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J.J. Cale — Travelin' Light
Album: Troubadour
Avg rating:
7.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1065









Released: 1976
Length: 2:44
Plays (last 30 days): 2
(J.J. Cale)

Travelin' light, is the only way to fly
Travelin' light, just you and I
One-way ticket to ecstasy
Way on down, follow me
Travelin' light, we can go beyond

Travelin' light, we can catch the wind
Travelin' light, let your mind pretend
We can go to paradise
Maybe once, maybe twice
Travelin' light, is the only way to fly

We can go to paradise
Maybe once, maybe twice
Travelin' light, is the only way to fly
Comments (76)add comment
Sounding a bit like KC and the Sunshine Band...
 Ihatethissong wrote:

Anybody notice the exquisite restraint with which the cow bell is rung?


This does NOT need more cowbell. 
There is something to be said of a guitar player that knows it is not how many notes or how fast you play them. J.J. Cale is one of the rare musicians who knows when not to play.
{#Devil_pimp}large zesty
Clarion State College, 1976, Ballentine Hall, blowing illegal smoke out the window with a towel along the bottom of room 301 door while playing both sides of this great album.  Sort of a self-quarantine like the present day.
king of late back,exzellent. 9 from me.
Bass line is crazy frenetic plucking on the single bottom note of each chord.  Unusual technique, but really effective on this low-key, semi-whispered song.

Another song written to The Unnamed Groupie?
Anybody notice the exquisite restraint with which the cow bell is rung?
"Let's Get this Show on the Road" in to "Travelin' Light"...I'm sensing a little Widespread Panic homage happening and I like it....
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Hah, I reminds me of seeing him at the Commodore in Vancouver. His scruffy-looking guitar tuner came on before the show and spent a long time doing his thing. Eventually the lights went down and the guitar tuner didn't leave the stage; he started playing JJ Cale songs. It took a few seconds to realize that scruffy dude actually was JJ! Laid-back indeed.
 
Seems he made the rounds in Canada. My best memory of him was at the terrific small venue, Convocation Hall at U of T. I have never heard a tighter band then they were that night.
Let's Get the Show on the Road > Travelin Light
so far this set is all tunes that Widespread Panic covers.  Seeing what you're doing here.......  
 



        


.
 rascal wrote:
1972...Massey Hall...great seats on the end of second row...my buddy and I are really excited waiting for the show to start...guy sits next to me in the last seat and we have a short conversation waiting for JJ Cale to come onstage...he's low key, southern drawl...after ten minutes this jean jacket beside me gets up and walks up 5 steps to the stage and starts playing. That's the kind of cool laid back man he was. At that time there were very few pictures published... "Fortune's great...Fame's a drag."
 
Hah, reminds me of seeing him at the Commodore in Vancouver. His scruffy-looking guitar tuner came on before the show and spent a long time doing his thing. Eventually the lights went down and the guitar tuner didn't leave the stage; he started playing JJ Cale songs. It took a few seconds to realize that scruffy dude actually was JJ! Laid-back indeed.
 Gregorama wrote:
I've never understood why J.J. Cale never enjoyed more popular exposure. God knows the guy is talented. Oh, well. Looks like he's another example of a brilliant artist that you won't ever hear anyplace else than on RP.
 
1972...Massey Hall...great seats on the end of second row...my buddy and I are really excited waiting for the show to start...guy sits next to me in the last seat and we have a short conversation waiting for JJ Cale to come onstage...he's low key, southern drawl...after ten minutes this jean jacket beside me gets up and walks up 5 steps to the stage and starts playing. That's the kind of cool laid back man he was. At that time there were very few pictures published... "Fortune's great...Fame's a drag."
Yes, great, J.J. is one of my favorites.  And what about "Guitar Man" ?
Even more cowbell!
{#Bananajam}JJ doin' that JJ thang.
 Skydog wrote:
need some from his "Really" album
2nd only to "Naturally"
.
(imho, i of course could be wrong) 

 
I'm roaming from album to album of his lately and haven't found one I don't like.  5 is also pretty awesome.  I mean this guy is more a feeling than anything and his music makes me feel goooooood.
need some from his "Really" album
2nd only to "Naturally"
.
(imho, i of course could be wrong) 
everybody in my shirt and trousers love this song ........
 Lazarus wrote:

love this J.J. Cale classic...

we miss you, J.J....
 

 
absolute classic song and a Godlike album - yes, we certainly miss you Mr Cale

love this J.J. Cale classic...

we miss you, J.J....
 

Everybody in my church loves this original version of the song, as well as the marvelous cover by Widespread Panic...
Archie Bell and the Drells meets Slowhand. 
 
Reminds me of the story I heard JD Souther tell about having lunch with Warren Zevon, and him asking Warren, "Man, aren't you glad we met Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles?".

 
That_SOB wrote:


Are you sure it isn't the other way around ?
 


................more cowbell  {#Wink}...................
 jadewahoo wrote:
Ok, so it is not often that one has the opportunity of being the first one to rate a song on RP. So I gave JJ a 10. A cool, smooth song, awesome guitar playing by an artistically accomplished musician. Yeah... why not?
 
Pulling this comment out of the 2005 cobwebs, just so I can say, "And THIS is why I adore you, Jade."  You make me smile, even as you enlighten me.

How delightful after:

Rolling Stones - Jig-Saw Puzzle
This is lovely!

8
This 70-year-old guy doesn't need to borrow from anyone. He has a solid body of work, and a lot more in his head.

Since then it's been a slow, steady climb to the top. In addition to "After Midnight," Clapton went on to record Cale's "Cocaine," "Travelin' Light" and "I'll Make Love To You Anytime." Lynyrd Skynyrd made "Call Me The Breeze" famous, and diverse artist such as Santana, The Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash, The Band, Chet Atkins, Freddie King, Maria Muldaur and Captain Beefheart have all covered his songs. Cale even found inroads to a younger generation of rock fans with jam band heroes Widespread Panic and moe. performing extended versions of lesser known gems like "Ride Me High," "Cajun Moon" and the aforementioned "Travelin' Light." In addition to those who play Cale's songs, landmark artists such as Neil Young, Mark Knopfler and Bryan Ferry cite Cale as a major influence. And the great state of Oklahoma has even nominated "After Midnight" to potentially be the Official State Rock Song.


Nope - J. J. Cale is his own writer-performer. He doesn't rest on anyone's laurels but his own. The above quotes are from the bio at his website,  J. J. Cale


 parrothead wrote:

Thanks to Clapton, J.J. got some cash rolling in. Well deserved I must add.

 

Are you sure it isn't the other way around ?
this soung is good for the roma
Really like this tune a lot.

Good album... gotta love J.J. Cale!


 parrothead wrote:

Thanks to Clapton, J.J. got some cash rolling in. Well deserved I must add.

 

Clapton and Z.Z. Top.
Good one, used to have this vinyl...With another 600 vinyls I left in Sweden when I moved here...{#Cry}
 parrothead wrote:

Thanks to Clapton, J.J. got some cash rolling in. Well deserved I must add.

 

And we can join both in the good "Road to Perdido". I was waiting years for this "crossroads" between two great musicians.
J.J. Cale seemed to never get the airplay you would think he would get BUT has a huge following. Great follow-up to the old Stones' tune, Bill!
yesyesyes! YAHOO! {#Bananapiano}
 ginniet wrote:
Sorry, but I like Clapton's version better!

 
Thanks to Clapton, J.J. got some cash rolling in. Well deserved I must add.

A hidden gem. Play until you are dizzy and it's still ALL good.
benpfree wrote:
great song and great version but it lacks the great punch of the drums in the Widespread Panic version
SuperWeh wrote:
yeah, and lynyrd skynyrd.
He was the one who was copied.
great song and great version but it lacks the great punch of the drums in the Widespread Panic version
Clapton and Cale recently came out with a duet album. Also, Cale's unreleased recordings were just released as "Rewind".
J.J Cale....is a god among men...as cool as a cucumber
Funny, at this moment I'm packing not one but two suitcases for a long trip. I have a really hard time travelling light.
Anyone else hear the origin of "Long Train Running" here? <metoo> JJ Cale is teh awesome.</metoo>
SuperWeh wrote:
yeah, and lynyrd skynyrd.
yeah and Eric Clapton
Sorry, but I like Clapton's version better!
The Man from Tulsa layin down some of that Tulsa Soul....10
hearing it for the first time, and I love it!
kazuma wrote:
I thought he ripped off Dire Straits.
yeah, and lynyrd skynyrd.
from AMG: Notorious for his laid-back, rootsy style, J.J. Cale (b. Jean Jacques Cale) is best-known for writing "After Midnight" and "Cocaine," songs that Eric Clapton later made into hits. But Cale's influence wasn't only through songwriting — his distinctly loping sense of rhythm and shuffling boogie became the blueprint for the adult-oriented roots-rock of Clapton and Mark Knopfler, among others. kazuma wrote:
I thought he ripped off Dire Straits.
JokesandJokesandJokes wrote:
This dude totally ripped off Eric Clapton
I thought he ripped off Dire Straits.
Wake me when its over.
Mr. Mellow
Great song writer, guitar player, but his vocals are too minimal for my liking. This sounds a lot like After Midnight. I saw him in a concert singing that song. He sang on one note the entire song.
rush-2112 wrote:
Clapton ripped off everyone, even George Harrison!!!
LOL! Good one there.
Cowbell ?
Pretty good... but it doesn't give me chills like the Widespread version.
I always knew that Cale came before Clapton. Hell, Clapton has admitted that Cale is a strong and obvious influence. But I've rarely heard any J.J. Cale, including this one. And damn if it ain't better than Clapton's take! I'd be willint to bet the same will hold true for most of J.J. Cale's other work, too....
JokesandJokesandJokes wrote:
This dude totally ripped off Eric Clapton
Clapton ripped off everyone, even George Harrison!!!
Jive wrote:
Nope, the other way round.
Likewise for another tune most people thought Clapton penned: Cocaine. I'd suggest another jem from Troubador: Cherry. A true cherry.
Cool, Bill is finally playing the original version of this J.J.Cale tune. Ya just can't beat the real deal.
This has been done by Eric Clapton and Widespread Panic. Both are good, imho.
sharkartist wrote:
Can't pull up MK in my brain but I know there was a cover of this Cale tune here on RP and I always thought what a shame it was that the original wasn't getting played instead. J.J. Cale is a true original story teller of Americana. Gotta love the guy who called an Airstream trailer out in San Bernadino home. Thanks Bill, for airing out this cool song.
Sorry , Mark Knopfler/Dire Straits? I'm almost sure...
JokesandJokesandJokes wrote:
This dude totally ripped off Eric Clapton
Nope, the other way round.
trekhead wrote:
Please tell me MK did some cover of this...
Can't pull up MK in my brain but I know there was a cover of this Cale tune here on RP and I always thought what a shame it was that the original wasn't getting played instead. J.J. Cale is a true original story teller of Americana. Gotta love the guy who called an Airstream trailer out in San Bernadino home. Thanks Bill, for airing out this cool song.
I've never understood why J.J. Cale never enjoyed more popular exposure. God knows the guy is talented. Oh, well. Looks like he's another example of a brilliant artist that you won't ever hear anyplace else than on RP.
Please tell me MK did some cover of this...
Ok, so it is not often that one has the opportunity of being the first one to rate a song on RP. So I gave JJ a 10. A cool, smooth song, awesome guitar playing by an artistically accomplished musician. Yeah... why not?
JokesandJokesandJokes wrote:
This dude totally ripped off Eric Clapton
Good to know you're always joking.
This dude totally ripped off Eric Clapton