Ry Cooder

I come to Ry Cooder via Captain Beefheart and Little Feat but I had never gotten around to checking out Ry. This anthology for the new comer contains two things in abundance fun and variety. The fun comes mainly in the joy that comes from the musicians having so much fun while playing this music. These guys are having a blast and it shows. Granted my musical tastes are all over the place and here you have 2 CDs worth of for lack of a better term "Roots" music. I'm no expert at this style of music but I can tell when music is being played with natural expertise, Ry is a master guitarist and one of the best slide guitarist I've ever heard. The songs are about life and a very full life at that, this set was lovingly put together by Ry's son Joachim who has been playing and writing songs with Ry for a number of years now. Filled with wonderful songs that should have been huge hits if they had been released during the right time periods. There are too many songs to create a list of favorites, this collection has stirred my interest in Cooder's music to the point that I've already gotten his two latest "My Name Is Buddy" and "I, Flathead", and in enjoying them I've ordered a number of his early stuff. This collection is a door opener into the world of Ry Cooder, once you get it you'll want more.

Ry Cooder over the last five years has delivered spectacular music ... but remember - the UFO album is an anthology collection. Unfortunately, mixed in among the pearls in UDO are some early year clinkers ... and have the remote control for fast forward handy.

If you are tired of the same old homogenized, formula music for the masses, you owe it to yourself to check out this superb double disc retrospective. Not a clunker here. My only quibble is that some of my Cooder favorites aren't here. Probably an issue with one of his labels. Otherwise, these are 2 discs you will never tire of!

This is a first-rate compilation and the best possible introduction to Mr. Cooder's music one could ask for. The selection, sequencing, artwork and packaging are in line with Rhino's usual high standards. This would make an ideal gift for the Roots music fan in your life. "Chicken Skin Music" indeed!

Ry Cooder has been around a long time and has released many albums/c d's,and contributed as a session man and producer.His music is varied and Ry has explored many different styles and tastes.He was even courted by the Rolling Stones as a replacement in the early seventies....So with that written this anthology/overview is essential listening and cuts to the best of his work.In my opinion many of his releases were a mixed bag and he often got lost in what direction he was aiming for to capture the listener.Case in point were his last two releases which I considered poor...."BUT" this anthology is very good and Ry's signature slide guitar rifts and catchy hooks are worth every penny!

The two CDs recently purchased featuring the Buena Vista Social Club of Cuba are among my favourites. The opening number, Chan Chan, has a hypnotic rhythm which makes me want to play it over and over. The musicians who feature on this CD are outstanding. Ibrahim Ferrer (now deceased) had a voice like dripping honey.

It was just greatly fortuitous that Ry Cooder managed to track these people down in Cuba and record a number of CDs with them before several passed away.

Listen to the sample tracks and decide for yourselves!

if you have ever wondered what it was like to wander the streets of old Havana at dusk, this is the cd for you. Old world charm, bittersweet songs of sadness, romantic love stories and upbeat melancholy musings turn every day into a sunny day. Grab a mojito and enjoy!

Despite listening to this album perhaps a million times, it never fails to put a tear in my eye while making me feel immensely happy at the same time. Heck, it sounds better with every listen. What else can you ask for in a record?

In the liner notes, Ry Cooder writes that listening to music should be approached like taking part in a treasure hunt. This record is a gold mine.

this cd is amazing and would have been a shame if it was never put on a cd. Even if you don't know spanish, pick this cd up because it has an upbeat vibe to it. It's something that you can just put on the stereo and clean the house to, or listen on a road trip. Inside the cd you get a nice little booklet with info about the songs, artist, and the english translations to the songs along with pictures of the band. I highly suggest this cd to any music fan.

This critically acclaimed album is a favorite for many reasons. The Buena Vista Social Club was a popular club in Havana that held dances during the 1940s and 50s. This 14-song album not only features many of the veteran musicians who performed at that club during the height of its popularity, but also includes Cuban musician Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder (who produced the sessions). The album was recorded in six days, and resulted in a fascinating documentary of the same name by Wim Wenders (best known for one of my favorite films, Wings of Desire)). Musicians include Luis Barzaga on backing vocals, Orlando "Cachaito" López on double bass, Joachim Cooder on drums, Ry Cooder on guitar, Juan de Marcos González on guitar, vocals, and percussion, Manuel Galbán on guitar, Carlos González on bongos, Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal on trumpet, Eliades Ochoa on vocals and guitar, Julienne Oviedo Sanchez on timbales, Omara Portuondo on vocals, Barbarito Torres on laoud, and Amadito Valdés on percussion. Not surprisingly, this album sparked an international craze for Latino music, and for Cuban music in particular. Complete album tracks include:

1. Chan Chan 4:16
2. De Camino a La Vereda 5:03
3. El Cuarto de Tula 7:24
4. Pueblo Nuevo 6:05
5. Dos Gardenias 3:03
6. Y Tu Que Has Hecho? 3:13
7. Veinte Anos 3:30
8. El Carretero 3:28
9. Candela 5:27
10. Amor de Loca Juventud 3:21
11. Orgullecida 3:18
12. Murmullo 3:50
13. Buena Vista Social Club 4:50
14. La Bayamesa 2:54

G. Merritt

I've always heard about Ry Cooder's sterling credentials as a musican. It's just that I had the impression that most of his stuff was on the goofy side. But, since he is one of the top slide guitar players, I wanted something from him in our collection. To my surprise this is a great album and the thing that I really like about it (besides the excellent instrumentation) is that the lyrics are so entertaining. Instead of a disc to be played a couple times and put on the shelf, this is one to be played over and over and over again.

I bought this for my husband's b'day. He has been a music connisseur forever...I sometimes hesitate wondering whether he will like an artist. He love this and so do I..I felt Ry Cooter couldn't loose and this release is enought of a change from the Ry Cooter of earlier days to be a fantastic and enjoyable trip into new territory with an old friend. Buy and enjoy....Great road, traveling music amd we're headed to the beach in a few days....I can feel it now...

This new Album from Ry Cooder is a knockout. I thought that he had topped it with Buena Vista Social Club, but this ROCKS.
It showcases every style that the man has given us........... it is SENSATIONAL.
I would LOVE to hear his next album be a classical one, as I think that that's all that is left.
For fans young and old, do yourselves a favour and buy this.

If you aren't well versed with Ry Cooder's music, you can be fairly certain that you'll get great music no matter which album of his you buy. This is the final of a trilogy about Los Angeles in the first half of the 20th century. Each has tells the story of the city and it's people. First was the album 'Chavez Ravine', the family oriented hispanic neighborhood cleared out to build Dodger Stadium. The second, 'My name is Buddy', is a fabulous ride through depression era migration and American socialism. If allegory leaves you cold, just enjoy the music. This album, 'I Flathead' is the final of the trio. If you really want a treat, the CD versions of Buddy and Flathead each include a very cool, small graphic novel within the CD case to accompany the album. Ry is one of our finest Musicologist and maybe the best slide player alive. (though Sonny Landreth is fabulous).

I love this album. I've been waiting years for Ry to equal
Boomer's Story and Borderline and his early work (most of which
I bought on casette 30 years or so ago and still have). I frequently
listen to Buena Vista Social Club, but Ry's contribution on that was
impressarial rather than musical.
This album has great electric guitar and lyrics but I believe Ry's
vocals are better than they have ever been. Maybe age has smoothed
out the gravel a bit, or maybe he just found his true voice.

The cinematography is beautiful. The rest is fun and campy in an odd way. Not exactly a serious story. I liked the music a lot, but it doesn't hold me the way the visuals do after repeated viewings. Rockers who have never seen it before love it. It is a neat and unusual movie.

I was very pleased with my first order from Amazon. The CD is a Christmas gift and I received it in pleanty of time and in pristine condition. Thank you.

this was a gift, and it was much enjoyed. i love this movie, and the music is a big reason for that.

The movie looked promising on every level. Seeing it in a theater, it fell extremely short of my expectations. Good actors who for some reason delivered lines in this movie like they were reading it off a cue card. And played it so "stereotypical" of the "character type" they were portraying it was sometimes "smirk inducing".

That said...in the end it is kinda fun to watch. I bought this soundrack 'cause it is a great sample of some great rock acts of the 80's (without sounding 80's). You've got the "voice" of Contact (who had a hit with "10.9.8"), Marylin Martin (w/ Stevie Nicks doing some of the best b/g vocals on her own song), Maria Mckee doing Tom Petty "justice" yet again.

If you can it's probably best to buy a download (where??) of the cuts you like. Hearing all the songs in context of the film is fine. At home it's a different story. My rating is 50/50 but after all these years
I've made an effort to track down the DVD and this CD so parties involved must have done something right.

The variety of genres spans the album and it works as a great road trip CD as well as suitable backdrop for the film. The sequence of songs does not follow the film, but the album is the better for it. Great Songs/songwriters are the key
Tom Petty and Benmont Tench (He could never be you) Stevie Nicks (Sorcerer)Dan Hartman(I can dream about you) and Ry Cooder(Hold that Snake)-also the music director for the film make the music meaningful outside the movie theater.
orchestral rock, blues, R&B and rockabilly all come together in a tight little package that will get you from here to there

As a fan of the Tuareg group "Tinariwen', I couldn't resist buying this CD when I saw that another famous native of their region hooked up with Ry Cooder. If you've ever listened to Ry's soundtrack works or his wonderful stuff on 'A Meeting by the River' or "The Buena Vista Social Club' then you'll know why he is such a great match for a veteran like Mr. Toure. Ry's son , Joachim, is a good addition with his drum work too!

Both of these men share a love of guitar music and it shows in every track of this CD. Similar to the effect generated with listening to 'Tinariwen', Talking Timbuktu transports me to the barren- but beautiful- expanses of the Saharan regions. It doesn't matter if its Mali, Niger or Algeria- the effect is the same. If you are familiar with the region, you'll get my meaning. Its haunting and mesemerizing at the same time.

This is an absolutely gorgeous CD. It also makes for fantastic 'road music' for when I take road trips. Trust me, its a good companion when the long trails of New Mexico and Arizona beckon and you want music for along the way. BTW- there's a good hour's worth of music here. This is no short trip! ;)

Talking Timbuktu definitely TALKS to me! It is not a waste of money at all!

I bought this CD because of Ry Cooder. I've loved his music since first hearing on the soundtrack for "Paris Texas." I'm also very much into indigenous and ethnic music and am happy to have discovered Ali Farka Toure in this CD. Sometimes slow, sensual, hypnotic, and bluesy like the songs Amandria (my favorite) and Ai Du, and sometimes more rhythmic with a strong beat that you want to get up and dance to, the music on this CD grabs you every which way. Ali Farka Toure's rich voice also adds another dimension to the quality of this CD, on top of the music itself. And every song is top notch. It's rare for me to like every song on a CD, but I love every song. It doesn't disappoint on any level.

"Talking Timbuktu" is one of those CDs where you have an aha moment. Oh yes, you have heard this music before and yet, not quite. Ry Cooder and Ali Farka Toure play beautifully together and truly bring the Mali's music straight to us. This is an extremely listenable CD and well worth the price.

This is really good music. A combination of blues, African, something I cannot put a description to. Each person has to experience this to see what it means to him (her).

As usual, this is another spectacular disc, only made better by the addition of Ry Cooder.

Ok, I don't actually have this Ry Cooder album yet, but once around with the samples and
I'm comfortable giving it five stars. But I'm biased, still digesting "Chavez Ravine,"
which just continually reveals itself in new ways to me, after dozens and dozens of listens.
I could spend some time reading any given article about Chavez Ravine
and say "Wow, how sad..." and then it's gone, maybe to bring up again while watching
Jeopardy sometime. But now I feel it, hear it, see it, even sympathize with the bulldozer driver
laying waste to a vibrant community as people are dragged from their homes...he wasn't
the one that railroaded a new baseball stadium through City Hall to be built there,
it was just his job to level what they told him to. The whole thing has come alive in my head and
won't leave easily--few albums do that. And as sad as the story is, the album (CR) is upbeat,
almost hopeful, in strange ways. I think you listen to Chavez Ravine a few times or a
hundred times, but probably not a lot in between. So I quickly breezed through all the
samples in "I, Flathead" and get a similar feeling about it, that it will be big in my head for quite
some time--so I'm holding off for awhile, until I put away CR. One Ry Cooder concept album
at a time. Anyway, I'm immediately reminded of another album that has to go with this group,
and that's Tom Russell's "Hot Walker," which also feels like a movie playing in your head that
you don't want to stop watching. Check it out.

I was disappointed in this album, especially after reading so many glowing reviews. Musically it covers almost no new ground for Cooder, and the old ground he has covered better before.

What really weighs the songs down is the hokey singing style and less-than-genius lyrics. I'd have been happy with the music alone. The only set of words that penetrated even slightly, for me, was Can I Smoke In Here, which encapsulates Cooder's quasi-dadaist side well. I would suppose he's shooting for that in some of the other songs in this concept album, but always falls short of the target.

Those who have been with Ry since the beginning (I first saw you perform as a solo opening act for Beefhart in 69) would to hear something that really breaks it open again for us and for Ry again, the way Chicken Skin Music and Paradise & Lunch once did.

Just my opinion, based on my tastes, of course. I'm glad so many folks enjoy this album, wish I could but there are other musicians out there doing this better, some of them without even resorting to (bad) lyrics, ie Calexico.

And if this is as good as it's gonna get, Ry, hey you had a great run anyway. Seriously, hats off. But I think you still have it in you to get wild with it again.

Ry Cooder has been a favorite of mine since the early days. I bought this limited edition thang not knowing what to expect, but pretty sure that I'd like the music. Well, I decided to read the book first to frame the songs when I got to them. I got really wrapped up in the book and looked forward to reading a little bit of it each night, savoring the experience of time traveling back to the era described with its odd scenarios. After a week of reading after work, I almost forgot about the CD that came with the book. I was disappointed when the book ended, I wanted to read more, but then gave the CD a listen. It dovetailed nicely with the book and it now allows me to revisit the parts of the book in grittier detail and atmosphere. This is a cool combo. Definitely get the book/CD combo if you are a Cooder-head!

Ry Cooder at his best. All the best descriptives - creativity, sound, rock & roll at it's best, etc. Simply music at its best.

if you don't know california in the '50's and '60's, don't read this book.. the music will be enough.. then read the book. through sheer persistence and love, cooder has become the grand historian for cali in the day.. every referrence rings true and resonates through the reality of the ground level history of so cal.. he nails it.. every time.. and the music ain't too shabby neither.. except for the guitar.. kidding

I first had this album about 30 years ago. I loved it, as I did all Ry Cooder's albums. It was stolen in waht I termed " The Great CD and Cassette(!) Robbery of 2000.
I re bought it a few weeks ago and found that the music had lost none of it's rythm, it's magic and fabulous sound.
A true Oldie, but still a Goodie.

Well, the packaging IS cool, with reproductions not only of the LP sleeve and disc label, but also the inner paper sleeve. However, the sound is a disaster. The entire disc has been given an extreme treble boost, which creates distortion and completely changes its character. On many songs the percussion (especially cymbals and snare) dominates the mix, making a song such as "Tamp 'Em Up Solid" sound almost like cocktail jazz. The old CD sounds muffled in comparison, but it - like the rest of Reprise's domestic CD reissues - was true to the original LP sound. Warner Brothers engineers (and Ry) had wonderful ears, and I'm sure the mix we heard in 1974 was close to the one they wanted. This is like listening to a band from inside the snare drum. I don't know how someone listening to this album for the first time would react to the new mix, but I can't handle it. Painful and disappointing.

The Diddy Wah Diddy with Hines is beyond fabulous; so much interplay and groove and touch and taste. My God it's good. To play with one of your heroes and push him to play his very best is something few can accomplish.
The only weak spot here is Ry's original, Tattler. Nice, but kind of lyrically and musically soft beside all these old nuggets. Married Man is funny and grooves hard, with a tight vocal take. Tamp 'Em Up Solid is funky as hell and still one of my favorite tunes to play even after doing it hundreds of times live; this version just sticks in your head and always demands to be given the same wickedly groovy treatment. If Walls Could Talk, Fool For a Cigarette, Jesus On The Mainline...Ry knows how to pick a tune, and then cuts it even better than the original sometimes! His love for the material comes through on every cut.
And his technique, his tone, his sparkling musicality; this is some of the best guitar playing you will ever hear, electric and acoustic, and always flashy in the right way. Been loving this record for 20 years, and always will, I guess.
Old School Americana at its fresh and funky best.

This Japanese mini-lp replica version of Ry Cooder album 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 didnt think I was going to like this as much as I did, but whadayaknow, it didnt leave my CD player in my car for like 3 days. This dude can play geetar. At first I wasnt sure about his voice, but then I woke up and realized he's pretty good. And man, he gets down with the guitar on a few songs. Really cool, interesting music for people that like music, and not stuff like Tim McGraw.

ry's best in along time. great story line wonderfull tunes. shows he's the master of modern american roots-folk.

I preordered this CD. I just listen to it for the second time. This is satire at it's most boring. Don't bother with this CD. Ry has done much more interesting stuff, both lyrically and musically. Listen to the samples before you buy. I wish I did. If you like what you hear ignore this and go with your own tastes but for me "yuck!"

This new album might be strange to some, while others may hail it as an instant classic. I'm sort of torn between both emotions, primarily due to the subject matter (which is interesting the first five tracks, but then gets old very quickly). Still, for lovers of folk-rock with an unusual twist, this was perhaps one of the more 'out-there' releases in 2007.

From the cover shot of "Buddy the Cat", it would hard to imagine that the entire album is actually about this one cat. But you read that right. You have a cat, and his best friend, the mouse. Together with a 'Reverend', they travel the length and breadth of America. Whether this is a literal or metaphorical journey is never revealed, but we are given some truly unique insights into animal politics, the state of the world, and indeed America as a nation and a breathing soul.

This album strongly reminded me of my most favorite album of all time - "Scarlet's Walk" by Tori Amos. On that album, Amos took a cross country trip and each state was awarded a song based on the lead characters' experiences there. This album is VERY similar to that, but instead of a human, its a cat and mouse that are discovering what life and the nation is all about.

However, the lyrics and songwriting here are so clever, that you can juxtapose 'everyman' wherever the cat is mentioned, and come up with a reasonably spiritual, philosophically entertaining explanation for the entire album. I found this extremely vital to the CD, and can't think of any album than "Scarlet's Walk" to compare it to. Yes, the genre here is the dusty, early Americana acoustic folk-rock that Tori Amos could not possibly emulate, but the spirit is the same.

A fantastic slice of post-modern, early-Depression-evocating brilliance, all told through the eyes of that most remarkable mammal (after the dog) - the cat. Unique, and quite visionary, I think.

Four Solid Stars.

An excellent addition to Ry Cooder. I enjoyed all the songs . He remains unique and as always the standard is excellent.

I've been a fan of Ry Cooder's recordings for a long time, but noe I prefer him more like producer of other artist's records (listen to the latest M. Staples one..). "My name is Buddy" should be changed in "My name is BORING": I can save only 4/5 good songs (NOT masterpieces) in this cd, the sound is disjointed and the voice of Ry seems is really too tired...Finally, listening to the latest Ry's album, my favourite remains Chavez Ravine, that is strange and not perfect, but much better than Buddy!

I love the easy flow and ambience of the fine playing here. Never has Cooder sounded better to my ear than on this one. And Bhatt is magnificent. I've been listening to this session for over ten years and still have it close, ready-to-hand, in my truck console.

As a note, This review concerns the LP version, not the CD.

This is a remarkable effort on the part of Ry Cooder and V.M. Bhatt. A fusion of Ry's blues soaked Delta and Latin American influences on the slide guitar, and Bhatt's transcendental music. The recording is basic but superb, capturing a conversation between musicians and cultures. The sound is perfectly produced, the instruments find a wonderful balance, allowing each to speak but never to overpower one another.

This recording is one for everyone, one few will find fault with, and an experience that certainly should not be missed. This is one of my favorite Cooder recordings, on par, if not better, then his work with Ali Farka Toure.

Being a yoga teacher, I am always on the lookout for new music for my classes. This CD has only just come to light for me - and it is superb. It is also soothing in the car, and my two very energetic dogs love it as well, especially on road trips. Ry Cooder is a class act,an expert musician, and the combination of Indian instruments with his blues style acoustics are a delight.

I used to have this CD years ago, as a teenager i loved how the melodic blues scales used to just ease with the sitars and tubla's on this album, I could never remember when a song started or stopped but i never really wanted it to stop.

I lost it a few years ago sadly whilst movie around for college, and having just bought it again its quite nostalgic. A time when i remember not having much of a care in the world to now being a responsible adult and finally sharing this album with a person I am in love with.

I hope to keep this album for many years, it has been a huge part of my life.

If I had to choose one CD to take with me on a desert island this would be it. Sublime!

i got this as a cassette tape originally when it first came out about 20 years ago--that has been lost, i guess. thought about it about a month ago and got the cd. it's just as good as i remembered--great example of this type of music. all tracks are good to listen to.

Ry Cooder and Steve Vai are great in this particular venue. The story line is somewhat hokey, but the music is tops!!

The music is much better than the acting in this film. Ry Cooder's production of classic blues tunes remains one of my favorites today. The Karate Kid steps up to the plate but his performance is mediocore yet saleable. A great story, looking for Robert Johnson's lost tracks, a rendeveouz with the devil, a young love affair and a quest for redempetion make this film very likeable. It is, however, the music that sets it apart. If you are a fan of R. Johnson a lover of the blues then it's a must see/listen.

I see that most of the reviewers for this record are disappointed that the Cooder-Vai duel didn't appear on the soundtrack album. That's understandable. But for me, that was better experienced as video. Personally I think the high point of the soundtrack, and the movie for that matter, was the electric guitar bottleneck piece "Feelin' Bad Blues". It is fantastic. It sounds like the guitar may be accompanied by a hammer dulcimer toward the end. I played this for a young guy I work with who is a heavy metal fan and is just discovering the blues. He got wide-eyed.

All of the best cuts from this movie are actually located on Steve Vai's CD entitled "The Elusive Light and Sound". It is a very excellent CD, and has over 40 tracks on it. Thats all, Thanks.