Ry Cooder

Released in 1970, Ry Cooder's self-titled debut serves as a foundational text for the Americana movement. Moving away from his work as a session musician for the Rolling Stones and Captain Beefheart, Cooder used this record to establish his unique identity as a 'musical archeologist.' The album is comprised almost entirely of covers, ranging from the blues of Blind Willie Johnson to the folk-protest of Woody Guthrie and the eccentric pop of Randy Newman. Produced by Van Dyke Parks and Lenny Waronker, the record features a dry, intimate sound that highlights Cooder's revolutionary bottleneck slide technique. Critics often point to this album as the moment where the cinematic 'desert sound' - which Cooder would later perfect in his score for Paris, Texas - was first born. It remains a high-water mark for guitarists and roots music enthusiasts alike.