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Ry Cooder.... any fans out there?

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Author	Topic: Ry Cooder.... any fans out there?

Jeron Standard Userer	Just curious on how many fans there are of Ry Cooder's work. I personally am not a big fan (at all), but who knows... Oh well, just wondering. Jeron
posted 03-05-2000 04:43 PM PT (US)

robin4 Standard Userer	I had post a question at my Elmer Bernstein posting asking about any of his work besides Geronimo. I like it but do not know any other.
posted 03-05-2000 07:29 PM PT (US)

H Rocco Standard Userer	I love Ry Cooder's work. I haven't heard many of his song albums, but have most of his film scores, which just knock me out, although I know they don't appeal to most Board members. I really think PARIS, TEXAS is one of the finest film scores of the 1980s, and he did great work as well for SOUTHERN COMFORT, STREETS OF FIRE, TRESPASS and so on (the majority of his works have been for director Walter Hill, who's thrown out at least two scores -- James Horner's STREETS OF FIRE and Elmer Bernstein's LAST MAN STANDING -- in favor of Cooder -- and I've heard he came close to doing the same thing with Jerry Goldsmith's EXTREME PREJUDICE. On that picture, Cooder did produce the source music, so it wasn't a question of his being unavailable. Goldsmith actually gave up a two month vacation to do that picture! I don't know why Hill doesn't just always ask for Cooder in the first place -- only Cooder and, sometimes, Horner, seem to make him happy.) NP: coincidentally, James Horner Suites & Themes (bootleg) -- "Cutting Cards," his TALES FROM THE CRYPT episode, just started -- directed by Walter Hill. Obviously they patched things up after Hill dropped Horner's STREETS OF FIRE (they did at least three more projects together after that). There is a website someplace that tells the charming story of how Cooder and his usual partners, Jim Keltner and Jim Dickinson, collaborated on the gorgeous song "Across the Borderline" for the movie THE BORDER. I haven't seen the place in years, so am not sure if it's still around; you might try the Links at the IMDb.
posted 03-05-2000 10:47 PM PT (US)

Nicolai P. Zwar Standard Userer	Ry Cooder is a really great chap, a fine slide guitar player, a cool soloist, a great album producer, and a guitar performer just about anybody likes to have in his lineup. He has written some fine film scores -- I especially like his score for "The Border", a superbly scored movie, and "Last Man Standing" -- but his music has a very distinct and unique sound to it (he is not a classically trained composer), and while he can write a great "Paris, Texas", and perform admirably self restrained yet distinct on "Buena Vista Social Club", he would obviously not be a first choice to score "Ben Hur". Anyway, there are some fine Ry Cooder albums out there beyond the realm of film scores, "Letters From Timbuktu" for example. NP: Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 3, op. 18 Alban Berb Quartett (EMI) [This message has been edited by Nicolai P. Zwar (edited 06 March 2000).]
posted 03-06-2000 10:34 AM PT (US)

Jeron Standard Userer	Well, my main reason for this post is this: I recently purchased a cd titled: Music by Ry Cooder. I did this out of good faith by a friend's recommendation... and well, I'm not too keen on it. Go figure. This is a 2-cd set in mint condition - apparently an official anthology put together by the artist himself and contains alot of music from his various projects. Would one of you be interested in it? Right now, it's really doing me no good... and I'd much rather someone have it who can enjoy Cooder's work. Thanks! E-mail me if you're interested. Jeron
posted 03-06-2000 11:19 AM PT (US)

Dr.Evil unregistered	Yes! Now I'm able to post that old (and good) phrase again: Ry Cooder sucks! He is a nice (no more than this) guitar player, but as composer...gee...
posted 03-06-2000 11:42 AM PT (US)

Jeron Standard Userer	Come on now, Dr. Evil. Do we need to slap your wrist? Bad boy. You know better than to make a comment like that without explaining yourself better. Come on now, let's go for a more elaborative approach. Jeron
posted 03-06-2000 02:47 PM PT (US)

Luscious Lazlo Standard Userer	Greetings from the Oral Roberts University record library in fabulous Tulsa, Oklahoma. Where I just heard The Long Riders. I'm just nuts about a Cooder-arranged folk tune called "Seneca Square Dance". It's both fast & sweet, which is a combination that I'm partial to. On "Seneca", Ry played an instrument called a BAJO SEXTO. Ry also played a SAMIZEN and a SAZ in "Rally Round The Flag". And what the hell is the CHUMBUS that David Lindley played in "Escape From Northfield"? Lindley also played a TAMBOURA in "Northfield". (Presumably borrowed from Ravi Shankar.) And how did they get that SINGING BANJO to sing like that? Ry also played a SAZ in "Better Things To Think About". It has a sharp metallic timbre which makes it sound like a 12-string guitar. Tom Sauber played a MANDOLA in "Cole Younger Polka". David Lindley messed around with something called a BANJO MANDOLIN. I assume that it's a tiny banjo.
posted 03-06-2000 03:58 PM PT (US)

Dr.Evil unregistered	Ok, Jeron, you win!! But the answer will be simple: I really don't like his compositions as film music composer, is not what he does best. You can say that "oh, but his tunes fits well in a Paris Texas kind-a movie", but I found ihis music silly, with nothing to say, musak. And believe, being a drummer, I know lots of guitar players, and no, movies are not their place.
posted 03-06-2000 05:29 PM PT (US)

Jeron Standard Userer	See, I knew you could validate yourself! Good job. I'm proud of you.
posted 03-06-2000 06:06 PM PT (US)

Dr.Evil unregistered	Oh, thank you, Jeron!!! How nice! But what's wrong with my first post anyway? It's the truth!
posted 03-06-2000 06:11 PM PT (US)

H Rocco Standard Userer	NO IT ISN'T! Good Lord, where did you GET your doctorate in Evil? It sure rubbed off! (heh, I'd like to go study there myself, although I think I'd prefer to specialize in Subtle Wickedness) NP: THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS (Jerry somebody -- I keep asking if he's done anything else and no one tells me)
posted 03-06-2000 10:36 PM PT (US)

Nicolai P. Zwar Standard Userer	Guitar players should not compose film scores? That's a rather narrow minded attitude I would say. There are so many diverse type of movies, ranging from "Ben Hur" to "Easy Rider, from "Star Wars" to "The Bicycle Thief", from "Citizen Kane" to "Heavy Metal", why should a guitar player not fit in at times? There are symphonic film scores, jazz film scores, pop film scores, rock film scores, folk film scores... Not to mention that Pat Metheny wrote excellent music for John Schlesinger's "The Falcon and the Snowman".
posted 03-07-2000 01:46 AM PT (US)

Dr.Evil unregistered	No, Nicolai, guitar players are not allowed to compose film scores, and pat metheny, ahahah, he a good jazz player, yes, but also, nothing more than this. No problems if you like it, but I will not call you stupid or close mind, whatever. Maybe you like Trevor Rabin too. On his old band(Yes, for all closed minds) he was damn good, but for films...yack.
posted 03-07-2000 06:03 AM PT (US)

Thor Standard Userer	As much as I hate it, I actually have to agree with the Zimmer/Elfman-bashing Rogerio aka Dr. Evil on this one. As I've said numerous times, there are the SUCCESSFUL "rock artists-turned-film composers" (Elfman, Copeland, Mothersbaugh, Zimmer, Fenton etc.) - these all have a talent for the medium called film music, in that they know how to compose dramatic music with a narrative twist. Then there are the UNSUCCESSFUL transitions of the same group (Cooder, Grusin, Knopfler, to a certain extent Randy Newman etc.) who might be good musicians and rock/jazz/pop composers, but who absolutely do not have the insight into what is deemed essential as a film composer - adaptability! Sure, some of Cooder's scores might be a good listen, but it's usually only Cooder substituting the studio album session with a film score session - it's the same music transferred to a different medium. In my opinion, this simply doesn't work, and that's one of the reasons why I shy away from his scores. But I'm ALWAYS open to a possible change-of-heart, if anyone cares to direct me to a score of his that disapproves my theory (and YES, I HAVE heard GERONIMO - lightweight orchestral stuff that didn't seem like it was too comfortable in Cooder's hands...).
posted 03-07-2000 07:43 AM PT (US)

Dr.Evil unregistered	Well, thank you, Thor, sure was very hard agree with me! But you're wrong about the " bashing" issu. I only "bash" baad scores and composers, of course Zimmer, but not always Elfman, who have some good efforts after all. But don't be happy, just a few!!
posted 03-07-2000 01:28 PM PT (US)

Andre Lux unregistered	I must admit one thing now: it's not hard to agree with Doutor Evil and Young Thor on this one. Indeed, most guitar players (and pop artists) turned movie music composer sucks big time. Don't believe me? Just listen to "Ladyhawke", "Batman" or "Armageedum". Bleargh...!!
posted 03-07-2000 01:50 PM PT (US)

justin boggan Standard Userer	Does anyone know if he actually did a score (besides source music) Extreme Prejudice? Always an attempt to add to my list, Rejected Scores
posted 04-24-2004 11:11 PM PT (US)

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