Originally Released December 1971
CD Edition Released ????
AMG EXPERT REVIEW: J.J. Cale's debut album, Naturally, was recorded after Eric Clapton made "After Midnight" a huge success. Instead of following Slowhand's cue and constructing a slick blues-rock album, Cale recruited a number of his Oklahoma friends and made a laid-back country-rock record that firmly established his distinctive, relaxed style. Cale included a new version of "After Midnight" on the album, but the true meat of the record lay in songs like "Crazy Mama," which became a hit single, and "Call Me the Breeze," which Lynyrd Skynyrd later covered. On these songs and many others on Naturally, Cale effortlessly captured a lazy, rolling boogie that contradicted all the commercial styles of boogie, blues, and country-rock at the time. Where his contemporaries concentrated on solos, Cale worked the song and its rhythm, and the result was a pleasant, engaging album that was in no danger of raising anybody's temperature. -- Thom Owens
Half.com Album Credits
Diane Davidson, Contributing Artist
Album Notes
Personnel: J.J. Cale (vocals, guitar); Mac Gayden (slide guitar); Weldon Myrick (steel guitar); Walter Haynes (dobro); Shorty Lavender, Buddy Spicher (fiddle); Ed Colis (harmonica); David Briggs (piano, organ); Jerry Whitehurst, Bob Wilson (piano); Norbert Putnam, Tim Drummond, Carl Radle (bass instrument); Karl Himmel, Chuck Browning (drums); Diane Davidson (background vocals).
Recording information: Moss Rose Studio, Nashville, Tennessee (09/29/1970 - 09/30/1970); Bradley's Barn, Juliet, Tennessee (10/02/1970 - 10/04/1970).
NATURALLY has stood up over the years as a perfect debut. When released in 1971, it introduced J.J. Cale's rootsy, laid back grooves to excellent effect, and in the decades since, this album and its follow-up, REALLY, have remained classics of mellow '70s country-rock. Riding on the success and easy blues feel of Eric Clapton's cover of Cale's "After Midnight," NATURALLY goes even deeper into roots music, concocting a mixture of country, blues, and boogie that is full of downhome goodness while it drips with cool.
Cale's version of "After Midnight" is here, as is his loping "Call Me the Breeze" (later covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd), and the minimal blues "Crazy Mama" (a radio hit for Cale). The music is deceptively tricky--the surface textures pull you in like a porch swing, but the interlocking rhythmic base is full of subtle tugs and pulls that are far from standard-issue slow boogie. A sterling cast of players backs Cale, adding warm tones and light, in-the-cut rhythms. NATURALLY is a perfect introduction to the work of this influential cult figure.
Amazon.com Customer Review
Cale's music vs the shrillness of marketing, June 5, 2005
Reviewer: Fred Chauncey (Boulder, CO United States)
Listen to the music and you can *HEAR* the essense of a musician who eschewed the crassness of marketing his work. Marketing stars is shrill-- Cale's music is anything but.
Join us -- experience the pure joy of discovering such thoughtful sounds long ago buried by all the hype for high-profile music which is essentially pushy/shrill. Non-shrill and "laid back" does NOT mean 'without content.' Cale's music is different -- you get drawn into the music rather than having it shoved in your face. Experience the feeling of presence to Cale's "After Midnight" vs the feeling of being assualted by Clapton's "After Midnight."
Amazon.com Customer Review
Music History: Clapton's and Knofler's Mentor, July 7, 2002
Reviewer: Bruce Boatner (Murrieta, CA USA)
If you think "They Call Me The Breeze" sounds exactly like "Lay Down Sally" it's no accident. Clapton openly credits J.J. Cale with much of his "shuffle" influence. Likewise Knofler, though "Really" was probably his favorite album.
This album is straight out of the 70's and very home-made sounding. They actually used a wooden Coke case as an percussion instrument. The engineering is poor, but adequate. Lots of things jump out when they could have been much better handled. We didn't care much in those days, but now it can be jarring.
J.J.'s "Really" album is the other great opus, and most of the songs are better engineered, with real studio musicians (fantastic piano and bass & better drums). J.J. is not better known because he didn't WANT to be better known. At one concert where he was sitting in on guitar he almost fell off his stool when the spotlight landed on him. Important music history here.
Amazon.com Customer Review
Should be an "Essential Recording", November 29, 1999
Reviewer: A music fan
Discovering Cale is like stumbling on a diamond. Maybe more like stumbling on a diamond mine because he has been quietly producing gems for almost 30 years now. I would be hard pressed to think of a musician who has produced more great work to less acclaim than Cale.
This album will slip into your collection like a pair of ten-year old jeans (that still fit). At least two of these songs helped make careers for other artists but none could be done as well as Cale himself does them. He IS the breeze.
Half.com Details
Personnel: J.J. Cale (vocals, guitar); Mac Gayden (slide guitar); Weldon Myrick (steel guitar); Walter Haynes (dobro); Shorty Lavender, Buddy Spicher (fiddle); Ed Colis (harmonica); David Briggs (piano, organ); Jerry Whitehurst, Bob Wilson (piano); Norbert Putnam, Tim Drummond, Carl Radle (bass instrument); Karl Himmel, Chuck Browning (drums); Diane Davidson (background vocals).
Recording information: Moss Rose Studio, Nashville, Tennessee (09/29/1970 - 09/30/1970); Bradley's Barn, Juliet, Tennessee (10/02/1970 - 10/04/1970).
NATURALLY has stood up over the years as a perfect debut. When released in 1971, it introduced J.J. Cale's rootsy, laid back grooves to excellent effect, and in the decades since, this album and its follow-up, REALLY, have remained classics of mellow '70s country-rock. Riding on the success and easy blues feel of Eric Clapton's cover of Cale's "After Midnight," NATURALLY goes even deeper into roots music, concocting a mixture of country, blues, and boogie that is full of downhome goodness while it drips with cool.
Cale's version of "After Midnight" is here, as is his loping "Call Me the Breeze" (later covered by Lynyrd Skynyrd), and the minimal blues "Crazy Mama" (a radio hit for Cale). The music is deceptively tricky--the surface textures pull you in like a porch swing, but the interlocking rhythmic base is full of subtle tugs and pulls that are far from standard-issue slow boogie. A sterling cast of players backs Cale, adding warm tones and light, in-the-cut rhythms. NATURALLY is a perfect introduction to the work of this influential cult figure.
Editorial reviews
...This quiet and leisurely album from an excellent guitarist, vocalist and songwriter is a charmer...one of the most enjoyable debut albums in some time...
Rolling Stone Magazine (03/02/1972)
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