My Name Is Buddy

My Name is Buddy
Studio album by Ry Cooder
Released	March 6, 2007
Genre	Americana, folk, country, country folk, bluegrass, blues, honky tonk
Label	Nonesuch
Producer	Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder chronology
Chávez Ravine (2005) My Name is Buddy (2007) I, Flathead (2008)

My Name Is Buddy: Another Record by Ry Cooder is the thirteenth studio album by Ry Cooder. It is the second social-political concept album by Ry Cooder. Cooder has described it as the second in a trilogy that began with Chávez Ravine and concluded with I, Flathead.^[1] The album is packaged in a small booklet that includes a brief story and drawing to accompany each song. Both the songs and the stories relate tales from the viewpoint of the characters, Buddy Red Cat, Lefty Mouse, and Reverend Tom Toad. The liner notes ask listeners/readers to join them as they "Journey through time and space in days of labor, big bosses, farm failures, strikes, company cops, sundown towns, hobos, and trains... the America of yesteryear."

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

My Name is Buddy was widely reviewed in the mainstream media to a generally favorable reception (earning a score of 76 out of 100 at Metacritic)^[3] The album was particularly well received, however, in folk music circles, becoming a cover feature in Sing Out! and receiving a nomination for the Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 50th Grammy Awards.^[1][4]

Track listing

1. "Suitcase in My Hand" (Ry Cooder) - 2:54
   • Ry Cooder (vocal, guitar), Roland White (vocal), Joachim Cooder - drums), Paddy Moloney (whistle, uilleann pipes), Mike Seeger (banjo, fiddle)
2. "Cat and Mouse" (Ry Cooder) - 5:02
   • Ry Cooder (vocal, guitar), Van Dyke Parks (piano)
3. "Strike!" (Ry Cooder) - 5:07
   • Ry Cooder (vocals, guitar), Joachim Cooder (drums), Mike Seeger (fiddle, harmonica, jaw harp)
4. "J. Edgar" (Ry Cooder) - 2:37
   • Ry Cooder (vocal, guitar), Mike Seeger (banjo), Pete Seeger (banjo)
5. "Footprints in the Snow" (Bill Monroe with new lyrics by Ry Cooder) - 3:07
   • Ry Cooder (vocal, bajo sexto), Roland White (vocal, mandolin), René Camacho (bass), Joachim Cooder (drums), Flaco Jiménez (accordion), Van Dyke Parks (piano), Mike seeger (fiddle)
6. "Sundown Town" (Ry Cooder, Joachim Cooder) - 2:57
   • Terry Evans (vocal), Bobby King (vocal), Ry Cooder (guitar, bass), Jim Keltner (drums)
7. "Green Dog" (Ry Cooder) - 7:33
   • Ry Cooder (vocal, guitar), Juliette Commagere (vocal), Joachim Cooder (drums), Stefon Harris (vibes, marimba), Jacky Terrasson (piano)
8. "The Dying Truck Driver" (Ry Cooder) - 4:56
   • Ry Cooder (vocal, guitar), Roland White (vocal, mandolin), Mike Seeger (harmonica)
9. "Christmas in Southgate" (Ry Cooder) - 3:27
   • Ry Cooder (vocal, bajo sexto), René Camacho (bass), Joachim Cooder (drums), Flaco Jiménez (accordion), Van Dyke Parks (piano), Mike Seeger (fiddle), Roland White (mandolin)
10. "Hank Williams" (Ry Cooder) - 4:09
    • Ry Cooder (vocal, guitar), Joachim Cooder (drums), Mike Elizondo (bass)
11. "Red Cat Till I Die" (Ry Cooder) - 3:08
    • "The original Cardboard Avenue Jaywalkers": Buddy Red Cat (vocal, guitar), Lefty Mouse (fiddle), The Reverend Tom Toad (tambourine)
12. "Three Chords and the Truth" (Ry Cooder, Joachim Cooder) - 5:02
    • Ry Cooder (vocal, guitar, bass), Joachim Cooder (drums)
13. "My Name Is Buddy" (Ry Cooder) 3:12
    • Ry Cooder (vocal, mandolin, guitar, bass, keyboard), Joachim Cooder (drums)
14. "One Cat, One Vote, One Beer" (Ry Cooder, Joachim Cooder, Jared Smith) - 4:15
    • Ry Cooder (vocal), Joachim Cooder (keyboard, percussion), Jon Hassell (trumpet)
15. "Cardboard Avenue" (Ry Cooder) - 4:33
    • Ry Cooder (vocal, banjo), Joachim Cooder (percussion), Mike Elizondo (bass), Jim Keltner (drums), Mike Seeger (fiddle), Roland White (mandolin)
16. "Farm Girl" (Ry Cooder) - 3:54
    • Ry Cooder (vocal, guitar), Juliette Commagere (vocal), Mike Elizondo (bass), Jim Keltner (drums), Mike Seeger (fiddle), Roland White (mandolin)
17. "There's a Bright Side Somewhere" (Traditional with new lyrics by Ry Cooder) - 4:49
    • Ry Cooder (vocal, guitar), Mike Elizondo (bass), Flaco Jiménez (accordion), Jim Kelter (drums), Paddy Moloney (whistle), Van Dyke Parks (piano), Mike Seeger (fiddle)

Personnel

Musicians

See track listing above

Production

• Recorded by Don Smith at Sound City Studios, Van Nuys, California
• Additional recording by Sunny D. Levine at Orange Stella Studio, Santa Monica, California and in Beacon, New York; Martin Pradler at Chateau Martin, Los Angeles
• Mixdown by Don Smith and Martin Pradler at Sound City Studios
• Mastering by Martin Pradler
• Production assistant: Aisha Ayers

Artwork

• Illustrations by Vincent Valdez
• Photographs by Susan Titelman
• Package Design: Martin Pradler and Ry Cooder

Charts

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Swiss Albums Chart	40
UK Albums Chart	41
U.S. Billboard 200 Albums	168

Releases

year	format	label	catalog #
2007	CD	Nonesuch	79961

References

1. John Kruth, "Three (or Four) Chords and the Truth", Sing Out!, 51:3, Autumn 2007
2. Thom Jurek, "Review: My Name is Buddy", Allmusic
3. "Ry Cooder - My Name is Buddy analysis of reviews from Metacritic
4. 50th Annual Grammy Awards Nominations List at grammy.com

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