 After recording five albums in the seventies, Cale moved from Nashville to California and released "Shades" in 1981.Produced by Audie Ashworth, the album, like the majority of Cale's releases, was not a commercial success, although the Oklahoma singer-songwriter had a loyal cult following among fans and fellow musicians.Backed by the usual top session musicians, including Reggie Young, Ken Buttrey, and David Briggs, "Grasshopper" has a slicker, more radio-friendly sound than Cale's previous album, as is evident in the opening track "City Girls," where "a poor boy" longs for a city beauty but "can’t afford no diamond rings or all them other fancy things."