Naturally, Troubadour: J.J. Cale

Seduction: The art of enticing another person to engage in some sort of behavior, frequently sexual in nature.

J.J. Cale is a legend, yet he tends to avoid the limelight and seems content to let others make commerical hits with his songs; Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Maria Muldar, Santana, Mayall, Deep Purple are among them ...... a respectable long list. J.J. Cale has been quietly releasing albums every couple of years for about forty years now.

That also leaves a lot of solid 'hit' material left largely undiscovered by mainstream music - a situation many fans (like me) are happy with keeping J.J. Cale an unspoiled secret. Both of these albums are packed with solid songs, from beginning to end. These are among my top 10 albums I wouldn't want to live without.

J.J. Cale has smooth, laid back vocals that give his originals a sensuality missed by anyone else. Just listen to his original of "After Midnight" (video) v. Clapton's better known, more rocking-party friendly version and that should explain why I've included these albums on my Valentines Day play list. (BTW: That's also his long-time wife accompanying him in the video.) Enjoy!

J.J. Cale: Naturally (1971)

01. Call Me The Breeze
02. Crazy Mama
03. Magnolia
04. After Midnight
05. Lies
06. Midnight In Memphis
07. Cajun Moon
08. Rock And Roll Records
09. Cocaine
10. Hey Baby
11. I'll Make Love To You Anytime
12. Don't Cry Sister
13. Thirteen Days
14. Sensitive Kind
15. Carry On
16. Mama Don't
17. City Girls 2:47
18. Devil In Disguise
19. Don't Wait
20. Money Talks

J.J. Cale: Troubadour (1976)

01. Hey Baby

02. Travelin' Light
03. You Got Something
04. Ride Me High
05. Hold On
06. Cocaine
07. I'm a Gypsy Man
08. The Woman That Got Away
09. Super Blue
10. Let Me Do It to You
11. Cherry
12. You Got Me on So Bad

After Midnight