Heavy Funk w/ a touch of Voodoo in the Gumbo !
Eddie Landsberg | Tokyo, Japan | 06/21/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Holy gumballs, batman... why aren't there 100 reviews on this... has the album been out of print that long ??? Jeez, let me tell you something, here's the best and sure tested way to rate a CD... stick it in the player while your working on the computer or driving down the road... let your mind wonder. Don't listen to it too critically... and if you find yourself listening to it three times through and then wanting to hear it some more, and keep coming back to it over time, its definitely a keeper. This album passes the grade... Featuring the classic Meters/Neville Brothers rhythm section and Allen Toussante at the healm, the album is BAD... Dr. John's funkified charisma gushes through on each track, and that bizarre mix of Jazz, Jungle and Boogie Funk and New Orleans R & B shine through 70s style... In addition the mastering is crisp and fat, and is it just me but does Mo Scocious (with its mixture of salsa, funk and risque lyric) sound like something that could have come out yesterday ? All in all, this recording is tight, musically, lyrically and even in terms of engineering and production... the horns and rhythm are wickedly crisp. Its the Night Tripper we know and love.... I've gotten a lot of Dr. John albums, but found most of them disappointing compared to his wild stage show (especially when I saw him backed by Al Rubin and Lou Marini) - - this album, however, lives up to his legend and then some !"
You Want This Funk
Open Mike | Montreal | 12/22/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Probably the funkiest album I have ever heard. Dr. John is an accomplished composer and musician and commands the kind of respect on his field that got him The Meters as his studio band. That's like being able to get Michael Jordan to play as your point guard. While The Funk Brothers were the kings of instrumental soul, The Meters had it cornered in the funk genre. Everyone from the O'Jays to James Brown to Allain Toussaint chose The Meters to back them up. And don't get me started on their solo career - a discography that propelled countless early hip hop producers into acclaim. So when Dr. John, who is himself adept at laying funk down, combined his vision with The Meters the result is this classic album that you don't want to pass up. The band is so pleasantly tight and banging, the arrangements are first class and the basslines are molasses-thick. Dr. John wails in his typical muppet fashion (remember Dr. Teeth?) and against the instrumentals it is the perfect compliment. Don't sleep on this or your dancing shoes will be sorry."
Tasty treats from Mac
Paul Bieler | Petoskey, MI United States | 12/28/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is available in the states as a Label M re-release and the liner notes state that there is no such thing as a bad Dr John album, just ones you like more than others. Truer words have rarely been spoken.
This one I have found to have a wide appeal. All who I have played it for (which is many) have latched tight on to it.
I purchased this disc for the long drive to the Bonnaroo Festival and it had us thumpin' the whole way. Strong material, but the mix is a little rough. Fans of funk and soul are called. This shows Mac's pimpin' side as well as his soft croonin' side.
The best selling point is the fabulous background singers on this album. These ladyz are on the money. Oh Yeah, Mac has The Meters backing him on this disc too. Especially fine is the re-working of "Let's make a better world". A greaty song for a hot summer day."