Ry Cooder

I don't have "Into the Purple Valley" but after listening to a few tracks on spotify i would recommend for you...

My Name Is Buddy

and

Chavez Ravine

There's around 20 Ry Cooder albums on Spotify available for a free sample-listen!

Enjoy!

Debs

Boomer's Story.

Chicken Skin Music.

Jazz.

Bop Til You Drop.

My favorite of all is a soundtrack, The Border.

I have found these on CD Japan and they seem to sound better than the US version.

Buena Vista Social Club is also worth a listen.

Skip has pointed out the best of Ry's great solo records, largely from the 70's when he was best known of his encyclopedic and almost archivist song selection from the roots of blues and his use of such unusual sounds as his work which brought Hawaain slack key guitarist Gabby Pahanui to many people's attention.

I would also point out a few more favorites of mine nobody has yet mentioned:

1) Talking Timbuktu- His breakthrough world music jamming session with Ali Farka Toure.

2) A Meeting By the River- A more atmospheric world music hybrid than Timbuktu above, this is with an Indian player named V. M. Bhatt on the Vina. This record was deliciously well recorded by one of the great audiophile labels; Water Lily Acoustics. Spooky late night magic.

3) For those who don't necessarily have to own all Ry's soundtrack work, there is a wonderful 2 Cd set titled "Music By Ry Cooder" which is a compilation of some of his wonderful, but largely atmospheric film music.

Good listening,

Bruce

I have them all but for me 'Boomer's Story' has to be the classic Ry album.

GH

If you're looking for a starter, there was a recently released 2CD compilation selected by his son, remastered and sounding better than the original CDs - 'UFO has Landed' or somesuch. Very good.

Ry is long overdue a comprehensive and sensitive remaster campaign. Most of the early CDs are pretty poor quality and do him no justice at all.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Hughes:
Ry is long overdue a comprehensive and sensitive remaster campaign. Most of the early CDs are pretty poor quality and do him no justice at all.

Sorry I don't get that comment. The original WG or US Warner issues are great sounding. They just are are not as LOUD as modern CDs and are all the better for it. "The UFO Has Landed" is a good collection in not bad sound. But match volume and compare like for like tracks with original issues of "Boomer's Story" or "Into The Purple Valley" - no contest.

This is one artist's catalogue that certainly doesn't need some bozo compressing and EQ'ing his delicate work into the usual remastered mush.

The Japan Black Triangle "Bop 'til You Drop" is demonstration quality.

Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Bibb:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Hughes:
Ry is long overdue a comprehensive and sensitive remaster campaign. Most of the early CDs are pretty poor quality and do him no justice at all.

Sorry I don't get that comment. The original WG or US Warner issues are great sounding. They just are are not as LOUD as modern CDs and are all the better for it. "The UFO Has Landed" is a good collection in not bad sound. But match volume and compare like for like tracks with original issues of "Boomer's Story" or "Into The Purple Valley" - no contest.

This is one artist's catalogue that certainly doesn't need some bozo compressing and EQ'ing his delicate work into the usual remastered mush.

The Japan Black Triangle "Bop 'til You Drop" is demonstration quality.

Joe

His albums were remastered in Japan and they sound awful. Everything an album shouldn't sound like, compressed, loud etc. Real ear bleeders.

The mastering engineer obviously was aiming at trying to make the discs sound analogue and failed by a country mile.

Personally I amwith Joe on this one.

quote:

Originally posted by bdnyc:

2) A Meeting By the River- A more atmospheric world music hybrid than Timbuktu above, this is with an Indian player named V. M. Bhatt on the Vina.

Love that album. Also Bop 'Til You Drop and the soundtrack to Paris, Texas.

quote:

Originally posted by bdnyc:

2) A Meeting By the River- A more atmospheric world music hybrid than Timbuktu above, this is with an Indian player named V. M. Bhatt on the Vina. This record was deliciously well recorded by one of the great audiophile labels; Water Lily Acoustics. Spooky late night magic.

Bruce

Bruce

From what I could find it appears that Water Lily Acoustics was responsible for the CD version of this recording. My hunt for vinyl yielded Analogue Productions as the responsible party. Which version are you recommending - CD or vinyl.

Thanks
Gregg

Greg,

I have the CD, which is how I got to know this wonderful recording. I would be shocked if the LP is not better sounding, particularly since if I recall correctly, the whole recording chain was originally analog, using custom made tube electronics by Tim Di Parvinci of EAR fame in high end audio. Certainly with your table, set up by the wizard of Mt. Kisco, I would seek out the record.

With your love of 60's soul music, if you don't have it, you might like Mavis Staples recent album "We'll Never Turn Back", which was produced by Ry Cooder, and is more like a vintage 70's era Ry Cooder LP than his most recent trio of recordings.

Best regards,

Bruce

Bruce

Thanks for the reply. I will seek out the LP version. My only doubt is that it appears Analogue Productions (the label arm of Acoustic Sounds) did the album. Our friend Jay C. is not too fond of their pressings.

I already have the Mavis you mention-to go along with each of her 70's Stax solo records-and all of her Stax "family" records-and a few of her "daddy's" records too . Her new one is not too shabby either

Best
Gregg

I'd say I have about 75% of his work in my collection and my favorite is Bop Till You Drop.
No Japanese or whatever extra pressing, just a CD with music made by an outstanding musician.

Ofcourse, this is all personal...

quote:

I'd say I have about 75% of his work in my collection and my favorite is Bop Till You Drop.
No Japanese or whatever extra pressing, just a CD with music made by an outstanding musician.

\]
I am lucky enough to have this on original vinyl. Great recording and pressing quality.

I also have 'Mambo Sinuendo' with Manuel Galban which was recorded in Havana, Cuba. Really good stuff, on vinyl.

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff P:
I am lucky enough to have this on original vinyl. Great recording and pressing quality.

Same here-I bought it when it first came out-in my "younger" days . It also has the notoriety of being the FIRST album recorded digitally.

Gregg

quote:

Originally posted by Geoff P:

quote:

I'd say I have about 75% of his work in my collection and my favorite is Bop Till You Drop.
No Japanese or whatever extra pressing, just a CD with music made by an outstanding musician.

\]
I am lucky enough to have this on original vinyl. Great recording and pressing quality.

I also have 'Mambo Sinuendo' with Manuel Galban which was recorded in Havana, Cuba. Really good stuff, on vinyl.

I can listen to it on the original vinyl too, but then I have to contact my father cause he has had it for all these years

My favourites are Chicken Skin Music and Bop Till You Drop. I'm lucky enough to have them on vinyl and they sound great.
Regards,
Steve.

For a different and to my ears brilliant slant on a regrettably short (only nine tracks) selection of his earlier work try the live album Showtime. It's an excellent live album with a great sense of atmosphere and Dark end of the Street is sublime. Olly

quote:

Originally posted by Olly:
It's an excellent live album with a great sense of atmosphere and Dark end of the Street is sublime. Olly

Its funny how so many know of Ry's version. The ORIGINAL by James Carr is a MUST listen. Perhaps the greatest deep soul track ever written or recorded (Thanks to the great Dan Penn).

Gregg

Thanks for that, I'll check it out. Olly