J J Cale To Tulsa And Back CD

On his first studio outing in eight years, the mythical Okie troubadour turns in a solid set of his trademark dusty blues tunes. What is not so typical, as with Travel Log from 1990, is that Cale steeps himself in technology and evokes the moods and frameworks of music that intersect with the blues or stand in opposition to them. The keyboards, drum loops, and horns on this record are as pervasive as the guitars. Needless to say, this requires an attitude adjustment on the part of the listener. This is not to say there aren't plenty of live musicians here; there are. It's just that the sheeny beats and clean synth lines feel odd when juxtaposed against the murky lyrics and Cale's wispy, smoke-weathered voice. His stinging Stratocaster lead lines, spare and razor taut -- especially when ringed with distortion -- are plentiful, as are his tight-knit song constructions. Standouts on this set include the new West funk of "New Lover," the shuffling "New Step," the skittering "The Problem," the delightfully rambling "Fancy Dancer," the burning road-dog rock of "Motormouth," and the jazzy, gypsy swing in "These Blues." There are a couple of ballads on the set that are unconventional, as well, in "Homeless," and in the beautiful "Blues for Mama." There is even a Latin track on "Rio" that feels more like a merengue than a samba. The album closes with Cale playing a lone banjo on "Another Song," a mournful Appalachian ballad that feels like it comes from out of the heart of the Dust Bowl, it's full of ghosts and shadows and aches with the weight and displacement of longing as history. A fine effort. ~ Thom Jurek

Photographer: Stephane Sednaoui.

Personnel: J.J. Cale (vocals, guitar, banjo, synthesizer); J.J. Cale; Don White (guitar); Walt Richmond, Walter Richmond (keyboards); Gary Gilmore, Bill Raffenspeger (bass guitar); Christine Lakeland (guitar); Shelby Eicher (mandolin, fiddle); Jimmy Markham (harmonica); Rocky Frisco (keyboards); Jim Karstein (drums).

Recording information: Natura Digital Studio, Tulsa, OK (06/2003).

Rolling Stone (p.126) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "[H]e sounds like - no surprise - a Dust Bowl Dire Straits, all whispery vocals and reverb guitar."
Entertainment Weekly (pp.86-7) - "His laconic Okie rock, with its sawdust shuffle beats and bluesy melodies, has always been a tonic for the harried soul." - Grade: B+
Q (p.111) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Underneath the surface calm, there's much going on....Sounding so effortless must take considerable effort."
Uncut (p.101) - 3 stars out of 5 - "Cale has returned to his Tulsa roots, teaming up with a bunch of old-timers for a session of city blues and country, leavened with the light touch of an old master."
Down Beat (p.80) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "[T]he old formula is still working a treat but some of the songs have a greater resonance than in bygone years."
Dirty Linen (p.86) - "Cale returns to his Oklahoma roots and makes a record that sounds eerily and unerringly like his great 70s albums..."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.110) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[With a] warm, good-time sound..."