Buddy is a red cat. Not only literally but also figuratively: he is a passionate socialist. In addition, he is also the lead actor in Ry Cooder's My Name Is Buddy, a musical Animal Farm during America's Great Depression. Ry Cooder has always had a fascination with songs from the 1930s. The echo of the realistic songs of those country and blues singers can be heard My Name Is Buddy. The album starts
… slowly, Cooder accompanies himself on the guitar and is only assisted by banjo player Mike Seeger or pianist Van Dyke Parks. When boredom strikes, Cooder decides to tap into more musical kegs and that certainly benefits the album. There is the blunting blues Three Chords And The Truth, the Beefheart-like title track and the beautiful love song Farm Girl. There are a few memorable songs on My Name Is Buddy, but half an hour shorter would not have hurt the album. (PdK)more
