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JJ Cale

The Road to Escondido - Reprise / Wea 2006

Tracks:1. Danger / 2. Heads In Georgia / 3. Missing Person / 4. When This War Is Over / 5. Sporting Life Blues / 6. Dead End Road / 7. It's Easy / 8. Hard To Thrill / 9. Anyway The Wind Blows / 10. Three Little Girls / 11. Don't Cry Sister / 12. Last Will And Testament / 13. Who Am I Telling You? / 14. Ride The River

Comments:

Generally this new album sounds a lot like a new J.J. Cale solo-album; though some tracks obviously bear the trade-mark of Eric Clapton's guitar. Cale wrote the majority of the material so this is really no big surprise. Vocally the two sound very much alike; on several tracks they sing in the unison and it seems that Clapton has tried to adapt to the style of Cale.

Musically it's Cale crossing over wellknown territory and there are no big surprises to be found on the album. But like on all Cale's albums some tracks do stand out among his mostly blues-riff based songs - on his best albums like "Grasshopper" many tracks stand out, but that's another story.

Here the opening track "Danger" with its infectious rhythm sets a fine mood from the start. An "After Midnight" type of song.

Though the following tracks all are well performed, they generally sound like something Cale has recorded before. Next track to make an impression is "It's So Easy" - classic Cale with a great guitar intro.

The only ( out of two ) Clapton's songs that stand out is the melodic and acoustic "Three Little Girls" - sounds a lot like a Cale song. Lyrically the song may be a little too sentimental for some to take; but I like it a lot.

A re-recording of the old "Don't Cry Sister" is another highlight and two fine tracks close the album - especially "Who am I Telling You" is a song likely to grow on you.

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