Ry Cooder - Bop Till You Drop

For all the laudatory work he's done in rediscovering a panoply of artists from roots-based musical genres, Cooder's attempt to pay homage to influences closer to home, namely '50s rock and R&B, on Bop Till You Drop produced spotty results. While Arthur Alexander's "Go Home, Girl" and Cooder's own composition, "Down in Hollywood," are notable exceptions, most of the album suffers from languor stemming from a real lack of drive or direction. Cooder's failed attempt to place Elvis Presley's "Little Sister" in a broader musical context underscores the gap between intent and achievement which plagues the majority of songs on this well-meaning but unsatisfying effort. --Wayne Pernu