Customer Reviews

Shades

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

 

 

"Shades" is classic and fresh Cale. J.J. usually supplies consistently good music, but with "Shades" we are given a Cale album with added excuberance. There are the characteristic low, breathy, mellow grooves of songs like "Deep Dark Dungeon" and "Pack My Jack", full of Cale's nonchalant wisdom. Then we have the sweet tones of love songs like "Wish I Had Not Said That", reminiscent of the tenderness of "Magnolia". There is the dry, natural humour of "Mama Don't", and the positive punch of "Carry On". To top it all off there is the instrumental, "Cloudy Day", which needs no lyrical assistance for its evocation of melancholy. The musicianship on "Shades" is superb, and the quality of the production is good. The music has a natural and relaxed feel to it, and includes a variety of styles, from country-rock to cool jazz-blues. Excellent album. Very pleasing to the palate!

I own all JJ's discography (on CD and vinyl). "Shades" is one of my favourites. There are some tunes unique for JJ style that represent a change in his musical style: "Wish I had not said that", "Pack My Jack", "Cloudy Day". In my opinion, "Shades" is a starting point for a different musical attitude. Highly recommended for all JJ's music fans.

Mama don't allow no JJ Cale 'round here. With the constant reference to a vagrant lifestyle of boozin', drug taking, loose mesmerizing women, and staying happily unemployed you'd be right in assuming that your mother might disapprove of JJ Cale. However, a lot of the time the music hits a smooth groove that is so nicely hypnotic that not even your Mama is going to get upset about some JJ Cale 'round here.

"Mama Don't" is the only cover/standard version on this disc but when I first heard it I was convinced it was penned by the master of "laid back" himself. To review this one record is quite tricky for me as I have all of JJ Cale's albums up to "#8"; produced in 1983, a period when he stopped producing records for some time. I have purchased his most recent effort, at time of writing, "Roll On"; a strong return to his signature sound. With JJ Cale there is no better, there is no worse; they all make up a body of very fine work.

If I had to line up the albums from that golden period of his work, the order of preference would be: - "5", "Naturally", "Troubadour", "Okie", "Shades", "#8", "Grasshopper", and "Really". My suggestion, though, is to purchase them all and then make your own decision about the order. If you're on a budget, the anthology:- "Any Way the Wind Blows" is the next best choice. I bought the "Anthology"; found out that I had to keep playing my old records to fill the gaps and get the whole picture so ended up buying all the CDs. A great loss is the fact that "Katy Kool Lady", from "5" never made it to the CD. I still have to play my old vinyl to hear that song.

You can't go wrong with "Shades"; it's a great album. But... if ya like this one... you're gonna like them all; which isn't a bad thing.

One of JJ's rarest and best albums.A great blend of songs with the cool groves youe expect from JJ.
The piano from Leon Russell is exceptional on 'What do you Expect'.

This record is one of Cale's best...

If the album only had one song, "Cloudy Day", it would still be fantastic ;)

If I had to chose only one artist to hear play music for the rest of my life, it would be JJ Cale. Prolific, completely unique and almost always providing an underlying tale.
Wish I had not said that is my favorite song by JJ.