• Record Label: Nonesuch
  • Release Date: Mar 6, 2007
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 16
  2. Negative: 1 out of 16

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  1. Richard
    Mar 9, 2007
    10
    Pitch perfect Cooder with a story that needs retelling
  2. RainerS
    Mar 19, 2007
    10
    It's nice to see Ry Cooder return to the Purple Valley, albeit with a little less pizzazz. People denouncing Buddy as cutesy should take a refresher course in humor and remember that it never hurts to put your tongue in your cheek once in a while (mind you, not all the time). And if you still think it's that bad, you can always tune out the lyrics. The music can hold its own any day.
  3. JasonK
    Mar 26, 2007
    9
    Wonderful imagery, but requires multiple listens. This album has really grown on me unlike anything recently. Just the first cut is worth owning the album for, but after 10 listens I prefer to hear the whole darn thing. The artwork is stunning as well...hope they put out a vinyl version with larger prints. Unique, charming, full of humor, topical and great for driving. I really love this Wonderful imagery, but requires multiple listens. This album has really grown on me unlike anything recently. Just the first cut is worth owning the album for, but after 10 listens I prefer to hear the whole darn thing. The artwork is stunning as well...hope they put out a vinyl version with larger prints. Unique, charming, full of humor, topical and great for driving. I really love this album. Thanks Ry! Expand
  4. ALBERTH
    Mar 11, 2007
    10
    Cartoon perfect.
  5. peterh
    Mar 12, 2007
    10
    Fantastic record it´s been a long wait
  6. MickT
    Mar 28, 2007
    8
    This is a great album because it is a vision brought to life, and done so with great skill and care for the nuances in music..tone and space and melody. This album captures the essence of Ry Cooder, but is not like other Ry albums. This is more like a story-scape. It's refreshing to hear an artist make a statement they want to and not pander to what they have done, or what people This is a great album because it is a vision brought to life, and done so with great skill and care for the nuances in music..tone and space and melody. This album captures the essence of Ry Cooder, but is not like other Ry albums. This is more like a story-scape. It's refreshing to hear an artist make a statement they want to and not pander to what they have done, or what people expect them to do. This is querky, skillfull and soulful...Ry Cooder. Yes, selfishly I would like to see more songs like Sundown Town and 3 Chords and the truth, but he gives me something else..he lets us into his imagination and view of contemporary music. Expand
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 16
  2. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. It adds up to a light-hearted, sometimes poignant elegy for the American working man and his music.
  2. Musically, Cooder employs the pitch-perfect instrumentation that he's famous for.
  3. Although serious themes are threaded throughout, it's light compared with Cooder's last work, the "Chavez Ravine" account of cultural displacement, politics and baseball. Maybe for that very reason, this is a better listen.