Completing The Trilogy

The final disk in the Californian trilogy that marked Ry Cooder's return to recording solo albums after such a lengthy gap goes by the somewhat gnomic title of I,Flathead. The theme this time seems to revolve around a fading drag racer and there are various automotive references but these tend to pass me by since I am no kind of petrol head. The sub title, the Songs of Kash Buk and the Clowns, is similarly impenetrable and the packaging is less lavish than on the two previous releases. All of this is of no consequence to the music of course and the disk contains a fine set of songs. The styles range through Tex Mex, western swing and country with a touch of early rock 'n' roll and pop thrown in and as on the two other disks in the trilogy there is a cocktail jazz track. I think that it is fairly clear now that there is to be no sentimental return to the slide guitar blues that marked the very early first stage of Cooder's career. The guitar here is strictly at the service of the songs, to complement and embellish but not to overwhelm. On the whole, the disk seems less angry and political than the other two with much sardonic humour. The pervading sense of melancholy for a passing age remains however, especially evident on two of the standout tracks which bookend the album, Drive Like I Never Been Hurt and the gently poignant 5000 Country Music Songs.