The news of the sudden death JJCales last year has shocked many fans and admirers, as well as me. The tough appearing sloth, which did not include 15 albums in more than 40 years of career, did not look like someone who assigns 74 years.
What you loved about Cale, besides the brilliant written songs was his sound, so be understated-affected Genuschel whose range stretched rarely more than half an octave, almost inaudibly weggemixt amidst a stoic and ostinato by pounding band.
So at any rate most of his known numbers, and if he had also discover many beautiful colors upon closer listening, he remained this gritzegrauen sound but over the years faithfully.
In the studio, he loved it as soon as it was technically possible to play all the possible instruments, and therefore then comes this outrageous permeability of all his recordings. But he was already also a tinkerer who loved his keyboards, Harmonizer and drum machine, but could play, especially a wonderful guitar, always improvised, never particularly exciting, but always full of beautiful ideas, although it if you watched him live, always looked like he just stand around and wait so that the coffee was pulled through.
He likes to drive the live transmission on the top and unified the songs even more, so that they are often realized only at the text, because of how the other sound. This is only the impression of superficial listening. Taking the time to listen closely, a whole world opens up.
I discovered Cale for me when I long to train his three albums from the 90s heard ("Ten", "Closer To You" and "Guitar Man"), while listening to his breathing. Yes! The panels are so well produced that the voice is not heard at first hearing, but: You can hear the man breathe! Suddenly I realized what it is for a good singer too, with all limitations of voice.
Fort has lived Cales music in guitar playing of Mark Knopfler, who comes to him vocally very close, and in countless covers, especially those on Eric Clapton, including "Cocaine" and "After Midnight," which also belong to Clapton's biggest hits and consequently the presented CD missing the same times.
Eric Clapton's conception of a good cover pressed - here based on Cale, but verifiable countless his cover shoot - significantly already in "Cocaine" from: The song will be re-enacted the original as possible. In "Cocaine", he replaced at least still Cales aimless guitar bustle by a crisp own solo.
But the direction he struck at that time, he has maintained. "From The Cradle" is only so long a great blues album, as you do not know the originals. For he adds the songs as a performer nothing personal comment, be it from over the greatest respect, it is for any other reason.
About Clearly you could hear this Anverwandlungsfähigkeit in 2006 on the captured together with Cale album "The Road to Escondido" (Cales penultimate): It was even at very precise listening difficult to specify who sings straight from the two because it sounds invariably everything after JJCale. The guitars are easier to distinguish than the voices. Apart from the fact that the work is likely to have some fun with Cale also prepares Clapton, Clapton has to end his career certainly shown him thus a great service, because many people who bought the CD because Clapton, were equal to a whole load Cale on the ears. A great Cale album!
In the same proven way Clapton is now closer to his new project, only without Cale. But with well-known friends. The very fundamentalist principle is: The musical text is sacred, the arrangements of the Master's are also, for they are of him.
So much so that even the terrible old organ drum machine, which can be heard at the beginning of Cale "Call Me The Breeze" is to listen, together with relaxing background chatter of the musicians on this CD again. And right at the beginning, so that everyone knows immediately where to go. Therefore, the known transmittance of Cale sounds a little strained at Clapton and his friends.
The principle of sanctity of Caleschen arrangements are subordinate to all, even if they are friends with quite very own careers and distinctive voices. But Tom Petty can only sound like Tom Petty, and Willie Nelson is too much to have, Willie Nelson is necessary to imitate anyone. The recordings of these two musicians then fall fairly well from the grid (whether positive or negative, depends on one's own idea of a successful cover off), all the other assets in almost admirable way to bow Clapton's dictation.
It opens up to Cales surprisingly strong impression on the assembled musicians two. First, Mark Knopfler is a clone of JJCale. Man is always suspected, but only when Knopfler actually Cale sings, one is the truth in mind that Knopfler JJ Cale is guitaristic and vocally incredibly close. By the way, you can hear here the best images of the past decade by Knopfler.
Second: Eric Clapton is a grand master of imitation, and he manages to leave his friends sound as if they were also of Use. It is simply astonishing over the entire length of the CD, just like as the originals are copied. That does not sound bad. Only: It adds the friend added nothing. And the known is the original artist in a very good quality acquirable, the present CD so musically redundant.
It's just about the gesture. Or maybe, you would hope not, is it really a hundred years so that no more shots of JJCale knows. Then someone, the present CD from his Claptonsammlung containing yes next to the already mentioned "From The Cradle" more Museum recordings, eg digging "Me and Mr. Johnson," puts it on and gets: So who has sounded!
But of course he has not sounded exactly all kopistischen virtuosity defiance. This is not because Clapton and his friends, which is the essence of rock music, who lives in the moment and also the tiny flubs. All attempts to enact anything sound like cheap knock-offs. It went even Roy Orbison when he as at that time with grown new voice took up almost 30 years ago, no longer young singer his old hits in the then brand new digital format. Sure, the recordings sound good, he sings like a god, but: It sounds hard. The same is true, albeit to a lesser manner, for the present CD.
More convinced it would me when Clapton had their own versions of the beloved songs made or at least allowed his friends. That he himself draufhat it, he has with his 1991 remake of "Layla" proved that has almost nothing to do with his own great stock and precisely for this reason is gigantic.
This CD is, to sum it up, very well audible, well played and well produced, but you learn while listening to Clapton neither know nor his friends, but you learn how to go Cales songs. And if you're not totally Clapton-fixed, you get the originals of Cale. You are worthy to be heard, and they are permeable and with more heat than those put forward intently permeable Museum admission.
Addendum: I have now read it in some of my colleagues here Rezis what I had at first on my old system will push: The mix is too loud. This occasionally leads to distortions.
Second Addendum: There are two or three songs on the CD, of which no shots from the Master are even available. Completists therefore have to buy this CD yet.
