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Reprise K44142
Ry CooderInto The Purple Valley
Tracks:
How Can You Keep Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)
Billy The Kid
Money Honey
F.D.R. In Trinidad
Teardrops Will Fall
Denomination Blues
On A Monday
Hey Porter
Great Dream From Heaven
Taxes On The Farmer Feeds Us All
Vigilante Man
Produced by : Lenny Waronker and Jim Dickinson
Cover Notes
With an emphasis on eclecticism, intricate syncopations and dazzling slide guitar and mandolin work, Ry Cooder's Into The Purple Valley remains one of the artist's most intriguing and influential albums. While the LP's tune stack ranges from the charming calypso strains of "F.D.R. In Trinidad" to a dark-hued version of Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man", Into The Purple Valley also highlights little known songs of the Dust Bowl era, rediscovered and reworked by Cooder with distinctive and authentic musical touches.
A virtuoso on virtually every string instrument - from Mexican tiple to Middle Eastern saz to Hawaiian 'slack key' guitar - Ry Cooder began his music career in the early '60s as part of the burgeoning Los Angeles folk scene. In 1966 he formed the Rising Sons with Taj Mahal, going on to record on debut albums by Captain Beefheart and Little Feat.
A legendary session musician, Cooder played with a wide range of artists, from Randy Newman to Crazy Horse to the Rolling Stones. He made notable contributions on the latter's 1969 release, Let It Bleed, providing the central riff to the group's smash hit "Honky Tonk Woman" in the process.
1969 was also the year Cooder landed a solo recording contract with Reprise Records. His debut album, Ry Cooder (1970), showcased his trademark slide guitar and encyclopedic musical influences. Ry Cooder was followed, in late 1972, with Into The Purple Valley.
Produced by Lenny Waronker and Jim Dickinson, Into The Purple Valley takes its theme from the epic journey of Dust Bowl farmers west to California. Evoking an almost forgotten period of American history with such songs as "How Can You Keep Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)", "Taxes On The Farmer Feeds Us All" and "Vigilante Man", the LP established Cooder's credentials as both a respected musicologist and richly talented artist. Other standout cuts on Into The Purple Valley include Johnny Cash's "Hey Porter", Leadbelly's "On A Monday" and a definitive reworking of the standard "Billy The Kid" featuring Cooder's unparalleled mandolin playing.
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