Guitarist Cooder was a respected session musician prior to launching a solo career. His distinctive style blossomed fully on this, his second album, which is a brilliant compendium of American country/folk styles. Tight but sparse accompaniment takes the artist through songs largely drawn from the Dustbowl Ballads of the Depression era, including Woody Guthrie's "Vigilante Man" and Leadbelly's "On A Monday." Traditional songs like "Billy the Kid" nestle next to more contemporary fare like Johnny Cash's "Hey Porter" and wildcard entries like a cover of Bahamanian guitarist Joseph Spence's "Great Dream from Heaven." Cooder's ungainly voice captures the plaintive, retro-styled atmosphere, but it is his chilling slide guitar work (not to mention his facility with mandolin, Hawaiian slack key guitar, and other stringed instruments) for which this album is renowned.

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