Listen to his voice on Randy Newman's "Rollin'." The sad irony he manages to imbue the lyrics with, while singing about how the booze keeps him rolling along, serves as a contrast to the their light hearted content. Then there is his fine country picking on the Waylon Jennings tune "Wayemore's Blues," that sounds like it came from the heart of Hank Williams. None of this new country shit for either Waylon or J. J., but none of that truck-driver, women, and cowboy pain crap either.
Popular music in the 1970's worked really hard to smooth away the rough edges of rock and roll to create something slick and polished for easy mass consumption. Thankfully, some people remembered what the words heart and soul really meant. Listening to Rewind: Unreleased Recordings lets you know that J. J. Cale was one of those people.
If you were to compare the music on this recording to music he has recorded before and since, the only differences you might be able to hear are how in recent years his voice has become somewhat rougher. Rewind: Unreleased Recordings is J. J. Cale playing and singing as only J. J. Cale can. It's not often you can refer to someone as a genuine original anymore, but like any masterpiece, J. J. Cale is as unique as they come. This recording serves as a reminder that he has been since day one.
Article comments
1 - JC Mosquito
Call Me the Breeze was one of his too, wasn't it? In fact, the whole Naturally album is a classic. JJ Cale is one of the few writers that could write a song off of a two chord change and make it sound great.
2 - lars jørgensen
Nb. ALL of Cale's albums are great masterpieces;-)
but off course some are better than others - I hope they will find other "forgotten" songs of Cale, because it will take years...-maybe not at all, before we will have another so kind and sensitive musician/man as Cale.
A man so humble and down-to-the-ground isn't easy to find among "stars";-)
Lars(a fan since -74, Denmark )
3 - Mike U.
I am a singer/songwriter/guitarist who has been heavily influenced by Johnny Cale's work ever since I first played his album "Naturally" in a small record shop in Orlando, back in 1971. His lyrics to the song "Carry On," though never a hit, enabled me to get through my last year of teaching high school English and retire with a smile instead of the frowns on so many retiring teachers. No one can touch his laidback sound. Some can write better (Jimmy Buffett, John Prine); some can outplay him in that style (Clapton, et. al.)- but NO ONE puts it all together in one package like JJ Cale. Listen all the way through one Cale album and you'll be a believer, unless you're young and absolutely have to have a faster, more driving beat all the time. I used to be that way- then I grew up some. Age happens.
I recently found an incredible interview with JJ Cale over at Vintage Guitar. Check out www.vintageguitar.com/artists/details.asp?ID=197
for a conversation with a man with less pretention than most stars. He's the only star I know of to turn down the typical multi-million dollar deal to tour. His response: "Why do I need to tour to sell these songs when they're already a hit?" Cale is the only artist I feel is worthy to follow closely. He never disapoints.
Don't waste your time trying to hear him in a bar. A bunch of us tried to listen to him in Charlotte at the Visilite Theater, which was really a bar, and went home extremely dissapointed. The management in three tries simply could not stop the young folk who were there to party- didn't even know Cale- from talking,screaming, and carrying on with their partying. JJ plays and sings softly. We heard very little of his music that night, our only chance to hear The Master of Mello. But I've got his albums and the mello-ness continues.
4 - Debra
Fortunately, J.J. has been such a prolific writter, I have so many of his albums, I can play his music for hours. Naturally was my first and I have been hooked every since. I got his DVD To Tulsa and Back. He talks a bit, so you get to know him, and they talk about his touring, etc, plus he plays some of his songs. Got to love him
5 - John Wilson
Good review of a fine musician.
6 - Ron
Good review, however JJ Cale is an Oklahoma native. He did live in California for a time but moved back home to Oklahoma. He was a key influence to Eric Clapton and what is known as the "Tulsa Sound".