IRT Magazine

RY COODER

My Name is Buddy (Nonesuch)

MAVIS STAPLES

We’ll Never Turn Back (Anti-)

Ry Cooder continues to bank upon the resurgence he enjoyed 10 years ago with Buena Vista Social Club and Talking Timbuktu by celebrating his decade back in the national spotlight by returning to the swampy R&B sounds that made him a rock legend in the first place. Flanked by appearances by Van Dyke Parks and Pete Seeger, My Name Is Buddy is a concept album involving the plight of the American working class through the voices of a toad, a mouse and a cat named Buddy through a collection of songs that instantly recalls Cooder’s early albums like Into The Purple Valley and Boomer’s Story. As much as his Spanish stuff was fun and all, it is definitely great to hear Ry guy get his hands dirty in our native soil once again. For more Cooder action, refer directly to his outstanding production work on Staple Singer Mavis Staples’ label debut on Epitaph’s roots/rock imprint Anti-. Though this whole talking R&B thing Mavis seems to be using as a crutch for her once-mighty vocal powers gets to be a bit annoying, hearing Cooder’s mighty guitar work laying that bed down is well worth the 30 seconds it’ll take to download it off iTunes. –Patch Atomz

Last Modified : August 1st, 2007
Filed under : THE RECORD BIN, jazzandsoul
Navigate : Previous post / Next post