Customer Reviews

Naturally

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If there was a God JJ Cale would be a superstar bigger than Michael Jackson. Instead he is a relatively well kept secret. He sings in a way that makes each song seem as if he is singing it personally, to you, on his front porch, as the sun goes down. He is soulful, his songs moody, meaningful, and full of emotion. If you prefer the sentiment in your blues slapped on with a trowel try the overrated 'slow hands' Eric Clapton. If you like blues that'll make the hairs on your neck stand up as well as touch your heart try Naturally. JJ Cale is a genius. There is nothing more to add.

If you think "They Call Me The Breeze" sounds exactly like "Lay Down Sally" it's no accident. Clapton openly credits J.J. Cale with much of his "shuffle" influence. Likewise Knofler, though "Really" was probably his favorite album.

This album is straight out of the 70's and very home-made sounding. They actually used a wooden Coke case as an percussion instrument. The engineering is poor, but adequate. Lots of things jump out when they could have been much better handled. We didn't care much in those days, but now it can be jarring.

J.J.'s "Really" album is the other great opus, and most of the songs are better engineered, with real studio musicians (fantastic piano and bass & better drums). J.J. is not better known because he didn't WANT to be better known. At one concert where he was sitting in on guitar he almost fell off his stool when the spotlight landed on him. Important music history here.

This is one of my favourite J.J. Cale albums. Especially the song Magnolia can still bring tears to my eyes. Boiling pot is funny in a brilliant way. the rest of the songs are great as well. I'm 22 years old and J.J. Cale makes me feel like I was born in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Discovering Cale is like stumbling on a diamond. Maybe more like stumbling on a diamond mine because he has been quietly producing gems for almost 30 years now. I would be hard pressed to think of a musician who has produced more great work to less acclaim than Cale.

This album will slip into your collection like a pair of ten-year old jeans (that still fit). At least two of these songs helped make careers for other artists but none could be done as well as Cale himself does them. He IS the breeze.

I've enjoyed this album for 25 years and continue to play it occasionally. It's a rock classic, unlike any other type of rock band I've ever heard, immediately easy to listen to, yet also holds up well after many listenings. It's music for slow, hot summer days, when you want to just kick back and down a couple brews with some friends. Consider it summer porch music. Another point in its favor: every song on the album is strong - not a single loser. I've never understood why this album has never gotten more recognition. In my mind, this is a classic rock LP, which should be considered one of the top 50 of all time. Highest recommendation.

I was lucky enough to live in a town when I was a kid that had a great radio station. No top 40, just great music. Exposed me to a lot of music that nobody else played. I was lucky enough to hear songs off of this album, bought it when it first came out, and then saw him in concert! He was great, and I was amazed that he was playing a cheap banged-up Harmony guitar, just like I had bought at Sears for about $50 (yeah, you could buy guitars at Sears back then). I saw him on a concert tape or tv years later, and he was still playing that old guitar.

Just saw him on the "Crossroads Guitar Festival" DVD. I would get this album and that DVD.

Actually, I am glad that Cale is not better known. I want to say to casual browsers reading the reviews "If you hadnt' heard Cale play before, dont buy it!".Its like having a big secret that only a few share. I dont want more fans and publicity to make him a superstar. I want him to remain as he is - reclusive, releasing an album every few years, very low key.
And its as much the man as his music - I mean, look at the principles he has - no publicity while any second rate self publicity would have jumped at 15 mins because of the quality and calbre of artistes who have covered or been influenced by him
"After Midnight"
? Chet Atkins, Maggie Bell, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, Sergio Mendes, Bob Wilber Quintet.

"Cajun Moon"
? Randy Crawford, Cissy Houston & Herbie Mann, Maria Muldaur, Poco.

"Call Me the Breeze"
? Allman Brothers Band, Bobby Bare, Johnny Cash, David Allen Coe, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mason Proffit.

"Cocaine"
? Eric Clapton, Nazareth.

"Crazy Mama"
? The Band, Larry Carlton, Redbone, Johnny Rivers.

"I Got the Same Old Blues"
? Captain Beefheart, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Bryan Ferry, Freddie King, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

"Lies"
? Asha Putli.

"Magnolia"
? Deep Purple, Jose Feliciano, Poco, Chris Smither, Pat Travers.

"The Sensitive Kind"
? John Mayall, Santana.

"Travelin' Light"
? Eric Clapton, Widespread Panic

Album wise
Hey- this has Clyde (love that song)
and Call Me the Breeze
and Nowhere to Run
and Crazy Mama
and Magnolia
and every other song

most of the time - listening to cales music makes me think of ripples on a pond, under the moonlight- find it irresistably visual as well as aural

I'm actually glad that JJ Cale isn't quite as well known as he clearly should be. Sometimes I like driving down the road on a warm summer evening, listening to Cale, and pretending to myself that he's my little secret, and that he's just singing to me. In any event, he truly does deserve more recognition for his simple yet brilliant tunes. This album is a classic!

Listen to the music and you can *HEAR* the essense of
a musician who eschewed the crassness of marketing his work.
Marketing stars is shrill-- Cale's music is anything but.
Join us -- experience the ease and joy of discovering such
thoughtful sounds long ago buried by all the hype
for high-profile music which is essentially pushy/shrill.
Non-shrill and "laid back" does NOT mean 'without content.'
Cale's music is different -- you get drawn into the
music rather than having it pushed in your face.
Experience the feeling of being drawn into the soft textures of Cale's "After Midnight"
vs the force coming at you from the tempo in Clapton's "After Midnight."

I have trouble deciding my favourite Cale's album but this one is a strong candidate for the first place (the other ones are "Okie" and "Shades" and, to some extent, his latest Live recordings).
"Naturally" features the original "After Midnight" that many Clapton fans will recognize, though they are unaware of being Cale's composition. Actually few people know that Clapton himself declared that Cale's music was like mentorship to him.
This is a very misty album. Due to the recording, all tunes have a shadow of damping of the hi-key dynamics which make them more fit for the general atmosphere of the music. I've always wondered if it's not a trick of the recording engineer because the vinyl is exactly the same. The music is absolutely marvelous. I have it also on the vinyl but I order it on CD because I listen it VERY often. "Magnolia" and "After Midnight" are may favourites. Listening these tunes I feel the same as being awakened from a beautiful dream in a warm summer morning. Very mellow but not sweet, exactly as they should be. The cover of the CD says it all: it is like Alice in Wonderland.