Results for Ry Cooder
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Mavis Staples Livin' On a High Note
Mavis Staples had a legendary career with her family's gospel and soul band The Staple Singers, which was a major part of the protest movement of the 1960s and scored huge hits for Stax in the 1970s. Mavis reinvented herself as solo artist in 2000s, collaborating on records with Ry Cooder and Jeff Tweedy. For Livin' On a High Note, she and producer M. Ward as a producer asked a variety of contemporary songwriters to write material for her to sing, including Neko Case, Nick Cave, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, and Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. Jim loves how the best songs bring Mavis full circle by referencing on the Black Lives Matter movement. While the other songs are hit and miss, Mavis Staples is a“national treasure”and her voice is as powerful as ever. Jim is still waiting for her end career masterpiece, but this album is a definite Buy It. Greg – who literally wrote the book on Mavis Staples – points to We'll Never Turn Back as her masterpiece, but says this album is very good too. He loves what she does even with the lesser songs, like Vernon's generic love song, which she transforms into a moving address to her sister Yvonne Staples. In the middle of her 70s, Mavis Staples is doing some of the best work of her career.

Mavis Staples We'll Never Turn Back
Mavis Staples' new album, We'll Never Turn Back, is up next. Inspired by current racial violence and tension, the Staples Singers vocalist was joined by Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner, and members of The Freedom Singers to make an update of the civil rights music of the 1960s. This is a perfect fit for Mavis. Her father, Pops Staples, steered their family toward freedom songs, and eventually the Staples Singers became Martin Luther King, Jr.'s favorite group. The result is something that pays respect to the past, but is very relevant in the present. Jim gives the credit to Mavis. He thinks she is completely underrated and calls her a“national treasure.”He wishes that Mavis and the band were doing more shows in support of the album and gives it a Buy It. Greg goes even further by naming We'll Never Turn Back the best album of 2007 — and it's only May! He commands listeners to Buy It for themselves and everyone they know.
lists
Mixtapes
As 2018 comes to a close, Jim and Greg tackle the timeless art of making a mixtape featuring their favorite songs from the past year.
This year, Greg's mixtape is called "Undone", because of the sense of“collective anxiety”that keeps cropping up in popular music. Jim's mixtape was inspired by gentrification's impact on artists and their communities, particularly in our home base of Chicago.
Go to episode 683Thanksgiving Leftovers
With such a bounty of music in 2019, Jim and Greg didn‘t have enough time to talk about it all. That’s why they're sharing some of their musical Thanksgiving Leftovers this week.
Go to episode 731news
Music News
Jim and Greg have been predicting this shift on Sound Opinions for years, but according to a new study, by 2010 digital sales will have eclipsed physical sales. Right now 65% of music sales are still compact discs, but the trend is going down quickly. Plus most of the CDs are sold at big box stores like Walmart, Targetand Best Buy. Anyone who has shopped at those places recently knows that the selection is not always impressive.
Last week guitar legend Les Paul died at the age of 94. Paul was a guitar innovator, best known for developing multi-track recording. He and his wife Mary Ford had many hits, and Paul influenced the next generation's guitar greats like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. Beck, in particular, was very close with Paul. He was not only influenced by Paul's multi-tracking, but also his tone, which Greg explains was singing, sustained and steeped in melody. You can hear the influence in the 1968 track "Beck's Bolero."
Another obituary in the news is that of producer Jim Dickinson. His death hasn‘t gotten as much attention as Paul’s but Jim and Greg were very sad to hear of his passing. Dickinson recorded such artists as Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and Ry Cooder. He grew up in Chicago, but was really known as a Memphis producer. Jim and Greg both talked with Dickinson a number of times, and remember him as a great man and a living encyclopedia of music. To remember him they play Big Star's "Thank You Friends," which Dickinson produced in 1975.
Go to episode 195featured songs
Featured Songs
- Nick Lowe, I Love My Label, Jesus of Cool, Radar, 1978
- A Tribe Called Quest, Show Business (feat. Diamond D, Lord Jamar and Sadat X), The Low End Theory, Jive, 1991
- Graham Park and the Rumour, Mercury Poisoning, Squeezing Out Sparks, Arista, 1979
- Public Enemy, Caught, Can We Get a Witness, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Def Jam, 1988
- Aimee Mann, Nothing Is Good Enough, Magnolia, Warner Bros., 1999
- Patti Smith, So You Want To Be (A Rock ‘N’ Roll Star), Wave, Arista, 1979
- The Buggles, Video Killed The Radio Star, The Age of Plastic, Island, 1980
- John Fogerty, Vanz Kant Danz, Centerfield, Warner Bros., 1985
- Blackalicious, Deception, Nia, Mo' Wax, 1999
- Local H, Laminate Man, Pack Up the Cats, Island, 1998
- Sex Pistols, E.M.I., Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, Virgin, 1977
- Pink Floyd, Have a Cigar, Wish You Were Here, Harvest, 1975
- Antibalas, Sa-re-Kon Kon, Antibalas, Daptone, 2012
- Antibalas, Dirty Money, Antibalas, Daptone, 2012
- Fela Kuti and The Africa '70, Let's Start (feat. Ginger Baker), Live!, Signpost, 1971
- Fela Kuti, Water Get No Enemy (feat. Sahr Ngaujah & Saycon Sengbloh), FELA! (Original Broadway Cast Recording), Knitting Factory, 2010
- The Sway Machinery, Purity and Danger, Purity and Danger, 3rd Generation, 2015
- Mark Ronson, Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars), Uptown Special, RCA, 2015
- Jovanotti, Melagioco (feat. Antibalas), Lorenzo 2015 CC., Universal, 2015
- The Dap-Kings, Casella Walk (feat. Bosco Mann), Make It Good To Me (single), Daptone, 2002
- Antibalas, Indictment, Who Is This America?, Ropeadope, 2004
- Antibalas, Filibuster XXX, Security, ANTI-, 2007
- Antibalas, Gold Rush, Where the Gods Are in Peace, Daptone, 2017
- Antibalas, Gold Rush (Live on Sound Opinions), Where the Gods Are in Peace, Daptone, 2017
- Chris Montez, Call Me, Call Me (single), A&M, 1965
- Ry Cooder, Paris, Texas, Paris, Texas (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Warner Bros., 1985
- Mayssa Karaa, White Rabbit (Arabic Version), American Hustle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Sony Classical, 2013
- Jefferson Airplane, Embryonic Journey, Surrealistic Pillow, RCA, 1967
- Ritchie Havens, Follow, Mixed Bag, Verve, 1966
- Judy Collins, Who Knows Where the Time Goes, Who Knows Where the Time Goes, Elektra, 1968
- Lulu, To Sir With Love, To Sir With Love (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Fontana, 1967
Featured Songs
- Chaka Khan, Like Sugar, single, Diary, 2018
- The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, I Can See Everybody's Mother, Golden Gospel Classics, Sonorous, 2016
- Elvis Presley, Polk Salad Annie, On Stage, RCA Victor, 1970
- Tony Joe White, Willie and Laura Mae Jones, Black and White, RCA Victor, 1969
- Pantera, Domination, Cowboys From Hell, Atco, 1990
- The Cramps, Mama Oo Pow Pow, Stay Sick!, Enigma, 1990
- Elvis Presley, Hound Dog, single, RCA Victor, 1956
- James Brown, Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine, single, King, 1970
- Dessa, Fire Drills, Chime, Doomtree, 2018
- Madame Gandhi, Bad Habits (feat. Zach Witness), single, self-released, 2018
- Parquet Courts, Freebird II, Wide Awake!, Rough Trade, 2018
- Moses Sumney, Rank & File, single, Jagjaguwar, 2018
- MOTORCADE, Walk With Me, MOTORCADE, Idol, 2018
- Laura Jane Grace and the Devouring Mothers, I Hate Chicago, Bought To Rot, Bloodshot, 2018
- Chance The Rapper, The Man Who Has Everything, single, self-released, 2018
- Ry Cooder, Gentrification, The Prodigal Son, Fantasy, 2018
- HotLips Messiah, Let's Go Swimming at the Waste Treatment Plant, Disco Miscarriage, Richard M. Dolejs, 2018
- Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing, You're All I Need To Get By, Tamla, 1968
- PJ Morton, Go Thru Your Phone, Gumbo, Morton Records, 2017
- Car Seat Headrest, My Boy (Twin Fantasy), Twin Fantasy (Face to Face), Matador, 2018
- Devon Welsh, By the Daylight, Dream Songs, You Are Accepted, 2018
- Deathheaven, Honeycomb, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, ANTI-, 2018
- Jeff Tweedy, I Know What It's Like, WARM, dBpm Records, 2018 update three
Featured Songs
- Blackstreet, Fix (featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard and Slash), Another Level, Interscope, 1996
- Raphael Saadiq, Sinners Prayer, Jimmy Lee, Columbia, 2019
- Raphael Saadiq, So Ready, Jimmy Lee, Columbia, 2019
- Raphael Saadiq, Rearview (featuring Kendrick Lamar), Jimmy Lee, Columbia, 2019
- Raphael Saadiq, Rikers Island, Jimmy Lee, Columbia, 2019
- Mariah Carey, Fantasy (feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard), Daydream, Coulumbia, 1995
- Gorillaz, Clint Eastwood, Gorillaz, Parlophone, 2001
- Kool Thing, Sonic Youth, Goo, DGC, 1990
- Taylor Swift, Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar), Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar) (Single), Big Machine, 2015
- Chaka Khan, I Feel For You, I Feel For You, Warner Bros., 1984
- R.E.M., Radio Song (feat. KRS-One), Out of Time, Warner Bros., 1991
- Eurythmics, Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves, Be Yourself Tonight, RCA, 1985
- Estelle, American Boy (feat. Kanye West), Shine, Atlantic, 2008
- Genesis, The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Charisma, 1974
- Led Zeppelin, The Battle of Evermore, Led Zeppelin IV, Atlantic, 1971
- Lady Gaga, Telephone (feat. Beyoncé), The Fame Monster, Interscope, 2009
- Peter Laughner, Down At The Bar, Peter Laughner Box Set: Record Three: 1973 – 1977 (Pledging My Time), Smog Veil, 2019
- Whitney, Used to Be Lonely, Forever Turned Around, Secretly Canadian, 2019
- 2Pac, Whatz Ya Phone #, All Eyez on Me, Death Row, 1996
- Rupture, Israel Suite, Israel Suite / Dominante En Bleu, SOMMOR, 1973
- Rick Ross, Gold Roses (feat. Drake), Port of Miami 2, Epic, 2019
- Robert Johnson, Come On In My Kitchen, Come On In My Kitchen (Single), Vocalion, 1937
- Chris Thomas King, Come On In My Kitchen, Red Mud, Black Top, 1998
- Ry Cooder, Feelin' Bad Blues, Crossroads, Warner Bros., 1986