CD-Charts Position 1
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Naturally

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date October 07, 1987
"Naturally" by J J Cale - an album that compells you to nod your head and utter the words "Hell, yeah."

Make no mistake, this album is seriously cool - a short collection of perfectly executed tunes. The tunes bop and swagger along, underpinned by tantalising guitar licks, awesome boogie-woogie piano, cheeky drum beats and Cale's laconic vocal drawl.

"After Midnight" is a cracker - a bluesy piano riff, off-beat rhythms and a sassy vocal from Mr Cale. "Nowhere To Run" is beautiful muted funk, with choppy piano, a honeyed vocal line and a solid gold horn section. Both of these tunes are perfect examples of the laid back vibe that permeates this consistently great album.

"Naturally" is as welcome and as easily ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 2
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Troubadour

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date March 16, 1987
Troubadour would have been appealing even if it were an instrumental album, on account of the delicious instrumental textures. Hey Baby charms the listener with its intricate guitar whilst Travelin' Light is a rhythmic up-tempo excursion with hypnotic percussion. One of the longest tracks is You Got Something, a yearning love song with brilliant instrumental interplay.

The romantic Ride Me High is a masterpiece of expressive guitar and percussion, the brief track Hold On is a slow bluesy interlude and then there's the original of Cocaine with its powerful rock guitar riffs which became a great hit for Eric Clapton. I'm A Gypsy Man has a nervous, jerky rhythmic pattern whilst The Woman That Got Away is an up-tempo blues track with impressive ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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Okie

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date May 02, 1990
Possibly the definitive Cale album, though there are other contenders, 'Okie' sees him running through a varied range of approaches without putting a foot wrong. 'Crying' and 'Cajun Moon' are intense and brooding; 'I'll Be There' and 'Everlovin' Woman' are bright and jaunty; 'Anyway The Wind Blows' is earthy, hypnotic; 'Rock And Roll Records' is an outstanding, mid-paced number; 'Precious Memories' is a beer crate singalong country item. 'I Got The Same Old Blues' is the climax that speaks for itself. Like most of Cale's alums, 'Okie' weighs in at a little over half an hour, but its intimacy wastes nothing.

CD-Charts Position 4
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Anyway The Wind Blows

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date June 02, 1997
A masterpiece as it has the capacity to satisfy many types of listener:

JJ Cale fans will enjoy the breadth of material

Casual fans will enjoy the consistent high quality of music

Newcomers are bound to be swayed by the fact that the music shows the influence or roots of many a popular artist's set - Dire Straits, Steely Dan, Clapton.

What talent!

CD-Charts Position 5
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5

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date December 03, 2007
This is a great album, my favourite. Let's Go to Tahiti, Friday,Thirteen Days, Don't Cry Sister, Sensitive Kind. This was made for CD, 15 years to early. Okay I like JJ,but this to me is the peak. And Eric Clapton hasn't covered a single track of this!

CD-Charts Position 6
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Really

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date February 20, 2003
Compared to his famous first album 'Naturally", this album is much more coherent in style; which is more sparse, more soulful. The intimacy of the first is allopver the place; the songs are less minitures of guitarplaying, and more structured.

For those who haven't heard of the great man; his guitar playing influenced Mark Knopfler (heavily) and Eric Calption (although he denies it now). JJ Cale humsings & his songs are Americana avant-la-lettre; a mixture of Country & Blues,with a dash of Folk, Jazz and Soul, without becoming too 'arty'or intellectual, firmly bedded in the great pool of American musisc

CD-Charts Position 7
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Rewind

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date October 08, 2007
A disappointing selection of 2nd rate songs & performances; it should have remained in the outakes bin. And here I was, a JJ believer hoping to discover more of his great music - ah well, back to "Guitar Man" I guess !!

CD-Charts Position 8
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Grasshopper

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date July 19, 1989
Grasshopper finds JJ moving into a slightly different phase, it still has all the mellow traits of the previous albums but stylisticly it ranges from his usual laid back style " City Girls " to raw rock tunes "One step ahead of the blues" and also the soulful ballad "You keep me hanging on ". A solid record through and through, highly recommended listening.

CD-Charts Position 9
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The Very Best of J.J. Cale

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date October 01, 1999
In the early days John played a gig at the infamous whiskey ago go club in L.A At the time a band called the velvet underground where also playing a gig there...it so happens that the bass player of the velvet undergrounds name is also John Cale, so the club owner said to John I am going to call you JJ Cale to prevent confusion, John replied, if your gona pay me to play you can call me what ever you want.... That is how the JJ came into existence...

Enough history, this man is the king of the laid back groove...buy buy buy

CD-Charts Position 10
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Guitar Man

by: J.J. Cale

Release Date May 07, 1996
Judging by the lack of other reviews I'm in a minority in thinking this is one of late period Cale's better efforts. From the stoned humour of Days Go By to the urban paranoia of This Town there's plenty of good music to get excited about. Try Death in the Wilderness for the arrangement and guitar playing for starters or Lowdown for some typical Cale style relaxed shuffle. This is as near as it gets to a Cale solo album. While it won't win many new converts it's a good answer to those who say he's just been repeating himself for the past thirty odd years.