Into the Purple Valley

Into the Purple Valley is the second studio album by roots rock musician Ry Cooder, released in 1972 (see 1972 in music). The album's front cover is listed number 12 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Album Covers.

Into the Purple Valley
Studio album by Ry Cooder
Released	January 1972
Recorded	1971
Genre	Roots rock, blues, folk, Americana
Length	37:06
Label	Reprise
Producer	Jim Dickinson, Van Dyke Parks and Lenny Waronker
Ry Cooder chronology
Ry Cooder (1970) Into the Purple Valley (1972) Boomer's Story (1972)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Christgau's Record Guide	B+[1]
Rolling Stone	favorable link

Track listing

Side One

1. "How Can You Keep Moving (Unless You Migrate Too)" (Agnes "Sis" Cunningham) – 2:25
2. "Billy the Kid" (Traditional; arranged by Ry Cooder) – 3:45
3. "Money Honey" (Jesse Stone) – 3:28
4. "FDR in Trinidad" (Fitz McLean) – 3:01
5. "Teardrops Will Fall" (Gerry "Dickey Doo" Granahan, Marion Smith) – 3:03
6. "Denomination Blues" (George Washington Phillips) – 3:58

Side Two

1. "On a Monday" (Lead Belly) – 2:52
2. "Hey Porter" (Johnny Cash) – 4:34
3. "Great Dream from Heaven" (instrumental) (Joseph Spence) – 1:53
4. "Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All" (Traditional; arranged by Ry Cooder) – 3:52
5. "Vigilante Man" (Woody Guthrie) – 4:15

(Note: "Billy the Kid" was actually composed by Woody Guthrie, and "Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All" by Fiddlin' John Carson.)

Personnel

• Ry Cooder – guitars, mandolin, vocals
• Van Dyke Parks – keyboards
• Gloria Jones – vocals
• Claudia Lennear – vocals
• George Bohanon – horns
• John Craviotta – drums
• Joe Lane Davis – horns
• Jim Dickinson – piano
• Chris Ethridge – bass
• Milt Holland – percussion
• Jerry Jumonville – saxophone
• Fritz Richmond – washtub bass
• Donna Washburn – vocals
• Donna Weiss – vocals
• Ike Williams – horns

Billboard charts

Chart	Peak
Pop albums	113

References

1. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.