Customer Reviews

Ry Cooder

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

 

 

When I saw Ry Cooder live in the early seventies, he was wearing baggy blue silk pants, pink satin pumps, a bandana, and a Hawaiian shirt. Eclectic garb? You bet. But somehow it all went together, a perfect sartorial analogue to his musical eclectism.

As far as the best debut ever, it's gotta be either this or Little Feet's. Nobody was doing this roots stuff back then, and nobody's ever done it better. The opening bars of "Alimony" are perfect. "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live" and "Available Space" are transcendent. One marvels at the clarity of musical vision from one so young. Everything here's absolutely top drawer: overall concept, arrangements, production values, musicianship. It all continues with Into the Purple Valley (probably Cooder's best) and Boomer's Story, but to my ears he slips up with Boarderline. Wait a minute. As great as Into the Purple Valley is, Paradise and Lunch gets the nod as his best ever, because it's his most eclectic and has soooo many killer tunes on it. Chicken Skin Music is also great (if you can get by the obnoxious cover art, thankfully much smaller in the CD format)--check out especially "Stand by Me." "Mexican Divorce" from Paradise and Lunch is my all-time favorite Cooder cut; it always puts me in mind of my all-time favorite Byrds song, "Tulsa County Blue" (from their somewhat neglected masterpiece, Ballad of Easy Rider).

Of course, Buena Vista Social Club is also essential Cooder, as is Meeting by the River, with Indian maestro Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and Talking Timbuktu, with Malian bluesman Ali Farka Toure. Also worth checking out: Fascinoma (with the unlikely but brilliant combination of Jacky Terrasson and John Hassell) and Hollow Bamboo. I'm not wild about all of his film music, but all in all, he's had quite a remarkable career. And I guess that's why Cooder gets the nod over Little Feet for the best ever debut--his subsequent career outshines Little Feet's, although they went on to produce some great stuff. Who knows where they might've gone but for Lowell George's untimely death.

I have nearly all of Ry Cooder's 30 or so albums, and this is still my favorite. It's a museum of very old blues songs, with a few more modern ones thrown in. You'll find yourself learning all the lyrics, and singing them to yourself later on. I also strongly recommend Bop 'Til You Drop, Into The Purple Valley, and Rush. The soundtrack from The Long Riders is also very nice, but it's done in an old-timey style from the late 1860's.

If there is a complaint I have with Cooder's debut album it is that it is too short. Containing a great batch of tunes that are all worth hearing at least once (it must be noted that the lumbering cover of Woody Guthrie's One Meatball might be worth only one listen) and some several times (Alimony, France Chance and Available Space) Ry Cooder delivers a great album that shows that not only is he a far better guitarist than Eric Clapton, his taste and knowledge in music is much better and mature than Clapton's. If you must begin your Cooder collection somewhere, you can't go wrong here.

This Japanese mini-lp replica version of Ry Cooder debut is simply a work of art! Very beautifully designed with all the lyrics included and with a sound quality remastered to perfection.
This 2007 Warner reissue is by far the best version of this album that is out there; great sound quality, great packaging, great songs! A must have in any CD collector's library. A real collectors item of these guitarist, top 10 of all times.

I love all the Ry Cooder cds, but this is my absolute favorite. It is the cd I get for people to introduce them to slide guitar and american roots music.

To date I had only heard of Ry Cooder as a writer of film soundtracks.
This 11 song collection is firmly in the folk/blues arena, for example Do Re Mi was written by Woody Guthurie and the only songs I had heard before are My Old Kentucky Home and How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live.
So maybe not for me, but the cover's got to be as good as any!

Ry cooder is one of the best slide guitar players ever and is a major influence to me anyways if you dont like ry cooder and dont like this album then your lost and shouldnt even be listening to music buy all ry cooders albums please get influenced by the slide guitar slinger

On the one hand, you have to love the rustic, no nonsense feel of Ry Cooders first album. His slide guitar work is as clear as a bell, and the music it completely unadultrated. But it is also sweet as mamas jelly roll.

On the other, this guy is a master musician with a master band. This album does not have a misplaced beat or imperfection. All the heart this music has, and it still has a cosmoplolitan feel. This may be country, but it is country informed by the counterculture, and by rock.

Either way, if you don't at least repect this album, you are either a snob or you are dead, and either way, have no bussiness with the privalige of hearing this fantastic piece.

This album is worth the price for this song alone, and you all have bought at least one album for one song in your lifetime.I first heard it, being a Leo Kottke fan,when my ears perked up as it is played over the closing credits of ' Goin South ', a hilarious Jack Nicholson movie. This guy plays with calss and style, you will not be disappointed.

I have always been a Ry Cooder fan. I called him my swamp music man since I saw movie Southern Comfort I love slide and acoustic guitar. I also liked Crossroads. It is hard to get his CDs where I live thaks to Amazon no problem and will get more later. Cooder is great.