Ry Cooder has always believed in the "mutuality in music," and this may be no more evident in his career than with his fifth album,
Chicken Skin Music (a Hawaiian colloquialism, synonymous with goosebumps). Even more than usual,
Cooder refuses to recognize borders -- geographical or musical -- presenting
"Stand By Me" as a
gospel song with a
norteno arrangement, or giving the
Jim Reeves country-pop classic,
"He'll Have to Go," a
bolero rhythm, featuring the interplay of
Flaco Jimenez's accordion and
Pat Rizzo's alto sax. Elsewhere, he teams with a pair of Hawaiian greats -- steel guitarist and singer
Gabby Pahinui and slack key guitar master
Atta Isaacs -- on the
Hank Snow hit
"Yellow Roses" and the beautiful instrumental
"Chloe." If
Cooder's approach to the music is stylistically diverse, his choice of material certainly follows suit. Bookended by a couple of
Leadbelly compositions,
Chicken Skin Music sports a collection of songs ranging from the aforementioned tracks to the charming old
minstrel/medicine show number
"I Got Mine" and the syncopated
R&B of
"Smack Dab in the Middle." Also included is
Appalachian songwriter
Blind Alfred Reed's
"Always Lift Him Up," complete with a Hawaiian
gospel tune,
"Kanaka Wai Wai," woven into the instrumental section. As he explains in the album's liner notes,
Cooder understands the connection between these seemingly disparate styles. This is not merely eclecticism for its own sake.
Chicken Skin Music is probably
Ry Cooder's most eccentric record since his first, but it's also one of his most entertaining. ~ Brett Hartenbach
