Ry Cooder - Goin' To Brownsville

[disda1n]

lets get to 420k views people I can't do it alone

[ISquirellhouseI]

You can clearly see hes holding a pick in the first moments of the video, also during strumming. don't get me wrong its amazing what hes doing but hes definitely using a pick. Plus have you heard/played a mandolin without a pick? Its a muuuuch less crisp sound than whats happening here.

[W5JCD]

Catch my jumper, hanging. Robert Johnson...

[bruzznicolas]

tabs? chords? magic?

[cyclomal]

Music...

[1023Coyote]

South Texas OR Tennesse. No other music is as pure, as heartfelt, as believable, as the blues.

[1023Coyote]

Brownsville. South Texas. Sweet.

[johnthe]

@1023Coyote Brownsville Tennessee. Written by Sleepy John Estes, mandolin on the original by Yank Rachell.

[jdmfonte]

Angelino Nativo, from whe3nce he picks and speaks I take seriously studious heed, but allow for the Ryland sardonic jabs.....Like him opening for t5he still unRecovered Eric Clapton in Sacto a few lives ago.;Shouldda (at least that nite) been the other4 way around.

\Im still dig out his archive o kcrw to listen o the story of Chafvez ravine.....Angelino yeas.

[iamademocratic]

This may has done so much for music, so much, great musician and human being, look how he worked for the Buena Vista Social Club and brought many to the blues, such as this rendition.  Thanks for the posting.

[MrRobmull]

Wow,I've never seen a mandolin played as well as that,Ry Cooder is a genius!!!

[SecretKassemG]

i think its safe to say the 60s and 70s was the best time for music

[disda1n]

WOW

[hanalei169]

Awsome!

[johnzilla313]

Dang, I had vague idea of who Ry Cooder was but never really listened to him. This is a jam! Thanks for posting, I'm off to check out more Ry Cooder....

[vinegaroon1]

Ry later got angry, saying the Stones lifted his riffs and lyrics.

[chillin3651]

this why i live



[sonofrattler]

8 people too bizzy smokin' crack to listen to Ry & his mandolin...

[ronjinsan]

This guy is so brilliant on old American music!

[87amavin]

repping the RGV!!

[guitargodsam]

Anyone know what tuning this is in???

[RatherCrunchyMuffin]

for those of you that dont know, doing a tremolo on a mandolin without a pick is like cleaning the blade of a lawnmower while theyre spinning

[brooklynstudio]

@RatherCrunchyMuffin unless you got the nails for it i guess

[1956jack]

@RatherCrunchyMuffin may be..except that rather than cutting off your arm you can just start over on the mandolin. I would choose the latter.

[W5JCD]

@RatherCrunchyMuffin My fingers bleed when I try this, still need a pick.

[oldiron2007]

Thank you , for that BAD ass, song.....:)

[TheSitara]

how old is this track? its genious

[909chuck]

From his first album comes this classic. John Lee Hooker's "THIS IS HIP" with Ry on slide was up on YT until recently, a later example of his varied talent. He's done great blues and '60s R & B too. Keep workin' Ry!

[jd51452]

He taught Keith Richards a lot. Changed the Stones sound too. Check out his soundtracks albums with Walter Hill. Hillbilly music at its best.

[deborahkauffman09]

this is the kind of blues I like, Ry Cooder is a genius in my book

[TheFenderplecre]

freaking awesome

[genesssa]

whether he calls himself one or not, and for all i know he does, ryland is an ethnomusicologist, just as john hartford was, every bit as much as the lomaxes were, just as much as geoffrey muldaur is. these people keep music alive that might otherwise be lost forever. they seek it out, preserve it, cherish it. i love them for it.

g

[boomshockalakalaka]

Fuck American Idol. This is for realz.

Reminds me a bit of John Mayall as well.

[opiumrebel]

White Man can Jump, 'nough said.

[footprint09]

ww.youtube.com/watch?v=wNecQ1z­6P1g

[sameasabove]

Blown away is an understatement.

[vinnothelizard]

trying to be a nigger!! asshole



[gattosub]

100 years from now there will still be new fans for this kind of music. Goes beyond the boundaries of time.

[MrDavis746]

Soul, skill and integrity moulded to make one perfect performance. Thank god for the OGWT and whisperin' Bob Harris.

[zifis]

6 people have replaced their ears with bullshit-only receivers...

[redsskin42]

mandolin is a part of his arms. G R E A T H .

[MyMoppet52]

Help, anyone.

Ry Cooder does a version of One Meatball and Jesus on the Mainline with this feel. Very primitive and just him and his instrument of choice. I've lost originals years ago & my memory isn't too great. Does anyone have a copy of this on utube. I will look up on his site to try to find and reorder if he's put out on cd. I know it's old. Great, great versions & I miss hearing them. Thanks.

[MyMoppet52]

This is a great performance. He is so versatile. I mentioned that on another song tonight. Utube music is my tv. I am in minority, but don't think he is underrated. I have been fanatical since the late 60's and rabid since early 70's. So have my friends. Just because Clapton got all the noise doesn't mean others are underrated. How can you rate Ry Cooder? There is NO comparison. Leo Koettke might be underrated. John Fahey certainly is & was Leo's mentor. Ry is so great he's in a class of own.

[jbharuch]

Scabby Fine Beyond Righteous. Always Thought You'd Be Older. Prayerful. Thanks.

[MsCaleb79]

He sings better than Mick Jagger

[percommode]

One of the greats. Fortunately managed to see him in London UK in the 1970s and was not disappointed. He played brilliantly, at one point reaching that depth in a performance when he just opened up and completely revealed himself, just a magical moment. A really, really under-rated musician.

Thanks for the upload.

[multiman090100]

He is so very inspiring. Beautiful music from this man. The spirit really flows and uses him as a means of expression.

[justgolf555]

Ry Cooder is amazing. He actually recorded with the Rolling Stones. Then told them to shove it because they ripped off the blues and gave no credit to the original writers.

Who wrote this song? These are the lyrics Eric Clapton added to "Crossroads" when Cream covered the song!

[cooderfool]

I agree with all who say that Ry Cooder is underrated. He is unquestionably one of the best guitarists of all time. further, he has style flexibility and technique surprises no other contemporary player seems to equal. He is unique and has provided excitement and deep entertainment to me for many, many years. Kudos to the Stones for recognizing his assets in the early 1960's. may he live a long and healthy life.

[Badge304]

How someone could dislike this is beyond me.....Ry Cooder....American Genius

[toddallenhooper]

Forget bein' a legend I want a pair of those cool pants!

[Dath45556]

Sorry for the stupid question in advance but what is that instrument that he plays?

[MrNicespaces]

@Dath45556;

mandolin -- used alot in American bluegrass and Italian traditional music.

There's some sort of primal attraction to plucked/strummed/struck high pitched string sound -- mandolins, harpsichords, dulcimers (hammered or laptop), balalaikas....

Hope you enjoy.

[Dath45556]

@MrNicespaces Thanks so much for answering that

[rankerbill]

He`s so undervalued as an artiste. Probably `niche` but shouldn't be.

[gattosub]

This is original and outstanding. A sound of music that says----WE ARE AS WE ARE--UNIQUE!!!!

[FretsmanRFS]

Beautiful!

[RoughBoy1056]

Yep one of two underrated guitarist: Ry Cooder & Leo Kottke...

[Amandalp0]

@RoughBoy1056Not by anbody that knows anything about music Both legends

[oldiron2007]

I dont love RY COODER, I lerve Him

[byteontheez]

It doesn't get any better than what Ry can do with it......rock, blues, folk, calypso, you name it~!! Most well kept secret in the music business! Good for him, he produced many of his own LPs then and hooks up with whomever he pleases......the Chieftains at the present time along with a truckload of double-cool Mexicanos! Irish/Mex Cancions! Love live Ry!

[StuNasty21]

@zombyzapper I agree with you, Rolling Stone magazine doesn't even make good toilet paper. However, your contention that Ry Cooder is underrated was responded to with a good point. Rolling Stone is the most popular magazine of its kind and he was put in the top ten. That's a GOOD RATING. Acknowledge that a good point was made against your argument and don't act like an idiot man-child.

[FastEddieMandolin]

Flat out amazing...This is how Blues mandolin is done people.

[YouCube7]

If Ray Romano had a Mandolin and the Blues...

[gerardmanleyh]

The OGWT was constantly wonderful - but was there ever a better session than this, with Vigilante Man as well?

[swollower]

@19wt60 Oh, Im older mate believe me!

[swollower]

Thank God I grew up with the Old Grey Whistle Test..I saw this on TV and then waited 14 years to see him live. the wait was worth it.God bless you Ry.

[zombyzapper]

Ry has always been under-rated by the media. He's gotta be among the top ten blues players who has played with every major player in the business since 1970. Exile on Main Street would've stunk without Ry's mando and guitar. Keith Richards learned a ton of open tunings from him as well. Amen

[titosrevenger]

@zombyzapper Rolling Stone rated him the 8th greatest guitarist. I wouldn't call that underrated.

[zombyzapper]

@titosrevenger Rolling Stone can barely sell their tripe and probably would put the Hack from U2 among good guitarists as well. Whatever his name is, he plays open tunings ONLY. Ry Cooder is first and foremost a great entertainer and not a poser!

[Amandalp0]

@titosrevenger Rolling Stone didnt even rate Rory Gallagher jayzus that tells me all I need to know about Rolling Stone.

[Stumblestrum]

@Amandalp0 Didn't rate RORY they must have been deaf.

[louthleviathan]

if Rory Gallagher and Ry played on stage together, the planet might actually explode. But we'd all be condensed into a singularity of great music.

[comaradella]

@louthleviathan

AN EXPLOTION OF JOY

[dengie75]

bit of skip james in there, love it

[jenniferjuniper97]

The American Rory Gallagher. Both underrated. However, Ry has produced many records, collections and soundtracks. An Americana treasure.

[LRooster4Prez]

I think he has done the music on every western movie in the past 30 years

[Mandoflash]

Nice nod to Yank Rachell

[topman5499]

Couldn't agree more with nickw66, absolutely remarkable playing. It just goes to show how unrepresentative/artificial something like the rock and roll hall of fame is.

[jonwints]

Brownsville should give this great man the city keys!!! He put them on the map here in Australia! He's a prince of the 20th century music!

[JLScott3178]

Epic!

[iamthesenate08]

for all of you criticizing his singing, the focus on this video should really be his epic mandolin playing.

[lazur1]

@iamthesenate08 Ry can sing the hell outta this style. When he needs "better" singers, he brings the best in the world to join him: Youtube: "Ry Cooder, Dark End of the Street".

[holyswordsmanoffaith]

This is like the delta stuff you almost never hear anymore! Thank god!

[ghike30]

wow

[mrdeimos50]

i just found ry yesterday what a beast

[iadmike]

i really like this.

[thegenericgnome]

the high light of the week when i was a young man THE OPLD GREY WHISTLE TEST with whispering bob harris greeeeeeaaaaaaaaattttttttttttt­tt

[piptaylor99]

@thegenericgnome Quiet agree it was a window into another world and an education. Capt Beefheart, John Martyn "One World", Littlefeat and the Ry sessions. Priceless. Thank you posting and for Ry to allow them to be aired finally.

Pip

[funkyalfonso]

@thegenericgnome How right you are. Last time I checked, Bob had some great shows on Radio 2. Am I reading that comment right? Ry ISN'T in the R&R Hall of Fame? If so,there is no justice in this world.

[1alexpower1]

Bits of the singing I like; but mostly, it just sounds like he is shouting. Fucking great song, though :D

[ericrob123]

Ry Cooder ! You want to take a musical journey?This is a special one to go on!

[mar30139]

Ry's only like 23 here...he seem's to have the collective presence of an old blues man. Cool.

[Nangus01]

Holy christ this is sick, I mean really. Ry Cooder is a god.

[JustinSage]

This rocks!

[lift0dem0weights1]

Yeesh, those tempo changes! I see what he's goin for, I've heard what he's goin for and he cant quite do it. Im not raggin this guy but when u hear sumthing that many times u just say it. But his voice is great. Its pretty hard to put that kind of emphasis on vocals and play guitar at the same time. hes pretty good

[jonwints]

Mr Ry is welcome at my home anytime! Two great voices of the 20th century combined - The Gibson F4 mandolin and the great Ry Cooder. Thanks for the joy!

[Barbackablues]

Like the playing n all but cant stand his voice

[alderaforall]

sigh.... if only I could play that song. Ry just made sweet sweet love to that mandolin and I liked it.

[Snotra]

Im so glad!

[buffalobilly]

his vocals are really good on this one, kinda like sleepy john estes crying style singing

[lobizoon1]

Very well played, reminds me of Sleepy John's sessions with Yank Rachel of 1929. Great!

[copperkick]

Sleepy John Estes and I use to sing this one together. (My blues harp in hand) He and I were from Brownsville Tn-home of the southern blues.

[auckland37]

If you dig this try John Butler Trio Ocean - its got over 7 milion hits. Not saying its better but I think it is at least equal that is to say totally brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fuzzh3ad]

Fuck i love his voice his soul was a preacher

[bongrippar]

its amazing how someone so talented is so unknown. such pure talent

[copenhusker13]

My favorite bluesmen, in no particular order...John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Jimmy Thackery, Robben Ford & Ry Cooder!

[colemontelongo]

brownsville TX is right on the mexican border almost touching the gulf . you think thats where he means?

[Andy91890]

I believe this song refers to Brownsville, TNN. Yank Rachel & Sleepy John Estes use to play this song. Estes is from around Brownsville.

[rawdealbloke]

holy f**k

[thetinkerer]

Ry Cooder is classic, c'mon people. He played with Ali Farka Toure! He played with John Lee Hooker! you can't get any better.

[nickw66]

Holy fucking shit. Can this guy play or what. Such an under rated player. Deserves to be in rock n roll hall of fame,just to start. This guy is one of the best acoustic and electric players probably ever. At least one of the best of the last 40 years or so. A great Great player. Inspires me to play guitar every day him and others. Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Bert Jansch, to name a few.

[titosrevenger]

Cooder was ranked 8th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

- Wikipedia

[sgpnc]

The rating is about 7 too low.

[slideharp1]

@nick66. You mean he AIN'T already in the RnRHOF?!!!. That is a fuckin Travesty!. ...MADONNA is in the goddamn HOF.......Everyone and his brother are in the HOF. No, Ry is a fountain of talent, feeling and Blues. Apart from the other guys mentioned, anyone heard his stuff with Beefheart? And he was 18 when he did that. Hall of Fame, My Ass.

[kw21925]

@slideharp1

This guy and Rory Gallagher had more talent and heart and passion for their music than the whole R%R Hall of Fame put together.

[slideharp1]

@kw21925. Right on..

[harhar58]

Right On Man...This Guy Really is Phenomenal...I'm not sure they build em like they used to.........

[TheVigilanteMan]

@nickw66

Screw any hall of fame.

This guy belongs in the world of real musicians like Son House, Mississippi John Hurt and Robert Johnson

Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame doesn't do the man justice

[BLUEGENE13]

@nickw66 no1 knows about him, lol because he was regarded as an insane musician as a teenager so he had all of him fame then instead of know

[louthleviathan]

@nickw66 Rory Gallagher to name another ;)

[lazur1]

@nickw66 Under-known, perhaps, certainly not under-rated: Anyone's who's heard much of Ry rates him #1. I sometimes wonder of his bad-blood with Keith Richards got him black-listed with the Clapton / 'Crossroads' scene, (which he surely should be part of, & would make him 100 times as well-known), but it's just as likely Ry doesn't want to be part of that guitar-heavy scene. Either way, it's their loss.

[comaradella]

@nickw66

You got a good couple of ears dude, and not only for decoration, you ARE a listener, Bert Jansch is about the only comparable string juggler, to this jolly monster.

Ry forever!!!

[axylas]

@nickw66 .he is no 8 in the hall of fame lol

[deltamx]

@nickw66 well he is a legend for those who know the blues

[sawabojo]

@nickw66 never a truer word spoken!

[tomoole]

@nickw66 Ya might like to also check out Rory Gallagher - class act !

[Lefferable]

@nickw66 listed #8 in the rolling stone magazine of the 100 greatest guiatrists of all time pretty darn fine effort ay mate!!!

[digitaldown]

if this performance didn't make you crap your pants, then you might be brain dead.:)

[slideharp1]

LOL..!!

[digitaldown]

Ry cooder is a fricken god!

[thetinkerer]

Can you top this? NO! you can't.

[wendellpeek]

Good old Ry---he was doing this stuff way before anybody else got wise...

Thanks for the post....

[JboCapone]

Ry is young here. He's about 65 now. Awesome

[sybillastube]

welk een verfrissing deze muziek, de people en

die heerlijke scherpe gitaarsound!!!

[opiumrebel]

Wow, good ol' Ry sounds like a bluesman from the early 30s. He almost sound like Robert Johnson.

[juichiban]

@opiumrebel: It's Ry Cooder!

[svacan]

@opiumrebel I agree. He blends white roots and black roots. Same troubles, same feelings. Same suffering and same rage. All men are equal in hard life.

[popntod]

@svacan Well said. 

[bluezoom13]

I`ve looked and listened and I still can`t figure out what he`s hollering about ! He is kind of cute though....

[mgrrox]

@bluezoom13 he's going to brownsville..... I think that means he needs a number 2

XD

[auckland37]

@mgrrox I didn't know why he kept stamping his foot on the floor. Now I know. Thanks.

[viking1au]

One of the all time Great Musicians.--Brilliant!

[Les2Doherty]

Éire go breath x

[thegrayareas]

This is a Sleepy John Estes ditty. Estes lived in Brownsville, Tennesse. As to tuning, Ryland is a string genius, he selects the essence of the original version and adapts it. Just my 2 cents.

[Nicoguays]

is this a mandolin?

[Qpidon]

no, a double bass.

[ghicazorla]

hahaha

classic

[TAPlastic]

A snide remark to a yong guy who possibly had never seen a mandolin in his life well he just might be too embarassed to ask in future. It must be great to know everything about everything.

[Qpidon]

lighten up man...life is to short.

Merry Christmas.

[TAPlastic]

I knew that would be your exact reply lol it's the easy one too

[Qpidon]

do yourself a favor;

get lost in cyerbspace. Forever, if possible.

[Qpidon]

oh, I forgot: I love you too.

[TAPlastic]

Whatever

ps you'll like this right up your street

Young kid "Is that tremelo he's using"

you "No It's parkinsons"

[Qpidon]

get a life, or better: get some therapy.

[TAPlastic]

I'm not taking the piss out of others to make myself look big so why do I need the therapy and not you

[steelpoppy]

@TAPlastic

You make me sad for you, Mr. Plastic

[TAPlastic]

Why? because I don't like smart asses

[louisguitarslinger]

yes son

[antje48]

He is amazing in his range and skill, but here, I think the music plays him just as much as he plays it. I love this clip.

I would love to find a clip from A Meeting by the River, from much later - hi son Joachim is playing percussion there.

[auckland37]

MAQNIFIQUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!

[MrSh1nob1]

gamaei o tipos - same here!! magnifique

[ausendundeinenacht]

Ha was never as recognised as he should ve BEEN

n 'est ce pas ?

il est BEAU également là en 1973

[billieredsocks]

I love this!

[taila1976]

I feel that his music is the purest form of american music tradition. a white man with a black soul. I wish to see him live one day

[jd558]

Not too sure what you're trying to say exactly. Could you kindly elaborate?

[hounddog825]

lol! i used to think it said:

"...take that Rock'n Roll!"...

awesome clip seanyboyrebel -thnx.

[hounddog825]

how old is he here?Looks barely outta diapers!!