JJ Cale

I don't know if the official certifiers (whoever and whatever those mysterious trolls might
be) of the year's top albums have gotten around to their latest proclamations yet, but when
they do there'd better be room on that list for one J.J. Cale. Of course, making the Top Ten
ain't what it used to be, but J.J. just naturally ought to ease his way onto even a truncated
list. This lad -- with the most insinuating vocals around, one or two sparkling new... More >

Cale outdoes such self-created white bluesmen as John Hammond by writing songs that are locked up in the conventions of the form, designed solely as carriers of pulse and mood. His slurred, whispering vocals and slurred, stuttering guitar are stylistic constants, and his lyrics aspire to the meaning-free universality of the traditional blues tropes and phrases. Mesmerizing, in its way. But the very best blues simply aren't meaning-free or locked up formally--John Hammond selects his repertoire for variety and interest, as does Lightnin' Hopkins, so why shouldn't Cale? Even if his style were as distinctive and forceful as any of dozens I could name, the fact that he consciously chooses his limits robs them of their natural aura. No surprise that the most gratifying tracks here break the mold with a little mystery--especially "Playing in the Streets," with its infusions from Vassar Clements. (Grade: B)