“The album’s brevity is its biggest advantage. There is no chance of getting bored.” J.J. Cale keeps it short on the easygoing Okie

Released in April 1974, Okie is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter J.J. Cale. Produced by Audie Ashworth, the 12-track record was assembled across various recording locations, including three Nashville facilities – Bradley’s Barn, Columbia Studio B and Woodland Sound Studios – in addition to Cale’s own home setup in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Clocking in at less than half an hour, the LP features Cale’s signature laid-back blend of blues, country, and rock. Notably, Okie marks the first instance where Cale utilised vocal layering – a technique he implemented to compensate for his perceived shortcomings as a singer by double-tracking his vocals to lock in the pitch.

The album sustained Cale’s understated recording career following his 1972 release, Really, and reinforced the idea that even if he didn’t sell albums by the bucketload, his songs might end up in the hands of those who might: I Got the Same Old Blues was covered by Eric Clapton, Freddie King, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bobby Bland, Bryan Ferry and Captain Beefheart, while Cajun Moon was later interpreted Poco, Herbie Mann, and Randy Crawford.

Every week, Album of the Week Club listens to and discusses the album in question, votes on how good it is, and publishes our findings, with the aim of giving people reliable reviews and the wider rock community the chance to contribute.

Join the group now.

Other albums released in April 1974

• Ragged Old Flag – Johnny Cash
• Second Helping – Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Big Fun – Miles Davis
• Carolina County Ball – Elf
• Standing on the Verge of Getting It On – Funkadelic
• Bridge Of Sighs – Robin Trower
• Exotic Birds and Fruit – Procol Harum
• Hamburger Concerto – Focus
• Houston (I’m Comin’ to See You) – Glen Campbell
• Positive Vibrations – Ten Years After
• Road Food – The Guess Who
• Secret Treaties – Blue Öyster Cult
• Unconditionally Guaranteed – Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band
• Sweet Fanny Adams – Sweet

What they said…

“Cale moves toward country and gospel on some songs here, but since those are two of his primary influences, the movement is slight. And longtime producer Audie Ashworth attempts to place more emphasis on Cale’s vocals on some songs by double-tracking them and pushing them up in the mix. But much of this is still low-key and bluesy in what was becoming Cale’s patented style.” (AllMusic)

“For J.J., this is adventurous stuff – I Got the Same Old Blues states his world view (you don’t have to listen, just read the title), Starbound adapts his style to some (awful) space pop, and The Old Man And Me introduces a character whom he isn’t making it with (at least he doesn’t mention it).” (Robert Christgau)

“Cale’s excellence as a studio musician is undoubted, but his ‘solo’ efforts have been lacking something – inspiration, I think. This collection is little more than a mish-mash, a dozen songs in at least half as many styles, tied together only by Cale’s harsh vocals. A bit short .” (Tom Hull)

What you said…

Mike Canoe: The older I get, the more appreciation I have for albums that keep it short. But J.J. Cale’s Okie may actually be too short. With twelve songs crammed into 28 minutes, most of the songs are over just as I’m getting into the groove. All the same, I enjoyed Okie. Love the soft funk of Crying, Rock and Roll Records, and Cajun Moon, the sparkling guitar of I’ll Be There (If You Ever Want Me), the chooglin’ rhythms of Anyway the Wind Blows and Everlovin’ Woman. I just wish they were a little longer. Because we live in a world spoiled for choice, I probably would never have gotten around to listening to J.J. Cale on my own. Gratitude to CRAOTW for expanding my musical horizons yet again.

Evan Sanders: As has come up in a few other comments, I indeed could raise my hand to the question “who has never heard a JJ Cale album”. And now that I have, as well as spent a couple of days listening to more in his catalogue, I feel like I am hearing the blueprints for many blues rock and Southern rock numbers. By itself, Okie is pleasant background music, not annoying, and then I realised how familiar some of the songs sounded based on how they were done by the likes of Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, and more. As a songwriter, JJ Cale deserves ongoing admiration, and it’s ok to recognise that his creations sound best when interpreted by others.

Gary Claydon: Even by JJ Cale’s standards, Okie is laid back almost to the point of soporific, so much so that every time I pressed play my stereo fell asleep. Not for long, though. As well as being the soul of wit, brevity is also a friend to the casual listener at times, and Okie certainly doesn’t outstay its welcome at a pleasant if somewhat unexciting half-hour’s worth. 6/10.

Philip Qvist: I would say that JJ Cale was in the enviable position of being able to record and perform in near anonymity, while writing songs that were picked up by artists who turned them into big hits, which not only secured a comfortable life for himself, but also gave him the financial freedom to do his own thing in the studio. Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Randy Crawford and Santana all turned his songs such as After Midnight, Cajun Moon and Call Me The Breeze into big hits, while JJ Cale continued to row his own boat.

So what else do I know about one Mr John Welden Cale, who passed away 13 years ago? Well, he was a pretty laid-back performer; he was married to Christine Lakeland, who contributed to many of his later albums as a singer, musician and occasional songwriter, and apart from the above-mentioned numbers, his other well-known songs include Crazy Mama, Sensitive Kind and Don’t Cry, Sister.

Apart from the various JJ Cale compilations, I have listened to the likes of Shades and Grasshopper, but Okie is definitely a new one to me, although I was familiar with the aforementioned Cajun Moon. It’s a pretty laid-back album, no surprises there, but at just 28 minutes long, the album’s brevity is its biggest advantage. There is no chance of you getting bored here.

The covers I’ll Be There and Precious Memories, along with I Got The Same Old Blues and Crying, were my other standout tracks. Okie gets a 7 from me. It’s not essential, but it is still well worth a listen.

Ken Doyle: Classic. There are better songs on other albums, but Okie is my favourite JJ album. Perfect laid-back record that does not dull over decades of returning to this exquisite slice of chilled tunes. Strange that if I described JJ in terms of country blues through a reefer lens, then I’d not be attracted to it, but JJ is different and works for me. 9 out of ten or higher maybe.

Chris Elliott: Chilled doesn’t even begin to describe this record. At first listen, it seemed anonymous – but it grows on you very quickly. It’s spare – it’s definitely laid back, but somehow there’s that little spark that just can’t be ignored.

Lazy sunny days under a tree or with your feet in the river… this is just perfect.

Adam Ranger: A wonderful change of pace.

Listening to JJ Cale is like lying in your favourite armchair being stroked by a velvet glove. Very chilled and very relaxing.

He was never as big or well known as the artists who covered his great songs, but he was OK with that. Those successful covers gave him financial security to do his thing.

For me, this is not the best of JJ Cale albums; that goes to Naturally, Troubador or 5. But Cryin’, Cajun Moon and I Got The Same Old Blues are essential JJ Cale songs. The rest of the album is a nice chilled listen that never really gets me interested like other albums. That said, at 29 minutes you have no time to get bored.

Greg Schwepe: I would wager a very, very large sum of money that for those who wrote reviews this week, this might be the first time you ever listened to an album of J.J. Cale performing his own songs. And for those reading online, you still may have never listened to an album of J.J. Cale performing his own songs.

But, all of you who wrote a review or are reading, I bet you can name enough J.J. Cale songs performed by other artists that it would take two hands to count them all. Am I right?

Yes, Mr Cale seems to be one of those songwriters who happened to make albums, but none were nearly as popular as the ones where one of his songs appeared on. And until I bought The Road To Escondido, which featured Cale and Eric Clapton, I had yet to hear him actually perform his own songs.

Cale’s style is basic, laid-back, easygoing grooves that come at you with no frills. But they keep you so hooked, you could listen to the same songs on an eight-hour road trip and not get bored.

My favourite cuts on Okie are Cajun Moon, Rock And Roll Records, and I Got The Same Old Blues. I will say, while I became a fan of Cale’s music, I do think that Okie is not as good as 5. It just doesn’t have as much oomph to it. Maybe a little flat in the production side of things? Good songs, but they don’t jump out like the ones on 5.

7 out of 10 on this one for me. I was glad I finally listened to him performing his own music. Totally love his style, but this would not be my go-to album.

John Davidson: I had never heard a JJ Cale album before this week. Or if I did, I have forgotten it. And that’s the problem. While the songs may indeed be good, the arrangements here are so laid back they make almost no impact at all. It’s pleasant enough, but nothing about this made me prick up my ears and demand more.

Final score: 7.27 (33 votes cast, total score 240)

Join the Album Of The Week Club on Facebook to join in. The history of rock, one album at a time.