Track Listing

1. Shanghaid
2. Hold on Baby
3. No Time
4. Lady Luck
5. Disadvantage
6. Lean on Me
7. End of the Line
8. New Orleans
9. Tijuana
10. That Kind of Thing
11. Who's Talking
12. Change Your Mind
13. Humdinger
14. Riverboat Song

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36730 in Music
• Released on: 1990-01-05
• Number of discs: 1

From Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD
Cale's ninth album is in keeping stylistically with all the previous ones: low-boil blues-based rock. The easygoing Tulsa native counterpoints his phlegmatic vocals with his stimulating guitar picking in some of his most homespun, charming songs ever. Bassist Tim Drummond and drummer Jim Keltner conjure the fetching grooves. -- © Frank John Hadley 1993

Customer Reviews

One of the best albums of J J Cale
J J Cale has produced many albums over the years, some of which have had many good songs. Among my favourites are Okie and Troubadour, for the number of good songs on each. However Cale excelled himself in Travel-Log. The good songs just keep coming. There is a diversity of atmosphere between the songs also, making the title Travel-Log rather appropriate: Shanghaid has an oriental feel, while Tijuana talks of Mexicans wishing to cross the border into the USA. In this song Cale showcases his abilities on a Spanish-style guitar. But probably the highlight of the album is the exceptional number of blues- influenced songs. The End of the Line is creative, as well as humorous, in a typically wry sort of way. Humdinger has a raucous guitar riff, and River Boat Song calls to mind a riverside scene: "River Goddamn, bring my baby home." Altogether a consistently good album, which far outshines Number 10 and Closer to You.

up there with his 70's stuff
Initially I dismissed this album, as I'm skeptical about JJ's newer material. But while this release fails to capture the earthy, analog grit of classics like Naturally and Troubador it is still well worth owning.

Tunes like No Time and Lean On Me are vintage JJ. He also does a nice job of mixing genres on Lady Luck and Tijuana. End Of The Line, however, really makes the album - as Cale gets back to the raw precision that seems to have eluded his blues in recent decades...

Mid-period sophistication
In '94, this was my first exposure to JJ Cale, and I played it hundreds of times. I have since purchased quite a few of his earlier CDs. Though all his work seems fairly even and similar, I think this album has the greatest variety, the most sophisticated mixing of the ensemble players, and the most original and clever lyrics. The production mix is wonderfully layered and complex, yet somehow maintains the feel that it could have been recorded in a smoke filled garage. It has all the traditional sounds but steps outside of the reliance on blues and traditional themes.