Borderline (Ry Cooder album)

Last updated
Borderline
RycooderborderlineLP.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 1980
RecordedWarner Bros. Recording Studio, Burbank, CA
Genre Roots rock
Length43:30
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder chronology
Bop till You Drop
(1979)
Borderline
(1980)
The Slide Area
(1982)

Borderline is an album by Ry Cooder, released in 1980. [1] [2] "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" is a cover of the John Hiatt song. [3]

Contents

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Robert Christgau B− [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [6]

Robert Christgau wrote that "Cooder's current soul/r&b interests inhibit his songfinding." [5] The Globe and Mail wrote that "Borderline" "is a lovely instrumental which features the least slick, most emotional playing by an efficient set of hired guns." [7]

Track listing

Side one

  1. "634–5789" (Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd) – 2:56
  2. "Speedo" (Esther Navarro) – 3:20
  3. "Why Don't You Try Me" (E. Young) – 4:54
  4. "Down in the Boondocks" (Joe South) – 3:21
  5. "Johnny Porter" (Bobby Ray Appleberry, William Cuomo) – 5:21

Side two

  1. "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" (John Hiatt) – 4:28
  2. "Crazy 'Bout an Automobile" (William R. Emerson) – 5:03
  3. "The Girls from Texas" (James Lewis, Jimmy Holiday, Cliff Chambers) – 4:40
  4. "Borderline" (Ry Cooder) – 3:19
  5. "Never Make Your Move Too Soon" (Will Jennings, Nesbert Hooper Jr.) – 6:08

Charts

YearChartPeak
1980Australian (Kent Music Report)43 [8]

Personnel

Source: album cover

Technical

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hiatt</span> American singer-songwriter and musician

John Robert Hiatt is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including new wave, blues, and country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards and has been awarded a variety of other distinctions in the music industry.

<i>Jamming with Edward!</i> 1972 studio album by Ry Cooder, Nicky Hopkins, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts

Jamming with Edward! is a 1972 album by three Rolling Stones band members accompanied by Nicky Hopkins and Ry Cooder.

Little Village was an American/British rock band, formed in 1991 by Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner (drums). Each of the group's members had previously worked on Hiatt's 1987 album Bring The Family, and formed in 1991 while on a break from their own musical projects.

<i>Bring the Family</i> 1987 studio album by John Hiatt

Bring the Family is John Hiatt's eighth album. It was his first album to chart on the Billboard 200, and featured his first single entry on the mainstream rock chart with "Thank You Girl". It features Ry Cooder on guitar, Nick Lowe on bass guitar and Jim Keltner on drums. The four would later reform as Little Village and release an album in 1992. "Thing Called Love" later became a hit for Bonnie Raitt, and "Have A Little Faith In Me" is among Hiatt's most popular songs, although it wasn't released as a single in America.

<i>Paradise and Lunch</i> 1974 studio album by Ry Cooder

Paradise and Lunch is the fourth album by roots rock musician Ry Cooder, released on June 8, 1974 on Reprise Records. The album is composed of cover versions of jazz, blues and roots standards and obscurities recorded at the Warner Brothers Studios. The final track, "Ditty Wah Ditty," showcases a duet between Cooder and jazz pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines. It was produced by Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker. The album reached #167 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Warming Up to the Ice Age</i> 1985 studio album by John Hiatt

Warming Up to the Ice Age is singer-songwriter John Hiatt's seventh album, released in 1985. It was his last album with Geffen Records, who dropped Hiatt after the album failed to chart. It was the last Hiatt studio album to miss the Billboard 200. "The Usual" would later be covered by Bob Dylan. "Living a Little, Laughing a Little", originally a hit for The Spinners, was a duet with Elvis Costello.

<i>Into the Purple Valley</i> 1972 studio album by Ry Cooder

Into the Purple Valley is the second studio album by roots rock musician Ry Cooder, released in 1972.

<i>Chicken Skin Music</i> 1976 studio album by Ry Cooder

Chicken Skin Music is Ry Cooder's fifth studio album, released in 1976, on the Reprise label.

<i>Bop Till You Drop</i> 1979 studio album by Ry Cooder

Bop Till You Drop is Ry Cooder's eighth album, released in 1979. The album was the first digitally recorded major-label album in popular music. Bop Till You Drop was recorded on a digital 32-track machine built by 3M.

<i>Across the Borderline</i> 1993 studio album by Willie Nelson

Across the Borderline is the 40th studio album by Willie Nelson. It was produced by Don Was, Paul Simon, and Roy Halee. It includes songs written by Paul Simon, Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, Lyle Lovett, and Nelson himself. Featured performers include David Crosby, Kris Kristofferson, Sinéad O'Connor, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, and Paul Simon.

<i>Mr. Lucky</i> (John Lee Hooker album) 1991 studio album by John Lee Hooker

Mr. Lucky is a 1991 album by American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lee Hooker. Produced by Ry Cooder, Roy Rogers and Carlos Santana under the executive production of Mike Kappus, the album featured musicians including Keith Richards, Blues Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Winter; and three inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Van Morrison, Booker T. Jones and Johnnie Johnson. And also Chester D. Thompson, who once played with Santana, on keyboards, has collaborated on writing a song on the album. Released on Virgin Records, including on its imprint label Classic Records, Mr. Lucky peaked at #101 on the "Billboard 200". By the way, Chester D. Thompson must not be mistaken with Chester Cortez Thompson, a drummer who also played with Santana, Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, Weather Report, Genesis and Phil Collins.

<i>Little Village</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Little Village

Little Village is the only studio album by the band Little Village. The band, a super-group comprising Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner, released the album, went on a tour of the US and Europe to support it, and disbanded the year of its release. They had previously worked as a group while recording Hiatt's solo album Bring the Family in 1987. Although all songs are credited to all four group members, Hiatt sang all but three, with two sung by Lowe and one by Cooder. "She Runs Hot", "Solar Sex Panel" and "Don't Go Away Mad" were released as singles. The Solar Sex Panel EP contained a new non-album track "Do With Me What You Want to Do" written by Cooder/Hiatt/Keltner/Lowe and sung by Lowe, as well as a cover of the novelty song "Haunted House", originally released by Jumpin' Gene Simmons in 1964, and sung by Cooder. "Do with Me What You Want to Do" was also included as a B-side on the "Don't Go Away Mad" single.

<i>Quiet Please... The New Best of Nick Lowe</i> 2009 greatest hits album by Nick Lowe

Quiet Please... The New Best of Nick Lowe is a 49-track career-spanning collection of songs written by British songwriter Nick Lowe. As well as his solo work, it also features many of his collaborations with the likes of Rockpile, Brinsley Schwarz, Paul Carrack and Little Village. The compilation was released by Proper Records in the UK and Europe and by Yep Roc in the US. The collection was compiled by Gregg Geller.

<i>Ry Cooder</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Ry Cooder

Ry Cooder is the debut album by roots rock musician Ry Cooder, released in 1970.

"The Way We Make a Broken Heart" is a song written by John Hiatt. It was recorded by Ry Cooder in 1980 on his album Borderline. "The Way We Make a Broken Heart" was covered by both John Hiatt and Rosanne Cash in 1983 as a duet. The single was produced by Scott Mathews and Ron Nagle, however, Geffen Records did not release the single. Willy DeVille performed this song twice in Berlin 2002; once in an unplugged version and once with his electric band. This is documented on his 2002 album Live in Berlin. Asleep At The Wheel also recorded the song on their 1985 album Pasture Prime under the title "This Is the Way We Make a Broken Heart".

<i>Get Rhythm</i> (Ry Cooder album) 1987 studio album by Ry Cooder

Get Rhythm is a studio album by Ry Cooder. It was released in 1987.

<i>Jazz</i> (Ry Cooder album) 1978 studio album by Ry Cooder

Jazz is the seventh album by Ry Cooder, produced by Joseph Byrd and Ry Cooder and released on the Warner Bros. Records label.

<i>Crossroads</i> (1986 soundtrack) 1986 soundtrack album by Ry Cooder, Steve Vai, Arlen Roth

Crossroads is the soundtrack to the 1986 film starring Ralph Macchio, Joe Seneca and Jami Gertz, inspired by the legend of blues musician Robert Johnson.

<i>Election Special</i> 2012 studio album by Ry Cooder

Election Special is the 15th studio album by American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ry Cooder. It was released on August 16, 2012, by Perro Verde and Nonesuch Records. Cooder recorded and produced the album mostly at Drive-By Studios in North Hollywood, performing all of the instrumentation, including bass, guitar, and mandolin, with the exception of drums, which were played by his son Joachim.

<i>The Slide Area</i> 1982 studio album by Ry Cooder

The Slide Area is the tenth studio album by Ry Cooder. It was released in 1982 and peaked at No. 105 on the Billboard 200.

References

  1. Plasketes, George (2016). B-Sides, Undercurrents and Overtones: Peripheries to Popular in Music, 1960 to the Present. Taylor & Francis. p. 72.
  2. The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. 2003. p. 224.
  3. Elliott, Michael (2021). Have a Little Faith: The John Hiatt Story. Chicago Review Press.
  4. "Borderline > Overview". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Ry Cooder". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  6. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 158, 159.
  7. McGrath, Paul (24 Jan 1981). "Borderline Ry Cooder". The Globe and Mail. p. F6.
  8. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 73. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.