---
product_id: 12853827
title: "I, Flathead"
price: "Rp1246846"
currency: IDR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.id/products/12853827-i-flathead
store_origin: ID
region: Indonesia
---

# I, Flathead

**Price:** Rp1246846
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** I, Flathead
- **How much does it cost?** Rp1246846 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.id](https://www.desertcart.id/products/12853827-i-flathead)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Description

Ry Cooders I, Flathead, is the culmination of his ambitious and fascinating "California Trilogy," the last of three albums in which the singer and guitarist journeys through the real and imagined history of mid-20th century, multi-ethnic California, sampling the sounds of its barrios and byways, its nightclubs and honkytonks. He encounters the disenfranchised, the hopeful, the cheerfully strange and seriously nefarious, along with the occasional alien who races around in a souped-up flying saucer on the desert salt flats. On previous installments, Chávez Ravine (2005) and My Name Is Buddy (2007), learning the facts and stories behind Cooders songs made them even more compelling, whether it was the not-quite vanished legacy of the Chávez Ravine neighborhood of Los Angeles, bulldozed to make way for Dodger Stadium, or the allegorical, Bound For Glory-like adventures of Buddy Red Cat in a time of commie-baiting and union-busting. This time, however, no research is necessary: Cooder, a California native, has written a remarkable 104-page novella to accompany this disc, a surreally funny page-turner of a tale about itinerant musician Kash Buk and the various characters he meets in his travels out west, all of whom get to narrate parts of the story. If you mixed John Steinbeck with, say, Thomas Pynchon, and threw in a bit of Popular Mechanics for good measure, it might read something like the I, Flathead narrative.

Review: An Upbeat End to A Fine Trilogy - I remember when I first got into this trilogy with Chavez Ravine that this album was given the lowest reviews of the bunch from the major critics, but I am not sure why. Sure, this album may not be as in depth of a social or historical commentary as Chavez Ravine or even the allegorical statement that My Name is Buddy is, but the one thing that I love about this album is that it is fun. It is upbeat and has a relaxed mood that just works. While I like all three albums, this is the one I listen to the most because it flows quite well from start to finish, and it makes me happy. I kind of think this is what Ry Cooder was going for. It isn't devoid of the features the first two components of the trilogy have, but they don't dominate this recording. For my listening it is a nice balance that is probably why I enjoy listening to it so much. It is great music, and I love listening to it on a nice sunny day, and I find the underlying story a bit comedic at times while it never neglects the seriousness of some features. The book with this release is a nice addition that complements the album as a sort of commentary that helps explain the album. I don't think it is an absolute necessary feature, but given the price comparison between this edition and the one without the book, it is worth the few extra dollars if you can afford it.
Review: Understated Brilliance - I climbed into my buddy's car and he cranked up the very first tune. It sounded cool. I liked it. Who is it? He wouldn't say. The first song ends with some guy swearing he isn't going to cry. He's going to drive! Drive like he's never been hurt! Okay, great performance. Who is it? Kash Buk & the Klowns? Dumb name. I listen to "Can I Smoke in Here?" "Fernando Sez" "Filipino Dancehall Girl" and "My Dwarf is Getting Tired" before I take a guess: Is this Ry Cooder? I'd lost sight of Ry after his collaboration with Buena Vista Social Club. I loved Jazz and Chicken Skin and everything with Flaco Jimenez, but this took me a few listenings before I realized just how brilliant Ry's "performance" is on this fully developed concept album. Ry recently added "author" to his credits. With this album, he has added "actor" to that list. For this album, Ry created a character and gave him a history, as well as a present. Kash tells us exactly why he's making this album. He's broke. This album will become a classic. It will take some time, but it will. This limited edition will, as all limited editions do, go out of print. That's when Ry's fans will discover exactly what they let slip through their fingers. Then they'll have to decide whether or not to shell out the big bucks to someone who had the foresight to buy it new, now, while you still can. 5 (big fat) Stars

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | B0018QCXBE |
| Best Sellers Rank | #90,689 in CDs & Vinyl ( See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl ) #101 in Western Swing (CDs & Vinyl) #280 in Roadhouse Country #333 in Roots Rock (CDs & Vinyl) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (97) |
| Date First Available  | May 2, 2008 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer  | No |
| Item model number  | 075597990058 |
| Label  | Nonesuch |
| Language  | English |
| Manufacturer  | Nonesuch |
| Number of discs  | 1 |
| Product Dimensions  | 4.88 x 5.59 x 0.31 inches; 2.05 ounces |

## Images

![I, Flathead - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51C9bHlI+7L.jpg)
![I, Flathead - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51n-spTogzL.jpg)
![I, Flathead - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-3qWaZHYL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An Upbeat End to A Fine Trilogy
*by E***K on October 12, 2010*

I remember when I first got into this trilogy with Chavez Ravine that this album was given the lowest reviews of the bunch from the major critics, but I am not sure why. Sure, this album may not be as in depth of a social or historical commentary as Chavez Ravine or even the allegorical statement that My Name is Buddy is, but the one thing that I love about this album is that it is fun. It is upbeat and has a relaxed mood that just works. While I like all three albums, this is the one I listen to the most because it flows quite well from start to finish, and it makes me happy. I kind of think this is what Ry Cooder was going for. It isn't devoid of the features the first two components of the trilogy have, but they don't dominate this recording. For my listening it is a nice balance that is probably why I enjoy listening to it so much. It is great music, and I love listening to it on a nice sunny day, and I find the underlying story a bit comedic at times while it never neglects the seriousness of some features. The book with this release is a nice addition that complements the album as a sort of commentary that helps explain the album. I don't think it is an absolute necessary feature, but given the price comparison between this edition and the one without the book, it is worth the few extra dollars if you can afford it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Understated Brilliance
*by D***N on July 4, 2012*

I climbed into my buddy's car and he cranked up the very first tune. It sounded cool. I liked it. Who is it? He wouldn't say. The first song ends with some guy swearing he isn't going to cry. He's going to drive! Drive like he's never been hurt! Okay, great performance. Who is it? Kash Buk & the Klowns? Dumb name. I listen to "Can I Smoke in Here?" "Fernando Sez" "Filipino Dancehall Girl" and "My Dwarf is Getting Tired" before I take a guess: Is this Ry Cooder? I'd lost sight of Ry after his collaboration with Buena Vista Social Club. I loved Jazz and Chicken Skin and everything with Flaco Jimenez, but this took me a few listenings before I realized just how brilliant Ry's "performance" is on this fully developed concept album. Ry recently added "author" to his credits. With this album, he has added "actor" to that list. For this album, Ry created a character and gave him a history, as well as a present. Kash tells us exactly why he's making this album. He's broke. This album will become a classic. It will take some time, but it will. This limited edition will, as all limited editions do, go out of print. That's when Ry's fans will discover exactly what they let slip through their fingers. Then they'll have to decide whether or not to shell out the big bucks to someone who had the foresight to buy it new, now, while you still can. 5 (big fat) Stars

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Motors, motels and misfits...
*by B***N on July 26, 2008*

Here's Ry Cooder, a legitmate guitar hero of the last forty years or so, and he has, apparently, written a novella. A novella! A short novel--it's about 100 pages and it is included in the "Deluxe Limited Edition" of his new I, Flathead release...or should I say publication. When was the last time somebody included a novel with their new music? This could be the start of something big. And it will inspire alt-indies everywhere to write short stories or novels or poems to go with their new musical material. It's like Ray Davies or Pete Townshend releasing Preservation or Tommy, complete with a lovely, printed novelization of their stories. This new work fits nicely with Cooder's last couple of works; Chavez Ravine and My Name is Buddy. Along with I, Flathead, these are highly literate, beautifully produced, small works of art. Little bits of beauty in an otherwise bleak landscape of modern music. The novella is planted firmly in Sam Shepard territory-California deserts, dust, motors, motels and misfits. Told in a wry Depression-era-meets-Shepard-meets-Hank Williams voice, it may be set in today's America, or it may be set ten or twenty years ago. And it's got a main character, Shakey Lavonne, who apparently is from outer space, a space vato. It's a crazy tale of busted dreams and disappointment, duct-taped cars, abused women and brown-dirt images from the beat-up back roads outside of Lone Pine and the dry lake beds of eastern California. Places where only crazy people go, on purpose. Nested neatly with the record itself is the story and songs of Kash Buk and the Klowns, stand-ins for Ry and his friends, commenting on the novella's action. The story could use some serious editing but since Mr. Cooder has, in effect, self-published the story...so what? He can do whatever he wants. He has struck a blow for writers and artists everywhere. And we should thank Nonesuch Records for taking the chance on such an unusual piece of work. And the music is his strongest in years, matching the best of both of his two recent records, and as good as his work in the early 1970s. He's working with his son Joachim Cooder, old friends Rene Camacho and Flaco Jimenez. The sound he produces is handmade, airy and satisfying. Mr. Cooder is one of those guitarists who is instantly identifiable with one pluck of a string. The sticker on the Deluxe Limited Edition warns the buyer that there's a story smuggled in the package..."for those who know how to read." Caveat emptor. I suspect that most folks will spring for the cheaper, normal CD package. I couldn't even find it at my friendly Barnes & Noble. That's too bad. It's a fine piece of American music and art. But, these days, who has time to read?

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*Product available on Desertcart Indonesia*
*Store origin: ID*
*Last updated: 2026-03-12*