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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Who Knew |
| 2. Former Me |
| 3. Where the Sun Don't Shine |
| 4. Down to Memphis |
| 5. Strange Days |
| 6. Cherry Street |
| 7. Fonda-Lina |
| 8. Leaving in the Morrning |
| 9. Oh Mary |
| 10. Old Friend |
| 11. Roll On |
| 12. Bring Down the Curtain |
Product Description
Review
Multi-instrumentalist, speak-singer, producer and inventor of the 'Tulsa sound', a distinctively flowing boogie flavoured style, J J Cale is best known for Cocaine, a big hit when Eric Clapton covered it in 1977. The two collaborated most recently on the Grammy-winning 2006 album The Road To Escondido, and Clapton is back again here, on the title track. Though hardly groundbreaking, it's a pleasantly understated and undemanding album that reveals new sophistication and surprises with each listen.
Never one to play too may notes, Cale is a tasteful, restrained guitarist and still tends to half bury his voice in the mix. His modest but unmistakable vocal style blends the conversational manner of Guy Clark and the mumble of Mark Knopfler, who has acknowledged Cale's influence, perhaps equally as a guitarist and singer. Apart from his delectable twangings on guitar and pedal steel, Cale plays most instruments himself - a trademark ever since the early seventies. Most notable is his seemingly effortless piano, trickling away on many tracks, in particular lighting up the fluid, chooglin' chug of Cherry Street, a definite highlight. He even plunks on a banjo on Strange Days.
Who Knew is the first of several songs that employ the tried and frankly over-tested 12-bar format, here in a jazzy setting that features Cale tentatively scatting. Down To Memphis sounds like something Charlie Musselwhite might have written, or sung. The driving, funky Fonda-Lina celebrates sex in frank fashion (''A story as old as Jesus/Fonda-Lina has a void to fill''), though it's one place where Cale's penchant for programmed drums lets him down slightly.
Leaving In The Morning is the most stripped-down piece, with some lovely combinations of pedal steel and acoustic guitars. The production on the old fashioned R&B belter, Oh Mary, is oddly engaging, with the cymbals front-placed, and Walt Richmond's rollicking piano way down in the background. Old Friend has a lush, warm country feel and Cale's most confident vocal, nicely augmented in multi-tracked form. By the swampy closer Bring Down The Curtain, you get the feeling this 70-year-old master will roll on for some time to come. --Jon Lusk
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
How does he do it? JJC seems to produce albums as another reviewer said sound a bit the same,but they are just so good.His shuffling boogies always get the feet moving,he never draws out a song anymore than is necessary,but always leaves you satisfied.This is another intoxicating set of classic JJC,well crafted songs,superbly played,rhythms as I say get your feet moving,He always has some top class musicians on board to add a richness to his sound,although he plays a whole range of them himself.One track has Eric Clapton playing some flowing guitar chops on it,but as every track is a standout of top JJC material it's just one more track to enjoy.At 42 mins.its short by some standards but when the tracks are so good your doing OK.Take one listen and you'll buy this latest album of the wonderfully enjoyable Mr. Cale.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
JJ Cale is back with his first solo album in five years. It follows on from his collaboration with Eric Clapton on "Road To Escondido", and sounds exactly like every other JJ Cale album.
However, it's a remarkably good sound, so why fiddle around with drum'n'bass experiments when you can just get on with writing good songs and creating loping, swamp infused grooves. To be fair, he's had a wee bash at jazz this time around. You'll find him scatting on the opening track 'Who Knew' and there's some jazz piano on 'Former Me'.
Elsewhere, the Cale template is in fine form with tunes like 'Down to Memphis' and 'Cherry Street' as good an anything he's done before. He also gets downright smutty on 'Fonda-Lina', something unbecoming in a septuagenarian. Eric Clapton, who ,largely appropriated Cales sound in the early seventies, pops up on the title track, but this is largely a return to basics (and form) for the elder statesman.
It's a testament to Cales talents, that he wrote and produced all twelve songs, plays all the instruments on most of the tunes as well, including guitars, pedal steel, bass, drums, piano and synthesizers, and even recorded most of the album at his home studio in California. Feel the quality.
However, it's a remarkably good sound, so why fiddle around with drum'n'bass experiments when you can just get on with writing good songs and creating loping, swamp infused grooves. To be fair, he's had a wee bash at jazz this time around. You'll find him scatting on the opening track 'Who Knew' and there's some jazz piano on 'Former Me'.
Elsewhere, the Cale template is in fine form with tunes like 'Down to Memphis' and 'Cherry Street' as good an anything he's done before. He also gets downright smutty on 'Fonda-Lina', something unbecoming in a septuagenarian. Eric Clapton, who ,largely appropriated Cales sound in the early seventies, pops up on the title track, but this is largely a return to basics (and form) for the elder statesman.
It's a testament to Cales talents, that he wrote and produced all twelve songs, plays all the instruments on most of the tunes as well, including guitars, pedal steel, bass, drums, piano and synthesizers, and even recorded most of the album at his home studio in California. Feel the quality.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I've bought every album J.J. Cale has made (plus a few compilations), but like a lot of other Cale fans I don't think any of his later albums offer the simple, deeply musical atmospheric uniqueness that J.J. captured on his first four albums: 'Naturally' (1971), 'Really' (1972), 'Okie' (1974) and 'Troubadour' (1976).
'Roll On' is a pleasant, laid-back mix of songs that falls right into the pattern Cale established in 'To Tulsa and Back' and 'The Road to Escondido': occasionally you wish he had picked up his acoustic guitar instead of his sequencer, but most of the album has a nice, bluesy, well-arranged shuffle feel to it. Cale avoids the lush layers of orchestral strings and other synthetic sequencing that irritate those who like him best when he is at his simplest. His hallmarks (the husky voice and guitar doodling over laid-back but solid grooves) are there throughout.
'Roll On' is probably not a Cale album that will set fans on fire, but I don't think anyone who likes J.J. Cale will be disappointed by it -- it's pleasant, nicely composed and arranged, and above all it contains plenty of what Cale does better than anyone else.
'Roll On' is a pleasant, laid-back mix of songs that falls right into the pattern Cale established in 'To Tulsa and Back' and 'The Road to Escondido': occasionally you wish he had picked up his acoustic guitar instead of his sequencer, but most of the album has a nice, bluesy, well-arranged shuffle feel to it. Cale avoids the lush layers of orchestral strings and other synthetic sequencing that irritate those who like him best when he is at his simplest. His hallmarks (the husky voice and guitar doodling over laid-back but solid grooves) are there throughout.
'Roll On' is probably not a Cale album that will set fans on fire, but I don't think anyone who likes J.J. Cale will be disappointed by it -- it's pleasant, nicely composed and arranged, and above all it contains plenty of what Cale does better than anyone else.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Wonderful...
I love very much J.J.Cale's music... In particular Cherry Street... If you like blues and troubadour's music you can purchase this album. Enjoy...
Published 14 months ago by Abdullah ^evki YURTVERMEZ
JJ Cale Alchemy
This CD is a distillation of all the best jj cale styles which, over the many years I have been listening to him, have made me go 'Wow!'. Read more
Published 14 months ago by UKSteve
TOOK A WHILE -- THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED
If there's one thing you can say about JJ, it's this: he's got TASTE, STYLE, and CHOPS.
Cale's last album, "To Tulsa and Back", was so good it felt like sinning and... Read more
Cale's last album, "To Tulsa and Back", was so good it felt like sinning and... Read more
Published on 24 April 2010 by Carlo Matthews
Superb
The master does it again!
This a really outstanding album. Although it's slightly more uptempo than usual, he hasn't changed his style one bit - why alter a winning... Read more
This a really outstanding album. Although it's slightly more uptempo than usual, he hasn't changed his style one bit - why alter a winning... Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2010 by Friendlycard
The Legend continues. Buy it!
Another 4 or 5 jj classics on this album. Still coming up with the goods.
Published on 5 July 2009 by J. H. Tallowin
Good as ever
Well ok maybe it isn't his best, but this guy's music has been the background to my life and it still beats the other "usual suspects" into a cocked hat. Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2009 by Andrew J. Sullivan
Back to his best, outstanding album.
JJ Cale continues to produce outstanding music and this is no exception. Such a pity his fear of flying restricts his visits to once every 15 years!
Published on 29 May 2009 by M. Allen
Still on the Road to Escondido
Good man JJ Cale .and he has a solid legacy of work ... but I don't think this album is going to turn many heads. Read more
Published on 8 May 2009 by BJA Bond
Roll On
This CD did not move heaven and earth for me, but then again it did not disappoint either! JJ Cale delivered what was expected, he is just rolling on. Read more
Published on 3 May 2009 by Rudi
JJ on top form again
I first discovered JJC in the seventies and I went to Virgin records to buy his LP and I asked for the JJC LP. "Which one? Read more
Published on 1 May 2009 by S. SMTH
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