Ry Cooder afficionados check out 'My Name is Buddy'

I've had this a while. It has plenty of charm and some great moments but I prefer Chavez Ravine. I think the main reason is I find his voice a bit strained. I prefer the use of other artists as vocalists on Chavez Ravine.

Either way he is making good music, and frankly sounds like he is enjoying himself which usually helps.

Bruce

quote:

Originally posted by Bruce Woodhouse:

Either way he is making good music, and frankly sounds like he is enjoying himself which usually helps.

Bruce

Couldn't agree more Bruce. The thing I like about Ry Cooder, and I don't like all he does, is that he tries so much that's genuinely different. The man's a legend. Whether you like a particular album or not has no bearing on what you might make of the next. That's true variety to me.

Steve

I agree Steve. He's amazingly versatile. And doesn't by any means hog the limelight. I think some of his 70's albums were tremendous. I remember there was a lot of hooha about "Bop til you drop" because it was one of the very first digital recordings. Ironically of course, it was only available on vinyl at the time! And didn't sound that good either, iirc.

As for "Buddy", I like it a lot. As the OP says, it's best enjoyed at a single sitting and with proper concentration. Ry's voice has never been his strong point but it is servicable.

Thnking about other albums I see a similarity between 'Buddy' and the two Mermaid Avenue albums. Collaborations between Billy Bragg and Wilco from the unrecorded songs of Woody Guthrie they both have a similarly honest and authentic feel, also with a degree of wit and pleasing lack of pretention. The music is a bit more rock/blues than 'Buddy' but it has a similar attraction.

Worth checking out if you've not heard them.

Bruce

I have the album, and think a lot of it is pretty awful.

However, it's worth having for the magnificent 'Three Chords and the Truth', if nothing else.

Nice to see some effort being put into the packaging and art-work too.

John.

ordered it from the library for £1 it doesn't matter if I don't like it. Quite liked Chavez Ravine.

Howard

quote:

I have the album, and think a lot of it is pretty awful.

I think you should give it a few more listens. A very good album in my view.

Nigel

I thing the first third is pretty average compared to some of his output, but the rest is pretty good. I think Nigel is right, my first listen was underwhelming, but the latter tracks have definitely grown on me.

Nic

Funny I can never get my head around his Chavez Ravine. I have always had trouble listening to his Hawaiian or Mexicano output. Boomers Story is my favourite Cooder disc.

I believe the man firmly believes that ET has visited the planet.

I've grown up listening to my fathers records of Ry and ended up collecting most of his work on CD. I have not heard Buddy yet, but I'm more into his early work after listening to Chavez Ravine. So to me it's Bob till you drop, Chicken Skin Music and Paradise and Lunch.
I just got his debut album and Boomer's Story and have not come around to listen to them, so can't judge that.
BTYD and CSM have been reference to chosing my set which I switched this week from Denon PMA-2000AE and Marantz CD17 MkIIM to CD5i and 112x/150

HF say hello to your "new" CD collection, enjoy.

Howard

I just listened to some samples on bol.com and it seems to be more like his early work than Chavez Ravine, so gonna buy it this week

But his early work doesn't feature ET! Clearly a gap that he rectified later.

Jens

My first choice is Paris.Texas, but I'm not sure if that counts as a proper album. I love Chavez Ravine. I had a brief listen to Buddy, so might give it another go.

quote:

Originally posted by ewemon:
I believe the man firmly believes that ET has visited the planet.

Well, he certainly believed that a UFO had landed in the ghetto, on 'The Slide Area'. That track is phe-no-me-nal on vinyl.