Ry Cooder : Ry Cooder

Today’s album of the day is Ry Cooder by Ry Cooder

For his first album, Ryland pulled together a blend of blues and folk dating from the ’20s up to the current time (1969). Songs by Woody Guthrie, Blind Blake, Sleepy John Estes, Leadbelly, Blind Willie Johnson,and Randy Newman. He also included an instrumental track of his own, Available Space, as the opening track. Not just guitar (both picking and sliding), but mandolin and bass too. A wonderful trip through early American music – and an Airstream on the cover!

My favourite tracks:

  • Available Space
  • Dark is the Night
    youtube

I almost had Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band : Safe as Milk as today’s AotD, but half way through listening to it I realised that it was Ry Cooder’s guitar that I was enjoying the most so there was a switch. Captain Beefheart was always a hard sell anyway, and looking back I find that I prefer his buddy Frank Zappa’s similarly offbeat schtick. Something for tomorrow?