Search - Ry Cooder :: Paradise & Lunch

My favorite Ry album and the worst remastering job of the se

Donald Leighty | Western Pennsylvania USA | 09/18/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Well, the packaging IS cool, with reproductions not only of the LP sleeve and disc label, but also the inner paper sleeve. However, the sound is a disaster. The entire disc has been given an extreme treble boost, which creates distortion and completely changes its character. On many songs the percussion (especially cymbals and snare) dominates the mix, making a song such as "Tamp 'Em Up Solid" sound almost like cocktail jazz. The old CD sounds muffled in comparison, but it - like the rest of Reprise's domestic CD reissues - was true to the original LP sound. Warner Brothers engineers (and Ry) had wonderful ears, and I'm sure the mix we heard in 1974 was close to the one they wanted. This is like listening to a band from inside the snare drum. I don't know how someone listening to this album for the first time would react to the new mix, but I can't handle it. Painful and disappointing."

Great disc

Scott Clark | Albuquerque, NM United States | 05/25/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I didnt think I was going to like this as much as I did, but whadayaknow, it didnt leave my CD player in my car for like 3 days. This dude can play geetar. At first I wasnt sure about his voice, but then I woke up and realized he's pretty good. And man, he gets down with the guitar on a few songs. Really cool, interesting music for people that like music, and not stuff like Tim McGraw."

Ry's best, with some immortal slide playing

K. Swanson | Austin, TX United States | 09/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Diddy Wah Diddy with Hines is beyond fabulous; so much interplay and groove and touch and taste. My God it's good. To play with one of your heroes and push him to play his very best is something few can accomplish.



The only weak spot here is Ry's original, Tattler. Nice, but kind of lyrically and musically soft beside all these old nuggets. Married Man is funny and grooves hard, with a tight vocal take. Tamp 'Em Up Solid is funky as hell and still one of my favorite tunes to play even after doing it hundreds of times live; this version just sticks in your head and always demands to be given the same wickedly groovy treatment. If Walls Could Talk, Fool For a Cigarette, Jesus On The Mainline...Ry knows how to pick a tune, and then cuts it even better than the original sometimes! His love for the material comes through on every cut.



And his technique, his tone, his sparkling musicality; this is some of the best guitar playing you will ever hear, electric and acoustic, and always flashy in the right way. Been loving this record for 20 years, and always will, I guess.



Old School Americana at its fresh and funky best."