Customer Reviews

Check It Out, Lock It In, Crank It Up!

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great recording- the accordian stopping and starting, wheezing and jumping, Beau growling it out while "skeeta" pays him constant homage in the reply. Get up and dance.

You don't have to like Zydeco to like this CD. Beau's deep, gritty voice, a pounding bass, infectious enthusiasm, and good material combine to produce a winner. Check out the bluesy "What You Gonna Do" and "Going to the Country," a smooth remake of Archie Bell's "Tighten Up," and the up-tempo "Why You Wanna Make Me Crazy?" This band has fun making music; you'll have fun listening to it.

I like Zydeco but this album is truly wonderful. It immediately became one of top ten favorite albums and continues to amaze me. I consider this band a well kept secret waiting to be discovered by the general public. Everyone who has heard it loves it. The quality is consistent through the whole album.

This recording just gives it up- heaping portions of steaming funk; look up the word "syncopation" in the dictionary and there is a tiny picture of this band. Do NOT come anywhere near this recording if you are not willing to stop your sorry cell-phone life and DANCE.

I love this big guy's renderings of day-to-day themes. Not a Pavarotti, but an honest practioner of 'lusianne' folk music. He is easy to enjoy and can be appreciated for the energy he invests in all of his cuts. He really enjoys what he does. And so do I.

Wonderful

The product was in mint condition and the price was outstanding. The music is fantastic. The blend of their voices is unbelievable. I can see why they won a Grammy.

Service from Amazon was fantastic as always. Thank you for understanding that I am the customer and you want to please me.

How's that for a title?! And believe me, the title is appropriate--this is truly music that demands to be checked out, locked in, and cranked up. If you have not yet checked out the music of Beau Jocque and the Hi-Rollers, you are missing one of the Forces of Nature, for here is a band that brings an elemental power to bear in their performances. This is zydeco on the funky, soulful, hyperenergtic side--most of the cuts are a long way from the country. No, I would not want a steady diet of this sort of stuff--but when I want to get back to the country, I can always rely on Boozoo, that's who!--but it is fun to hear Beau Jocque growl and grin his way through these sly, lusty tunes. There are a few covers, "Tequila," Little Richard's "Keep a Knockin'," and the old Archie Bell and the Drells tune, "Tighten Up," and a bunch of originals by Espre and the band.

The one foreboding thing about this release is the nagging sense that Espre and his band have settled into a formula--the original cuts all sound pretty much the same, and even the covers seem to be part of the formula. It is an entertaining formula, yes, but I miss some of the more natural exuberance of some of the earlier recordings. Still, this is an energizing recording. Check it out! (I am saddened to report that Andrus Espre--Beau Jocque--passed away from a heart attack in September, 1999. He will be missed.)

Jocque and the boys (the Hi-Rollers) really give it up on this album. Lots of foot stomping hi-numbers as well as a few slower tempo songs. Tequila is a great cover done in Zydeco style as well as many great originals. Also check out Keith Frank (On a Mission) for another example of great modern Zydeco. Buy it album and be prepared to dance. Enjoy.