His most influential......................
collegemoney | 05/30/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ry always seems intent on making musicologists of all of us. Bring in a little Tex Mex with Flaco Jimenez, some Hawaiian with Atta Isaacs, and so on. He had made some doggone good efforts in this vein before I decided to plunk down $8 or so for this as a freshly released LP. Maybe it was the strange cover that made me originally pick it up and go "Wha???" But this is where I got hooked. The bluesy "Bourgeois Blues" gave us no warning of the kick that was soon to follow with "Always Lift Him Up"/"I Got Mine"/"He'll Have to Go"/"Stand By Me." It is on these songs that the guest artists pump up their accordians and such at just the right place and give wing to the music, and Ry increases the emotion in his voice. The biggest nice surprise is "He'll Have to Go." Ry Cooder, tackling a song by the velvet throated Jim Reeves? And making it all his own. I suppose Ry did some works that I enjoy better all the way through. But this is where I got on board."