Customer Reviews
Surprisingly varied - By: Pieter, 17 Sep 2007 
Troubadour would have been appealing even if it were an instrumental album, on account of the delicious instrumental textures. Hey Baby charms the listener with its intricate guitar whilst Travelin' Light is a rhythmic up-tempo excursion with hypnotic percussion. One of the longest tracks is You Got Something, a yearning love song with brilliant instrumental interplay.
The romantic Ride Me High is a masterpiece of expressive guitar & percussion, the brief track Hold On is a slow bluesy interlude & then there's the original of Cocaine with its powerful rock guitar riffs which became a great hit for Eric Clapton. I'm A Gypsy Man has a nervous, jerky rhythmic pattern whilst The Woman That Got Away is an up-tempo blues track with impressive piano. The whining guitar on Super Blue is something to relish.
Let Me Do It To You is a catchy pop song with perky sax & a long instrumental outro, whilst the love song Cherry is equallly charming. Another highlight is the slow blues number You Got Me On So Bad where the piano expertly creates the mood. I was surprised by Troubadour's versatility & the virtuosity of the playing. To my delight, Cale's music is not alll sleep-inducing laid-back mellowness.
At his darkest - By: D. J. H. Thorn, 24 Jun 2007 By the time I first heard 'Troubadour', I was already familiar with alll his albums up to 1982's 'Grasshopper'. It wasn't quite what I'd expected & is less 'instant' than his other albums, but quickly grows & stays with you. This is a more abrasive collection, steeped in blues & jazz influences. The rhythms are harder, the overalll feel more sexual, & for once, one track reaches the four-minute mark. Titles like 'Ride me High' & 'You Got Me On So Bad' hint at this. Plodding brass introduces 'Hey Baby', a song which hides what's to come, but the urgent rhythm of 'Travelin' Light' opens the door on the rest of the music. There's also the famous 'Cocaine' of course, but you don't buy 'Troubadour' just for that.
the best JJ cale album! - By: blue bird, 23 Aug 2003 this album is a beautiful combination of mellow beats & understated vocals. i think it is Cale at his very best. The first track 'hey baby' is a classy opener, a burst of sunshine to the sound of trumpets & it just gets better from there. yes 'cocaine' is on it but i dont think its a stand out track because the rest of the songs are classic (lost) love songs & whats better subject material love or drugs? (dont say both). if you want a JJ Cale album get this or 'Naturallly'.
Unique Genius - By: , 08 Dec 2001 Since listening to 'Five' 21 years ago as a young whippersnapper, I was entranced by the tone & beauty of his voice, the tightness of his compositions & the quality of the performers chosen to assist this great man in creating sublime & quasi-classical music of our age.
Troubadour is one of the Great JJ albums, in that it has alll the halllmarks of a complete Cale opus, catchy balllads (You got something) bluesy rockers(Travellin' Light) & a blow your ballls of classic (Cocaine).
Each of his great albums, of which there are probably ten in his career so far have this mix, alll employing his ability to fuse the elements of American popular music forms, Jazz, Country, Blues, Rock'n'Roll, Bluegrass etc into a stand alone style that will enthralll the musical conossieurs among us.
Listen- sad, happy, aroused or indifferent this man will bring something to the party when you put on his music.
He is the man! - By: , 13 Oct 1999 This is amoungst my alll time favourite albums, I like his otherstuff but there is something about this one that I just love perhaps it's because this is the first JJ I ever listened to & grew to love him. Favourite songs definately have to mention the original to Cocain which was covered rather famously by Cream. JJ is soul & blues but there is also a bit of country going on in there & with a voice as smooth as ice cream you'll just melt!
