Because of his diverse song selection and top notch guitar playing, I can't say that I have heard an uninteresting Ry Cooder album. What I can say is that some of his albums are better than others, due mostly to the way he arranges a song and how well those songs suit his limited vocal range. Bop Till You Drop is quite a departure from Cooder's other 1970s albums in that here he plays it straight as he tries his hand at contemporary R&B.

It is also noteworthy as being the first album recorded digitally, putting Cooder at the cutting edge of the new technology. However, the end result leaves the album with an overall tinny sound that does a disservice to the fine band he assembled.

I also wonder how the album was marketed. Cooder gained his reputation first as a session musician, and then on his own as a keeper of rustic American folk and blues music. But the cover shot of Bop Till You Drop gives off the impression that Cooder is a new-wave rocker. It shows Cooder tilted to one side, guitar in hand, and dressed in a purple suit and tie. The grimace on his face makes me think that he wasn't really into the photo session.

Bop Till You Drop begins on a good note with a well-arranged version of "Little Sister." Compared to someone like Robert Plant, who in concert plays it too close to Elvis Presley's definitive version, Cooder gives it a more laid-back performance while echoing doo-wop in the vocals. Two ethical tales follow. The first, "Go Home Girl" by Arthur Alexander, explores the pain and confusion of a guy in love with his best friend's woman.

Now the love of a girl and the love of a friend
Are two things you can't compare
Though my heart will ache I will let it break
'cause I know that it just ain't fair

"The Very Thing That Makes You Rich," a warning about marrying for wealth, follows. Cooder then steps away from the mike to play a tender instrumental version of Ike & Tina Turner's "I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine." So far, so good.

The album hits a brick wall, though, on a Cooder original, "Down in Hollywood." A jive West Coast take of Stevie Wonder's "Livin' for the City," complete with a spoken montage in the middle section, it comes off as an embarrassment. Things get going again with "Look at Granny Run Run," which sounds like it is prophesying Viagra:

There's something on Granddaddy's mind
Because he went to the doctor and got a brand new pill
The doctor said, "Son, you ain't over the hill"
He can't sit still

But then the album stalls again with more jive-talk on "Trouble, You Can't Fool Me." Had Cooder sang this song straight, it could have worked.

Chaka Khan has an impressive guest performance on "Don't Mess Up a Good Thing." However, when Cooder joins her on the second verse, it only points up how overmatched he is vocally. Fortunately, the album ends on a good note, drenched in soul with Bobby King singing the plaintive "I Can't Win."

So Bop Till You Drop is ultimately a mixed bag. It opens strong then falls off from the middle to the end. Worth it to hear the musicians, which includes Jim Keltner on drums and David Lindley on guitar. But also worth skipping because of "Down in Hollywood" and Cooder's I'm-a-honky-who-can-sing-R&B vocals on a few of the tracks. If you're a fan of Cooder's you'll probably like it. But beginners would be better off with Into the Purple Valley or Chicken Skin Music instead.

Recommended: No