TS: Ry Cooder vs David Byrne

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

A comparison not on the strengths of their solo careers, but as archivists/enthusiasts of pan-global music.

As big a fan as I am of all the Buena Vista Social Club stuff, I can't help but find the idea of Ry Cooder (or any other self-posited musical cosmonaut) "sitting in" with a group of Genuine! Cuban! Musicians! a little off-putting, like white college kids in reggae hats. It also seems that Cooder is into it for personal reasons more than anything else, sitting there channelling this exotic music to improve and enhance his gift, flex a little muso muscle.

If Cooder is a student and teacher, David Byrne seems more of a clued-up older friend who mails you a decent mixtape every now and again. He seems much more of a fan, and consequently Luaka Bop's output can be of uhhhh, variable quality, though producing the inevitable gem (Os Mutantes re-releases, new Tom Ze, Shuggie Otis, Los De Abajo) on a regular basis.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 08:12 (twenty-two years ago)

ref Cooder on 'Sister Morphine' - maybe the Stones were 'cosmonauts' from England 'sitting in' with Genuine! American! Blues! Musicians? (TS - Cooder vs Marc 'cubano' Ribot)

― dave q, Monday, 28 April 2003 08:19 (twenty-two years ago)

hahaha! See also The Beatles & Ravi SHankar.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 08:38 (twenty-two years ago)

anyone see the Simpsons last night? David Byrne was on the lookout for strange indigenous folk music in Springfield and ended up producing Homer's song about hating Ned Flanders which Homer wrote only after he couldn't write a good christmas carol.And then the Simpsons when to a dude ranch to get away from the radio because they were so sick of hearing Homer's song (after they decided not to go to Walter Gropius's Bauhaus Village because of the long lines ).

― scott seward, Monday, 28 April 2003 10:21 (twenty-two years ago)

That sounds amazing!

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Did Ry Cooder do drugs?

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 12:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw the episode; I was disappointed they didn't do more with the Byrne character...he can be so genuinely kooky.

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 28 April 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Did Ry Cooder do drugs?

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Nordic, Ry Cooder hung out with the Rolling Stones. Infer what you will.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 28 April 2003 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, to address the original post re: Ry's sitting with Actual! Etc! Etc!, maybe he should rather be just churning shitty noodle-blues records?

Also, his new one, with Manuel Galban is pretty damn fine and slinky.
It's not like he takes over these dudes' careers. He cuts a few tracks with them and then moves on. Usually leaving the Actual! Poor! Musician! with a few more royalty cheques than before.

Byrne has released some Cooder stuff.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 28 April 2003 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Ry Cooder has done some wonderful colaborative work with Taj Mahal and Ali Farka Toure; he gets to do something I would like to eventually do...travel the world over and play music with people from different cultures and mix seemingly-unrelated global musical traditions in ways that are very respectful of those said traditions.

David Byrne - there's absolutely nothing about this man I don't like. He seems like he'd be a really great older brother.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 28 April 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

"And then the Simpsons when to a dude ranch to get away from the radio because they were so sick of hearing Homer's song (after they decided not to go to Walter Gropius's Bauhaus Village because of the long lines ). "

You left out that Byrne gets kidnapped by Moe, who then forces him to produce his version of that disco song: "Mo, mo, mo... how do you like me? Why don't you like me? Mo mo mo..." The episode was allright, but Byrne seemed kinda wasted.

I watched some of "Stop Making Sense" to make up for it, but then I got scared off by all the leg-warmers.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Monday, 28 April 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Also, his new one, with Manuel Galban is pretty damn fine and slinky.

Yeah, I quite like it too. I like the one that goes...dada...dada dada dada dada....doo doo doo, you know that one played cheesy velour-covered hotel bar bands the world over.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

he gets to do something I would like to eventually do...travel the world over and play music with people from different cultures and mix seemingly-unrelated global musical traditions in ways that are very respectful of those said traditions.

Start today, nick! Every bowl of soup begins with one little slurp...

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Every bowl of soup begins with one little slurp...
could this be the real reason behind Cooder's travels? International Cuisine?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 28 April 2003 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I've recorded with a Mexican immigrant, does that count?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 28 April 2003 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Hahahahaha! Make a movie about it, and it will.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 28 April 2003 17:29 (twenty-two years ago)

It's hard not to agree with pretty much everything above -- i will, however, add reference to another exemplary Cooder collaboration w/ VM Bhatt entitled A Meeting By The River.

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 28 April 2003 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.