Guitar Man

Album review

25 years after his first album, NATURALLY, J.J. Cale created GUITAR MAN, an album made up of hypnotic grooves forged out of elegantly simple components. The album is largely a solo affair, with only scattered additional accompaniment, such as on the incredible opening tune, "Death in the Wilderness." Otherwise, Cale plays every instrument, adding particularly strong guitar work to the mix.

Remarkably, Cale's easygoing front-porch character is no less warm when he utilizes subtle keyboards and electronic percussion. With the exception of his arrangement of the traditional "Old Blue" (popularized by the Byrds in one of their later incarnations), the songs are all Cale originals. Besides songs that mine the familiar thematic territory of love, longing, and taking it easy, there's a handful that address world ills such as the environment and crime. He manages to tackle these issues without ever being didactic. However, he was sufficiently impassioned to include the lyrics to all the songs this time out. The title song and "Low Down" are two Cale classics that contain familiar lyrical and musical phrases that sound completely timeless when he sings and plays them.

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