Okie (CD)

With his laconic voice, concise guitar playing, and subtly incisive songwriting, in the early 1970s J.J. Cale was the main architect of what would come to be known as the Tulsa sound, named for his Oklahoma hometown. Cale's laid-back mix of country, blues, and rock & roll was a huge influence on Eric Clapton, who had major hits with Cale songs. Everyone from British rockers Gomez to American jam band Widespread Panic pays homage to Cale's understated style, but it's best experienced on the humble legend's own solo releases, which unfortunately became more sporadic after the reclusive guitar guru went into semi-retirement.

• Category:  Music  »  Rock & Pop  »  General Rock & Pop
• Format: CD   Learn more about the CD format using Tower WIKI.
• Release Date: April 3, 1990
• Label: Mercury
• UPC: 042284210225
• WAPI (Tower ID): 106666104
• Average Customer Review: There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!
• Tower.com Sales Rank: #27414 in Music (See Top 100 Music Bestsellers)
• #9613 in Rock & Pop (See Top 100 Rock & Pop Bestsellers)
• #5998 in General Rock & Pop (See Top 100 General Rock & Pop Bestsellers)

Browse more products related to "Okie"

Browse more products related to "J.J. Cale"

Personnel: J.J. Cale (vocals, guitar); Mac Gayden, Reggie Young, Paul Davis, Grady Martin, Harold Bradley (guitar); Weldon Myrick (steel guitar); Billy Pruett (saxophone); George Tidwell (trumpet); Dennis Goode (trombone); Red Spivey, Jerry Smith, Pig Robbins (piano); Beegie Cruzer, Jerry Whitehurst (keyboards); Mike Leech, Tommy Cogbill, Tim Drummond, Joel Green (bass); Kenny Malone, Karl Himmel, Terry Perkins (drums); Farrell Morris (percussion).

Engineers include: Joe Mills, Rick Horton, Audie Ashworth.

Recorded in Tennessee in 1973.

Along with J.J. Cale's debut NATURALLY and his sophomore release REALLY, OKIE completely laid the groundwork for everything Cale was to do in the decades following its release. The songs are all sturdily built, lyrically succinct, utilize the barest minimum of chords, and are powered by infectious and slinky laid-back grooves. In lesser hands this approach could be indulgent or boring, but Cale is a master songsmith. The almost offhand ease of his music belies the high level of artistry involved.

The rhythmic foundation, with drummer Karl Himmel and bassist Joel Green, is the heart and center of the whole album, and consequentially there's a wonderfully unified feel here. This is a collection of beautiful minimalism--there's not an extraneous note or beat anywhere. Among the many memorable songs are the debuts of two Cale classics, "Crying," and "I Got the Same Old Blues."

There are no customer reviews yet. Be the first to write a review!

• Great Deals on CDs under $9.99

  New Releases, Bestsellers and Classic Albums all for under $10! Great Music for Everyone's Tastes!

• Great Deals on DVDs under $12.99

  New Releases, Bestsellers and Classic DVDs all for under $13! Great Movies, TV and DVD Specials for Everyone's Tastes!

• Great Deals on Books under $14.99

  New Releases, Bestsellers and Classic Books all for under $15! Great Reads for Everyone's Tastes!