J.J. CALE: "Shades"

Original released on LP Mercury 6302 .210

(NETHERLANDS, 1980)

From 1981, this was J.J. Cale's sixth album (following the succinctly titled "Number 5", and returning to his tradition of single-word album titles). Though Cale didn't use one constant band throughout the album, it's got a remarkably unified feeling. This is in part due to the great musicians on hand (pianist Bill Payne, drummers Jim Keltner and Russ Kunkel, and guitarist James Burton among others), but primarily to Cale himself. His songs and his overal approach to music are all-encompassing; the seductive and laid-back grooves his rhythm sections empower are written into the very fabric of the songs. "Carry On," "Pack My Jack"-these are songs of simple, sturdy strengths, succinctly written and concisely rendered. There are never any stray notes or decorative filigrees. Friendly and inviting, "Shades" sounds good in any season and at any time of day (and may be some of the best hangover cure music around). (in AllMusic)

J.J. CALE: "5"

Original released on LP Shelter SR-3163

(US, 1979)

As Cale's influence on others expanded, he just continued to turn out the occasional album of bluesy, minor-key tunes. This one was even sparer than usual, with the artist handling bass as well as guitar on many tracks. Listened to today, it sounds so much like a Dire Straits album, it's scary. (Mark Knopfler & Co. had appeared in 1978, seven years after Cale.) (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

J.J. CALE: "Troubadour"

Original released on LP Shelter SRL-52002

(US, 1976)

Producer Audie Ashworth introduced some different instruments, notably vibes and what sound like horns (although none are credited), for a slightly altered sound on "Troubadour". But J.J. Cale's albums are so steeped in his introspective style that they become interchangeable. If you like one of them, chances are you'll want to have them all. This one is notable for introducing "Cocaine," which Eric Clapton covered on his "Slowhand" album a year later. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

J.J. CALE: "Okie"

Original released on LP Shelter SR 2107

(US 1974, April 30)

You may dislike this selection of shuffling boogie tunes, that all seem to grow off the same tree. But you are rewarded by the catchy hook lines, the close-miked whispering voice of J.J. Cale, amazing grooves and a superbly focused production, that draws attention to every shiny detail in these 12 short songs. Subtle sonic details like that literally singing and whistling guitar in the second track add to the long term value. Every J.J. Cale album contains almost only great songs. But very often each album also hold a very special gem that seems to hypnotize and transport you to the location he is describing. On this album, "The Old Man an Me", is the one. (in RateYourMusic)

J.J. CALE: "Really"

Original released on LP Shelter SW 8912

(US, July 1972)

J.J. Cale's guitar work manages to be both understated and intense here. The same is true of his seemingly offhand singing, which finds him drawling lines like "You get your gun, I'll get mine" with disarming casualness. But he has trouble coming up with original material as strong as that on his debut, and for some, his approach will be too casual; there are many times, when the band is percolating along and Cale is muttering into the microphone, that the music seems to be all background and no foreground. You may find yourself waiting for a payoff that never comes. (William Ruhlmann in AllMusic)

J.J. CALE Debut Album

Original released on LP Shelter SW 8908

(US, December 1971)

J.J. Cale's debut album, "Naturally", was recorded after Eric Clapton made "After Midnight" a huge success. Instead of following Slowhand's cue and constructing a slick blues-rock album, Cale recruited a number of his Oklahoma friends and made a laid-back country-rock record that firmly established his distinctive, relaxed style. Cale included a new version of "After Midnight" on the album, but the true meat of the record lay in songs like "Crazy Mama," which became a hit single, and "Call Me the Breeze," which Lynyrd Skynyrd later covered. On these songs and many others on "Naturally", Cale effortlessly captured a lazy, rolling boogie that contradicted all the commercial styles of boogie, blues, and country-rock at the time. Where his contemporaries concentrated on solos, Cale worked the song and its rhythm, and the result was a pleasant, engaging album that was in no danger of raising anybody's temperature. (Thom Owens in AllMusic)

This quiet and leisurely album from an excellent guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter is a charmer. J.J. Cale has a unique approach to funk, blues, and country and all it involves is taking things at just as relaxed and mellow a pace as the human metabolism will allow. Here it results in one of the most enjoyable debut albums heard in some time. Cale is currently hitting the AM charts with a very unlikely number, "Crazy Mama," a typical Cale blues, done with a small rhythm section and his own incredibly controlled lead guitar playing. Its tempo is so unusually calm it is the last thing you would expect to hear blasting over your local Bill Drake outlet. The same contrast in pace is evident in the difference between Eric Clapton's version of "After Midnight" and the one done here by the song's author. Cale doesn't so much slow it down as ease it up. With the bass carrying the modest band arrangement via an intricately repeated line, Cale lets the guitar, voice, and song speak for themselves while the production provides just enough color to keep the song moving. It is a perfect blend for the number and results in one of the album's highlights.

Part of Cale's talent consists in his ability to unify disparate elements. Even when he uses horns on "Nowhere to Run" or "Bringing It Back" the album suffers from no interruption in mood, as this additional element is perfectly blended with the more skeleton framework heard on the rest of the cuts. Likewise his ability to unify tempos, for no matter what real pace he takes a song at, it comes out sounding like nothing more than an extension of basic J.J. Cale time, which is heard from the record's beginning to end. Cale's lyrics are appropriately simple but always effective. Many of his songs deal with missing women and the resulting problems; others with feeling bad for no explicit reason. Possibly the album's best cut, and its simplest, is of the latter type. "Crying Eyes" contains all the musical virtues of Cale's style as well as its most emotional, personal and affecting statement of them. The only problem with this album is that Cale is not yet strong enough to pull off his goal, which was to produce a record completely unified in mood and sound. Occasionally the continuity he achieves leads to a feeling of sameness and then boredom. Which is only to say that the excellence of this album rests more in its individual highpoints than in the record as a complete entity. That accomplishment lies ahead of J.J. Cale but there is every reason to think he'll get it next time around (Jon Landau, Rolling Stone Magazine, Issue 103)

J.J. CALE Latest Album

Original released on CD Because BEC5543727

(FRANCE 2019, April 26)

With each album, J.J. Cale just proves how good of a guitar player he is and how much influence he has had on other contemporaries like Mark Knopfler and Daniel  Lanois. A few tracks here almost sound like Knopfler playing. The first few tracks are nice country blues. If we try, is a cool acoustic track, probably the best here. "Tell Daddy" is a dreamy number, played with brushes and piano. "Maria" is almost a Lanois sounding track from his Wynona album. "Don't Call Me Joe" is another dreamy number to wrap up the album. For a set of unreleased stuff this comes over as a pretty decent Cale album in its own right even at the points when its clearly just a solo demo, which is measure of the sheer consistency of the mans artistry. Damn I really miss this guy. His take on the blues was pretty unique. (in RateYourMusic)