse for not buying this set. Still a big favorite after years of listening.

Ry Cooder is an American treasure; he belongs in the Smithsonian. Who else would begin a long, restless, ethno-musicological folk/rock guitar odyssey by working in that enclave of oddity known as Captain Beefheart's Magic Band? Cooder didn't exactly burst onto the scene in 1970, but, with that vintage Airstream posed in the desert, and emerging hipster friends like Randy Newman and Van Dyke Parks, he eased onto it in a big way. From the very start, Cooder focused all his attention on the song itself. He obviously loved tracking down obscure, dust-covered numbers, frequently from as far back as the Great Depression. Often they had a narrative quality, as in the splendid, "F.D.R. In Trinidad." His style was lean and elegant, flashy solos were avoided, however, his complete command of the instrument was obvious.

By the time I saw him, in 1974, he'd already achieved cult status through session work on Let It Bleed, and his memorable LP, Into The Purple Valley. Rolling Stone Magazine would later rank him #8 on its list of all-time greatest guitarists. Playing solo, in an undecorated gymnasium, he put on a clinic that was at times downright chilling. Cooder spent a considerable amount of time playing the mandolin, and there were moments when it seemed he would rip the thing into shreds. As to his singing, well, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either, however, everything else about his music was so extraordinary one could politely pretend it wasn't there.

"Music by Ry Cooder" is a very reasonably priced 2-CD set that contains 34 tracks, only a few of which have vocals. Freddy Fender's singing on The Border makes you wish he hadn't crossed. King Of The Street, featuring not one but two rappers with Ice in their names, is as pleasant as running a band saw over your hand. Cooder contributes a couple - compared to them he's Marvin Gaye! After that it gets downright fascinating - you'll find the Throat Singers of Tuva and Native American chants by Jones Benally - appearing respectively in Goyalka Is Coming and Train to Florida. These two tracks are so profoundly moving and ethereal that they alone make the purchase worthwhile. But that's only the beginning.

Because the music is taken from a wide variety of film scores, spanning 16 years, the vast majority of it is instrumental - no vocals. Sometimes you get Cooder brooding and melancholic, (Paris,Texas), sometimes cookin', Bomber Bash, sometimes solo, and sometimes with great back-up - but you almost always get the unadulterated pin-point spot on the guitar-wizardry itself. In this regard the 2-CD set is a rare treat, and vastly superior to your typical Ry Cooder album which often has "just enough material to get by." Indeed, many Cooder CDs are tall on price and short on content. "Music by Ry Cooder" is a great way to get immersed in the genius of this American maestro, in all of its many manifestations, inexpensively.

A word about the Wim Wenders film, Paris, Texas. You could walk a very long way before finding a movie more profoundly moving than this one. The Ry Cooder soundtrack is so perfect, and so haunting, that it becomes a primary character. The Paris, Texas soundtrack is available and also highly recommended.

This album is, by and large, an array of tracks that are composed to create a space within which something else can happen. That's what music in films, on the whole, has to do. Otherwise you end up with a musical. With one or two exceptions, these tracks cover the range of work Cooder has been producing that, carefully composed and arranged, support the films they appear in. Try listening it it while the sunset turns to dusk.

Overall, this album inhabits the space between new age, instrumental rock, acoustic blues and world music. You could safely consider it a dry run for his collaborations with V.M. Bhatt, in that it touches on the same stylistic stew, but in embryonic form. Granted, there are more cohesive soundtrack recordings by Ry Cooder in the catalog; however, anthologies and best-ofs by their very nature are not as stylistically unified. The unreleased cuts on this collection, taken on their own, would be worth five stars...in fact, some cuts (and I'm thinking of the "Theme From Southern Comfort" here) are absolutely breathtaking and, I think, essential. This recording's a nice way to fill holes for the Ry Cooder fanatic, and a good departure point for the uninitiated that want a taste of instrumental Ry.

Ry Cooder has always been one of the most understated players I listen to; He hides in layers, almost demanding your complete attention to fully hear and understand each musical statement; Some of his best material has always been from the movies; 'Southern Comfort', 'Johnny Handsome', and 'The Long Riders' have some of his best work(sadly this CD was released before 'Last Man Standing', which I consider some of his rawest work to date...). Still, while not every track here is a great one, this is a nice CD to throw on and go about your day, pausing every once in awhile for those moments that will catch your ear...and there are plenty of them. Lots of different styles of music, mostly instrumental. Nice production; Excellent headphone experience; A really good retrospective of an excellent musician.

As a fan of Ry's work (early, mid-period, & ethnic explorations)I looked forward to this 2 CD compilation of his soundtrack work. However, it really doesn't stick to the ribs. Aside from the really fun Ice-T/Ice Cube summit in King Of The Streets, this is mostly boring background music that is just OK as "atmospheric" stuff. Anyone who needs this sort of thing should just get the Paris, Texas soundtrack & call it a day.

Great! A little of everything showing Ry Cooder's range. If you like slide guitar and delta blues, you'll love it.