Raven [Australia]
2006
THe Soundtracks: The Border / Alamo Bay
About This Album
The folks at Raven Records in Australia must have a blast assembling projects. This pairing of two 1980s Ry Cooder soundtracks is a case in point. The Border, composed and released in 1982, was the soundtrack to Tony Richardson's film The Border, and 1985's Alamo Bay was directed by Louis Malle. The interesting thing about these soundtracks is that they come immediately after Cooder's successful collaboration with Walter Hill on The Long Riders and Southern Comfort, and as the before-and-after bookends to his enigmatic score for Wim Wenders' Paris, Texas. The score for The Border is perfectly balanced. Cooder's slide work is always touted, but also noteworthy is his ability to virtually disappear in the mix when collaborating with Flaco Jimenez, Freddy Fender, Jim Dickinson, Jim Keltner, and Sam "The Sham" Samudio. The haunting title track, "Across the Borderline," sung by Fender, is among the most beautiful and literate cuts Cooder has ever written. The cantina music by Jimenez and Samudio is utterly evocative. Check the tunes with Samudio on vocals, such as "Palomita" and "No Quiero," to get the laid-back, sun-up feel. Then there's John Hiatt.
Track List (try tracks 3,4,8,12 and 16)

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