J.J. Cale - Travel-Log (1989)

Cale's first album in six years finds him taking a more aggressive stance in terms of tempos and playing, although he remains a man with a profound sense of the groove and, especially as a singer, a minimalist. But as he says, "Shuffle or die."
When “TRAVEL LOG” appeared in 1989, it marked the end of the longest gap in J.J. Cale's recording career. While the songs are still relentlessly groove-driven, the album evidences a broadening of his approach in terms of production and arrangements. Some of the rhythms are layered with greater complexity and as always, Cale plays with some of the best-suited musicians available.
The talents of drummer Jim Keltner, guitarist James Burton, keyboardist Spooner Oldham, and bass player Tim Drummond, among others, contribute to the greatness of “TRAVEL LOG”. The album also boasts a great variety of musical genre explorations. From the dense "Shanghaid" to the spare and shuffling "Lady Luck," this is J.J. Cale painting his same basic songs with the broadest brush he could find.
If you listen to interviews, you'll see that JJ has grabbed what technology has allowed him to record directly himself, but retained much of his original songwriting approach, born in the age where you had to be under 3 minutes just to "get on wax".
On this album, you feel him stretch out a bit, though it's all JJ. Shanghaid and New Orleans have a bigger, more produced sound, while Lady Luck and End Of The Line have an intimate, almost casual sound that is really a breakthrough for JJ, whose best can often sound a bit distant. His guitar sound bounces around among the sounds of resonator, Stratocaster, and acoustic guitar.
Tijuana is a high point for me, full of Latin atmosphere and his laid back wit, nimble acoustic plucking and electric bell tones.
The album's title is apt, for Cale had clearly been taking in more than Oklahoma in the half-dozen years he'd been away from the studio.

Track listing

01.  "Shanghaid"  (Audie Ashworth, J.J. Cale)  - 2:37
02.  "Hold On Baby"  (J.J. Cale)  - 3:02
03.  "No Time"  (J.J. Cale)  - 3:13
04.  "Lady Luck"  (J.J. Cale)  - 2:41
05.  "Disadvantage"  (J.J. Cale, Drummond, Karstein, Lakeland, Oldham)  - 3:35
06.  "Lean on Me"  (J.J. Cale)  - 3:19
07.  "End of the Line"  (J.J. Cale)  - 3:09
08.  "New Orleans"  (J.J. Cale)  - 2:33
09.  "Tijuana"  (J.J. Cale)  - 3:54
10.  "That Kind of Thing"  (J.J. Cale)  - 2:18
11.  "Who' Talking"  (J.J. Cale, Drummond, Tarczon)  - 3:27
12.  "Change Your Mind"  (J.J. Cale)  - 2:26
13.  "Humdinger"  (J.J. Cale)  - 3:24
14.  "River Boat Song"  (J.J. Cale)  - 3:07

Credits
J.J. Cale - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Hoyt Axton - Vocals (Background)
James Burton - Guitar
Doug Belli - Bass
Tim Drummond - Bass
Jim Karstein - Percussion, Drums
Jay Mitthauer - Drums
Jim Keltner - Organ, Percussion, Drum
Christine Lakeland - Organ, Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Spooner Oldham - Keyboards
Arranged By, Orchestrated By – Al Capps, Al Capps Orchestra, The
Producer - J.J. Cale

Notes
Recorded between 1984 and 1989. At Capitol Studios, The Complex & Sound City, Los Angeles.
Genre: Blues, Americana, Tulsa Sound
Length: 42:06
Label: Silvertone/BMG

© 1989