I, Flathead Explained

I, Flathead
Type:	studio
Artist:	Ry Cooder
Cover:	I, Flathead.jpg
Released:	June 23, 2008
Recorded:	at Little Pink Studio, Los Angeles
Genre:	Americana, roots rock, Tex-Mex, country rock, western swing
Length:	53:08
Label:	Nonesuch
Producer:	Ry Cooder
Prev Title:	My Name Is Buddy
Prev Year:	2007
Next Title:	Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down
Next Year:	2011

I, Flathead: The Songs of Kash Buk and the Klowns is the fourteenth studio album by Ry Cooder. It is the final concept album by Ry Cooder. It is the third in his "California trilogy", which began with Chávez Ravine (2005) and My Name Is Buddy (2007).^[1]

The Deluxe Edition of the album is accompanied by a 104-page hardback book which included a CD in paper pocket, a novella (on 97 pages) and song lyrics.

The title is a play on the Isaac Asimov novel "I, Robot", but the flathead in question is the Ford Flathead engine.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Ry Cooder; except where indicated

1. "Drive Like I Never Been Hurt" (Ry Cooder, Joachim Cooder) - 4:07
2. "Waitin' for Some Girl" - 3:48
3. "Johnny Cash" - 3:08
4. "Can I Smoke in Here?" - 4:19
5. "Steel Guitar Heaven" - 3:40
6. "Ridin' with the Blues" - 3:01
7. "Pink-O Boogie" - 3:05
8. "Fernando Sez" - 4:44
9. "Spayed Kooley" - 2:09
10. "Filipino Dancehall Girl" - 3:54
11. "My Dwarf is Getting Tired" - 3:59
12. "Flathead One More Time" (Ry Cooder, Joachim Cooder, Jared Smith) - 3:12
13. "5000 Country Music Songs" - 6:41
14. "Little Trona Girl" (Ry Cooder, Joachim Cooder) - 3:13

Personnel

Musicians

• • Gil Bernal - Tenor saxophone Ron Blake – Trumpet
• Rene Camacho – Double bass
• Juliette Commagere – Vocals (14)
• Joachim Cooder – Drums, Timbales
• Ry Cooder – Vocals, Guitars, Bass guitar, Mandolin, Electric piano, Producer, Package Design, Laud
• Jesús Guzmán – Arranger, String Arrangements
• Jon Hassell – Trumpet
• Flaco Jiménez – Accordion
• Jim Keltner – Drums
• Martin Pradler – Drums, Electric piano, Engineer, Mixing, Package Design
• Jared Smith - Keyboards
• Francisco Torres – Trombone
• Mariachi Los Campreros

Production

• Producer - Ry Cooder

Recorded & mixed by Martin Pradler

• • Production Supervisor, Karina Benznicki Production Coordination, Eli Cane
• Editorial Coordinator, Ronen Givony
• Mastering by Stephen Marcussen
• Assistant, Alex Pavlides

Artwork

• Cover photo by Robert Wilson Kellogg

References

1. John Kruth, "Three (or Four) Chords and the Truth", Sing Out!, 51:3, Autumn 2007

Further reading / listening

• "Cooder's Buddy Revives Tales of Bygone America", Morning Edition, NPR, March 6, 2007
• "From the Dust", The Observer, March 4, 2007

External links

• My Name is Buddy, site at Nonesuch Records