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Soundtrack of My Life, May 12, 2019: J.J. Cale's Full-Tilt Boogie

Hair
Notes: The recent release of
J.J.Cale's "new" album of outtakes, "Stay Around" reminds me of the cruel promise of these posthumous releases. I buy these collections because I like the artist's music -- here, J.J.'s wizened drawl over a chill shuffle. I always subconsciously calculate an album of outtakes would possess even more of these addicting qualities. But it never works out that way. Almost always, the previously-deemed inferior tunes are mostly the sound of the artist trying to get to that essence. It's less pure, not more, weirdly enough.

But, these compilations usually churn up a lost gem or two, and they compel me to revisit the artist's back catalog. And it's never a bad thing to add some Cale to the day. This time around, I noticed how much variance there was in Cale's backbeat, which initially seems as steady and nondescript as the view along an Oklahoma highway. His songs are neither country, folk, or blues, though they incorporate these elements, and, here I noticed, they teem with other, more surprising strains, including various funk, bluegrass, jazz, and Latin elements.

Chief find is "Friday," from Cale's fifth album, 1979's "5." Here is Cale at full-tilt boogie, with lyrics I could sing through the week:

"Tuesday, I hate old Tuesday,
ain't no girls on the street.
Tuesday, it ain't good for nothing,
drinking beer and watching TV..."

Other stuff I listened to last week:

Top Artists

#ArtistTracks Played
#1
J.J. Cale
75
#2
Harry Nilsson
48
#3
Skeeter Davis
23
#4
Little Feat
22
#5
Microstoria
20
#6
Wire
17
#7
Maceo Parker
16
#8
R.E.M.
16
#9
Brothers Johnson
14
#10
Radiohead
14


Top Albums

#NameArtist
#1
Collected
J.J. Cale
#2
Really
J.J. Cale
#3
model 3, step 2
Microstoria
#4
Awaken, My Love!
Childish Gambino
#5
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
#6
Cloudy With Occasional Tears
Skeeter Davis
#7
Future Perfect
Autolux
#8
In The Land Of Grey And Pink
Caravan
#9
Look Out For #1
Brothers Johnson
#10
Funkoverload
Maceo Parker


Top Tracks

#SongArtistTimes Played
#1
Call Me The Breeze
J.J. Cale
5
#2
turnstyle blues
Autolux
4
#3
Thunder Thumbs and Lightnin' Licks
Brothers Johnson
4
#4
Stayin' Alive (12' Mix)
Happy Mondays
4
#5
Anyway The Wind Blows
J.J. Cale
4


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