Close Of A Trilogy

Boomer's Story was Ry Cooder's third solo album, all released in quick succession in 1972 and arguably producing a Depression Era trilogy. This is the bluesiest of the three albums with interpretations of songs by Skip James and Sleepy John Estes, who also guests on one of his own tracks, John Kennedy. There's some fine slide and mandolin playing from Cooder, although he still holds back from guiter hero grandstanding and all the playing serves the song. There's an early indication of his affinity with latin music with a version of the standard Maria Elena, plus an instrumental version of Dark End Of The Street, a song he featured heavily in live shows with a full vocal performance and extended slide solo. His flair for choosing the unusual to interpret comes to the fore with the Civil War anthem Rally Round The Flag and the WW2 bomber crew song Comin' in on a Wing And a Prayer. Another interesting touch is the use of horns in a kind of early New Orleans style on several tracks. After these stylistically similar initial releases, there is a gradual progression in Cooder's solo style but certain core values remain throughout his output.