Ry Cooder
The Slide Area
WB 3651
available on Amazon
' This CD opens with an outrageous and exceedingly funky “UFO Has Landed In The Ghetto”, which seems so out of place with the other material Yes, it is a rhythm and blues, bordering at times on funk album, and Rap is one direction R&B took, but... Listen to the groove on “Which Came First”, and try to keep your body from bobbing to the strong rhythm laid down by Jim Keltner, Tim Drummond, and the background vocalists. While we are on the subject of vocals, this is one of Ry Cooder's best efforts, and his backup vocalists are key here and deserve special recognition; Bobby King, John Hiatt, Willie Greene, and Herman Johnson for most of the CD. The 2 gems on this are the phenomenal treatments of both “Blue Suede Shoes” and Bob Dylan's “I Need A Woman". Two songs as different in their original forms as classical music and New Orleans Funk, are here converted to R&B hit status. Both contain some memorable slide guitar work, but isn't that what we expect from this idiosyncratic master of the guitar family. The whole album is most excellent but those two songs make it a gem.
Tracks:
UFO Has Landed In The Ghetto
I Need A Woman
Gypsy Woman
Blue Suede Shoes
Mama, Don't Treat Your Daughter Mean
I'm Drinking Again
Which Came First Chuck Rainey
That's The Way Love Turned Out For Me
Players:
RyCooder
Jim Keltner
Jim Dickinson
William B. Smith
Reggie Mc Bride
Tim Drummond
John Hiatt
Chuck Rainey
Ras Baboo Pierre
Kazu Matsui
Reggie Mc Bride
Vocals: Bobby King, Willie Greene,Herman Johnson,Bobby Baker, and George McFadden