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Ry Cooder’s artistic ambitions have always driven him to be an archivist of sorts, from his earliest days as a session player serving a wide array of A-list artists, to his initial solo efforts retracing the blues and on to his later forays into world music, including the groundbreaking collaboration with Cuban musicians that birthed the universally acclaimed album by the Buena Vista Social Club. More recently, Cooder’s musical explorations have veered closer to home while remaining no less eclectic. Consequently, I Flathead completes his so-called California trilogy that began with Chavez Ravine and My Name Is Buddy, an album cycle which spans the underlying influences that steered the state’s native sounds, from rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly to the feisty sounds emitted from its barrooms and barrios. Country still claims the most attention here – as evidenced in the titles “Johnny Cash” and “5000 Country Music Songs,” each of which references initial influences – but rock, ragtime and mariachi music also add to the mix. The deluxe edition adds a 96-page narrative that further underscores the premise (a group of guys racing in the salt flats and a fictional band of vintage variety) but whether the songs serve the story or vice versa is really no matter. An album driven by ambitious intents, I, Flathead is a new milestone on Cooder’s journey of rediscovery. (Nonesuch 2008)
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