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Personnel: J.J. Cale (vocals, guitar); Joann Sweeney (vocals); Bill Boatman, Mac Gayden, Jimmy Capps, Jimmy Johnson (guitar); Josh Graves (dobro); Vasser Clements (fiddle); Charlie McCoy (harmonica); Norm Ray (baritone saxophone); Don Sheffield, Bob Phillips (trumpet); Bill Humble (trombone); Bobby Woods, David Briggs (piano); Barry Becket (electric piano); Kossie Gardner (organ); Joe Zinkan, David Hood, Gary Gilmore, Norbert Putnam, Bob Ray (bass); Farrell Morris (drums, percussion); Jimmy Karstien, Roger Hawkins, Kenneth Buttrey, George Soule (drums); Robert "Tarp" Tarrant (congas). Engineers include: Gene Eichelberger, David Johnson, Joe Mills. After his stunning debut, NATURALLY, in 1971, J.J. Cale returned the next year with this follow-up. REALLY is every bit as impressive as its predecessor, and occasionally swings so slowly that its grooves barely hang together. But to call J.J. Cale simply laid back is to miss the point--the breadth and variety in Cale's world is mysterious, riveting and soulful. The first three tracks move from the radio-friendly "Lies" to the masterfully spare "Everything Will Be Alright" to the relatively rollicking "I'll Kiss the World Goodbye." The album was recorded in Nashville (primarily at Bradley's Barn) as well as in Muscle Shoals, Alabama (at the famed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio). A cast of stellar musicians familiar to those sites (including Roger Hawkins, Barry Becket, David Hood, Charlie McCoy, Norbert Putnam, Vasser Clements, and others) never overshadows the well-defined sound of Cale's songs and singing. This is a perfect introduction to J.J. Cale.
