mail: daniel_fjall@hotmail.com
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troubadour
Troubadour J.J. Cale might be most well known for saving Eric Clapton’s commercial career. “Cocaine”, featured here, was included on Clapton’s Slowhand-album a year later and a huge hit, and “Travelin’ Light”, a highlight on EC's Reptile (2003), stands out in the hands of Cale as well. Clapton also covered a Cale song in 1970 for his solo debut, “After Midnight”. Whilst the two first songs certainly are memorable and arguably the best songs of the album, there are other fine moments too. What strikes me the most about this album, is how much Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler must have listened to Troubadour when recording their first couple of albums. One could easily mistake most of these songs for Dire Straits-outtakes. Whilst the album lacks strong melodies, it has its fair share of careful arrangements and a certain atmosphere to it that is instantly enjoyable. Especially in the more bluesy and slightly jazzy numbers such as “You Got Me On So Bad” and “Hold On”. A very solid album and not a single bad song on it. On the other hand, it rarely reaches any magical heights either, but there is something about it that breathes taste and class.
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