So, this bloke J J Cale.

robgilmo

Doesnt he live in a caravan?

richardhomer

robgilmo said:

Doesnt he live in a caravan?

Not any more - he died about 5 years ago....

olafgarten

People misunderstood my comment, I didn't mean that negatively, I think he is really good. 

JAYJO

olafgarten said:

People misunderstood my comment, I didn't mean that negatively, I think he is really good. 

Too late your dead to me.                            

Funny is Funny don't sweat it.

JAYJO

I think he's OK. I cant say more as i haven't heard enough of him. I would suggest Greatest hits.
The first Dylan album i had was a greatest hits album and i love Dylan. Lots of people don't get Dylan but lots do.
You have to decide for yourself its all part of the journey.

breezytele

For guitarists, this is an interesting cd 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breeze:_An_Appreciation_of_JJ_Cale
It’s very much in his style , but  what the op might appreciate is that there is a tab book available, 
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eric-Clapton-Friends-Appreciation-Versions/dp/B00VUL0JWC

Octafish

richardhomer said:

So someone who’s interested in JJ Cale posts asking for recommendations from people who are familiar with his work. 

What’s the point of those who don’t ‘get’ his music contributing at all? Why not start a thread of your own called ‘The isn’t JJ Cale Shite’ thread, or something similar?

Still - heartening to see tFBers with the taste, intelligence and sensitivity to appreciate him....

Something you never do yourself eh?

ICBM

olafgarten said:

People misunderstood my comment, I didn't mean that negatively, I think he is really good. 

I meant mine as a sort of serious recommendation as well. I just think he was extremely repetitive throughout his career, more so than anyone else I can think of - to the point it’s like a running joke. Every album sounds exactly the same.

I really tried to get it, and I did have about half his entire output at one time - but the endless sameness of it all just wore me down after a while. Maybe if I’d stuck with only one album I would still like him...

HPhillipsmusic

I defy anyone to put 5 on and not start bopping your head and losing your shit to Thirteen Days- my favorite start to a record ever.

Jalapeno

Love him, or don't love him.  He would've been happy with either that laid back old Dude he was.

For me, he created a "borders" blues sound aka Tulsa sound and stayed true to it, but with excursions (eg. Chicken Skin Music with his Mexican buddies). There's a striaght up Swing track on one of his earlier albums - totally Jazz style.

jdgm

Jalapeno said:

For me, he created a "borders" blues sound aka Tulsa sound and stayed true to it, but with excursions (eg. Chicken Skin Music with his Mexican buddies). There's a striaght up Swing track on one of his earlier albums - totally Jazz style.

Please excuse me but...."Chicken Skin Music" is a Ry Cooder album.

Cale's first 7 solo records are all good or great and well worth a listen - I'd probably put 'Troubadour' at the top, despite 'Cocaine'.

He had beautiful and varied guitar tones, too.

The standard started to drop on J.J. Cale '8' (label change) and he took a break, then returned much later with 'Travelogue' which is a great record and the best of his later stuff IMO; 'Number 10', 'Guitar Man', 'Road To Escondido' and 'To Tulsa And Back' are not very inspired.

Since his death there have been several live/radio broadcast albums issued.

The 1st couple of trips to England he was at the top of his game. The only time I've been in the front row at Hammersmith, a wonderful gig!

Don't all Springsteen albums sound the same? McCartney? Much of Dylan or Neil Young? As every album is written, sung and recorded by the same person, it's not so unlikely. I guess that's style.

Rocker

I find that a lot of JJ Cale music sounds the ‘same’ as the previous track played. Yet I keep coming back to his music. It must be the less is more thing, his monochrome voice or simply the laid back sound. Not music to impress guitarists it seems. And the first Dire Straits album is superb IMHO

darthed1981

I love this thread and the way it reflects the difference in human opinion when saying the same thing...

"They all sound the same, dull as dishwater..."

and

"A consistently enjoyable sound honed over decades..."

Both saying the same thing, chap jumped out the gate and has done the same thing for years, but reacted to in such different ways...

Jalapeno

jdgm said:

Jalapeno said:

For me, he created a "borders" blues sound aka Tulsa sound and stayed true to it, but with excursions (eg. Chicken Skin Music with his Mexican buddies). There's a striaght up Swing track on one of his earlier albums - totally Jazz style.

Please excuse me but...."Chicken Skin Music" is a Ry Cooder album.

Flipperty dodah - you're right and I'm senile !

Rocker

Amazing thing happened yesterday. About a minute after I posted the above reply (I was in a hotel watching the racing from Goodwood on TV) the unmistakeable sound of JJ Cale was played over the hotel sound system. A welcome release from the normal tuneless dross that you are usually subjected to in such places.

richardhomer

Rocker said:

Amazing thing happened yesterday. About a minute after I posted the above reply (I was in a hotel watching the racing from Goodwood on TV) the unmistakeable sound of JJ Cale was played over the hotel sound system. A welcome release from the normal tuneless dross that you are usually subjected to in such places.

Was it after midnight?