I, Flathead Limited Deluxe Edition

Comment: "I, Flathead" is one of about five Ry Cooder CDs that has taken up permanent residence in my CD stack. I use them as background when I'm editing or writing. I can and often do play them every day and never tire of them. As the third in the series starting with "Chavez Ravine" and "Buddy", each song on each CD is quite different. The sounds, the words, the feelings each song evokes are never boring.
I love it. I love them. I love Ry Cooder.

Comment: I have loved Ry Cooder for decades, but his wanderings all over the globe and back have not improved his music. He is a wonderful, entertaining, joyous musician. I once saw him in Glasgow, in 1995, playing with David Lindley plus Ry's son and David's daughter. Truly a moment which will jump out in my memory forever. If Elvis could have heard Ry play All Shook Up, I believe he would have been jealous.

Comment: I was disappointed in this album, especially after reading so many glowing reviews. Musically it covers almost no new ground for Cooder, and the old ground he has covered better before.

What really weighs the songs down is the hokey singing style and less-than-genius lyrics. I'd have been happy with the music alone. The only set of words that penetrated even slightly, for me, was Can I Smoke In Here, which encapsulates Cooder's quasi-dadaist side well. I would suppose he's shooting for that in some of the other songs in this concept album, but always falls short of the target.

Those who have been with Ry since the beginning (I first saw you perform as a solo opening act for Beefhart in 69) would to hear something that really breaks it open again for us and for Ry again, the way Chicken Skin Music and Paradise & Lunch once did.

Just my opinion, based on my tastes, of course. I'm glad so many folks enjoy this album, wish I could but there are other musicians out there doing this better, some of them without even resorting to (bad) lyrics, ie Calexico.

And if this is as good as it's gonna get, Ry, hey you had a great run anyway. Seriously, hats off. But I think you still have it in you to get wild with it again.

Comment: Ry Cooder has been a favorite of mine since the early days. I bought this limited edition thang not knowing what to expect, but pretty sure that I'd like the music. Well, I decided to read the book first to frame the songs when I got to them. I got really wrapped up in the book and looked forward to reading a little bit of it each night, savoring the experience of time traveling back to the era described with its odd scenarios. After a week of reading after work, I almost forgot about the CD that came with the book. I was disappointed when the book ended, I wanted to read more, but then gave the CD a listen. It dovetailed nicely with the book and it now allows me to revisit the parts of the book in grittier detail and atmosphere. This is a cool combo. Definitely get the book/CD combo if you are a Cooder-head!

Comment: Ry Cooder at his best. All the best descriptives - creativity, sound, rock & roll at it's best, etc. Simply music at its best.