Ry Cooder (album)

Ry Cooder
Studio album by Ry Cooder
Released	December 1970
Recorded	1970
Genre	Roots rock, blues, country blues, folk, Americana
Length	33:28
Label	Reprise
Producer	Van Dyke Parks, Lenny Waronker
Ry Cooder chronology
Ry Cooder (1970) Into the Purple Valley (1972)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	B link

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

Track listing

Side 1

1. "Alimony" (Brenda Jones, Welton Young, Robert Higginbotham) - 2:55
2. "France Chance" (Joe Callicott) - 2:45
3. "One Meat Ball" (Louis Singer, Hy Zaret) - 2:27
4. "Do Re Mi" (Woody Guthrie) - 3:03
5. "My Old Kentucky Home (Turpentine & Dandelion Wine)" (Randy Newman) - 1:45
6. "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" (Alfred Reed) - 2:45

Side 2

1. "Available Space" (Ry Cooder) - 2:11
2. "Pigmeat" (Huddie Ledbetter) - 3:07
3. "Police Dog Blues" (Arthur Blake) - 2:43
4. "Goin' to Brownsville" (John Estes) - 2:43
5. "Dark Is the Night" (Blind Willie Johnson) - 2:48

Personnel

Musicians

• Van Dyke Parks - Piano
• Ry Cooder - Guitar, Mandolin, Bass
• Chris Ethridge - contribution not specified in sleeve notes - Bass
• Richie Hayward - contribution not specified in sleeve notes - Drums
• Roy Estrada - contribution not specified in sleeve notes - Bass
• Milt Holland - contribution not specified in sleeve notes - Drums, Percussion
• John Barbata - contribution not specified in sleeve notes - Drums
• Max Bennett - contribution not specified in sleeve notes - Bass
• Bobby Bruce - contribution not specified in sleeve notes - Violin

Voices

• Ry Cooder
• Gloria Jones & Co.

Production

• Van Dyke Parks - Producer; Arranger on "One Meat Ball"
• Lenny Waronker - Producer
• Judy Betz - Production Assistant
• Lee Herschberg - Engineer, Mix-down
• Doug Botnick - Engineer
• Thaddeus James Lowe - Engineer
• Rudy Hill - Engineer
• Bob Kovach - Engineer
• Kirby Johnson - Conductor, Orchestrator

Other Credits

• Airstream - for the 1937 trailer pictured on the front of the album sleeve
• Frank Bez - for the photo of the Airstream trailer (photographed at dry lake El Mirage)
• Susan Titelman - for the photo of Ry Cooder on the back of the album sleeve
• Ed Thrasher - for art direction

References

• LP Sleeve Notes

Billboard charts

Chart	Peak
Pop albums	216