The Slide Area

by Ry Cooder

Overview

This CD opens with an outrageous and exceedingly funky "UFO Has Landed in the Ghetto," and which seems so out of place with the other material. Yes, it is a rhythm & blues, bordering at times on funk album, and rap is one direction R&B took, but.... Listen to the groove on "Which Came First," and try to keep your body from bobbing to the strong rhythm laid down by Jim Keltner, Tim Drummond, and the background vocalists. While we are on the subject of vocals, this is one of Ry Cooder's best efforts, and his backup vocalists are key here and deserve special recognition: Bobby King, John Hiatt, Willie Greene, and Herman Johnson for most of the CD. The two gems on this are the phenomenal treatments of both "Blue Suede Shoes" and Bob Dylan's "I Need a Woman." Two songs as different in the original forms as pigs and gerbils are converted to R&B hit status. Both contain some memorable slide guitar work, but isn't that what we expect from this master of the guitar family. The album is very good but those two songs make it a gem. ~ Bob Gottlieb

Product Details

Release Date:	10/25/1990
Label:	Warner Bros. / Reprise
UPC:	0075992365123
Rank:	61278

Tracks

1. UFO Has Landed in the Ghetto
2. I Need a Woman
3. Gypsy Woman
4. Blue Suede Shoes
5. Mama, Don't Treat Your Daughter Mean
6. I'm Drinking Again
7. Which Came First
8. That's the Way Love Turned Out for Me

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ry Cooder   Primary Artist,Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Mandolin
Chuck Rainey   Bass
Rob Baker   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Jorge Calderon   Bass
Nick DeCaro   Strings
Jim Dickinson   Organ,Piano,Keyboards,Piano (Electric)
Reggie McBride   Bass
Tim Drummond   Bass
Bobby King   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
John Hiatt   Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Jim Keltner   Drums,Vocals,Percussion
Kazu Matsui   Percussion,Shakuhachi
Herman E. Johnson   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
William D. "Smitty" Smith   Vocals,Keyboards
George McFadden   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
William "Bill" Greene   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
George Pierre   Percussion
Ras Baboo Pierre   Percussion

Technical Credits

Dave "Jam" Hall   Composer
Bob Dylan   Composer
Curtis Mayfield   Composer
Ry Cooder   Composer,Producer
Mark Linett   Engineer
Jim Dickinson   Producer
Quinton Claunch   Composer
Carl Perkins   Composer
David Hall   Composer
Jim Keltner   Composer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Allen Sides   Engineer