Ry Cooder – Bop Till You Drop (1979)

A trip to Stamford, and a visit to a charity shop delivered the next three CDs, and change from a fiver. If I was trying to do this with vinyl, I'd be lucky to get change from a fifty, so I'm still happy with my decision a couple of decades ago to embrace this medium.

Ry Cooder is a name which conjures sufficient respect to ensure a purchase, so here's his 1979 release, an album of mostly covers.

This album is, apparently, the first ever recorded digitally by a major record company, so it's tempting to suspect it was a release of cover versions to test this new method. But it's certainly worth a listen, even if most of these rhythm 'n' blues and gospel songs wouldn't normally attract my attention.

They're all done with a solid band, tight as a drum, played and delivered to note perfection, and among the highlights are opener Little Sister (apparently a minor hit for Elvis Presley), the solid bluesy The Very Thing That Makes You Rich, and a couple of decent gospel tunes, Trouble, You Can't Fool Me and I Can't Win.

But probably the finest tracks are the Motown hit Don't Mess Up A Good Thing, a fantastic duet with Shaka Khan, and a guitar instrumental version of Ike and Tina Turner's I Think It's Going To Work Out Fine.

There's nothing new or groundbreaking about this album, but sometimes good songs done thoughtfully and well hit the spot. Not a great album, but certainly a very good listen for any occasion.

Link to album tracks

3* - Cooder's album of R&B covers is an enjoyable listen, without really over exciting.