Customer Reviews

Desitively Bonnaroo

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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"Desitively Bonnaroo" was Dr. John's 1974 sequel to his smash "In the Right Place" LP of the year before. It continues in the sleek funk vein of 1970's New Orleans R&B, but failed to click hit-wise--which is surprising, as it is easily on par with his "Right Place/Wrong Time" and 1972 "Gumbo" collection of New Orleans oldies. If you liked "RP/WT" then you should absolutely get "Desitively!"

Here, Dr. John (a/k/a Mac Rebennack) reunites with "Right Place's" producer/arranger Allen Toussaint, the Meters as backup band, and a full horn section. Mac contributes mostly his wonderful gravelly singing and clever jive filled songs. His trademark acoustic piano playing is limited in this electric-funk setting, but Toussaint's inventive arrangements take these songs to a place beyond traditional New Orleans' styles.

Check out Toussaint's sublime horn arrangement at the intro to Earl King's "Let's Make A Better World" and the spooky interplay infesting Mac's own "What Comes Around (Goes Around)." The Meters are restrained in their backup role, but contribute artfully throughout. Art Neville's whispery organ peaks out soulfully behind "Me minusYou equals Loneliness" and George Porter's inventive bass line to "Sing Along Song" turns a campfire tune into a funky romp. This was a classy kind of funk that was unique in R&B--It still is.

With a collection of talent and songs this strong, "Desitively" should have been another smash, but a variety of factors (drugs, record label non-support, resistance from rapidly consolidating radio markets) left this gem in the dust. With the exception of Toussaint's production of "Lady Marmalade" for Labelle (1974), nimble New Orleans R&B lost out to the much heavier stylings of George Clinton, the Ohio Players, disco, etc. You'd have to look to Bob Marley and other reggae groups--all fans of N.O. R&B--to find this light-on-its-feet approach to soul music in the mid-1970s.

Dr. John's "Desitively" period is also documented in a video (available via Amazon) of the 1974 PBS program, "Dr. John: New Orleans Swamp - Soundstage." This hour-long TV special features Dr. John appearing with his road band, in addition to Professor Longhair (!) and Earl King--both backed by The Meters, who do a couple of numbers themselves. Musically, it's a bit shaggy compared to the funky precision of their records, but provides a glimpse of the short lived New Orleans R&B boomlet of the mid-1970s.

Give "Desitively Bonnaroo" a spin and relive it again. This is good time music, funky music, played with verve, craft and wit. If you're feeling wheezy, call the Doctor to radiate the eighty-eights, put some zip in your hip, and fix that hole in your soul. It delivers just what the Doctor ordered.

SIDE BAR: The Dr. John albums, "Gumbo," "In the Right Place," and "Desitively Bonnaroo" are three parts of a classic New Orleans 70's R&B collection. I'd add the Meters' newly re-released "Rejuvenation" (1973), and "Fire on the Bayou" (1974), plus the Meters' "ghost" album called "The Wild Tchoupitoulas" (1976), Lee Dorsey's "Yes We Can" (1971) and Allen Toussaint's "Southern Nights" (1975) (now only available as an import) to the list. NOTE: Toussaint's still-available "Ultimate Collection" contains several "Southern Nights" tracks and quite a few other greatest non-hits. Nearly all these albums are Allen Toussaint/Meters collaborations. They all sound similar, but you can never get too much of a good thing when that thing is this good!

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 !

A re-release of Mac's second CD, produced and arranged by Allen Toussaint with the Meters as the house band. I've been looking for this CD for a few years now and was really psyched to see the re-release. The sound is similar to "Right Place" which had the same band and producer. This is a total NO music fest with excellent songs and playing without relying on a lot of New Orleans music cliche's. This is one of my favorite periods of Dr. John's music. The song writing, playing, backup singers, and his voice are at their most distinctive. This is the kind of music that made Mac famous. You can tell that Mac has a young spirit and and really wanted to make a complete swamp-funk record. I like a lot of his later work, but with all artists, there's a difference between the raw early stuff and the more polished older stuff. I'd highly reccomend getting this CD, Gumbo, Right Place, and Gris Gris to start off your Dr. John collection and to really find out what New Orleans music is about. There's a lot of good time party music (some of which is sublime... see Rebirth's "We Come to Party" and the Meters "Live on the Queen Mary") that lacks depth. Mac's early work has a depth and mysticism combined with great playing that really is greater than the sum of it's parts.

Also, this CD has "Everybody Wanna Get Rich (Rite Away)" that Robert Walter covers on his excellent CD, Money Shot.

p.s. In case the references to Mac don't make any sense, Dr. John (the Night Tripper) is the character that Mac Rebennac plays i.e. Mac is Dr. John.

This is one of the good Dr. John albums from the '70s, right before he became a victim of the disco trends ("Tango Palace"). This is the immediate follow-up to hs hit, "In the Right Place." It is, in many ways, "Right Place," part two: Allen Touissant and the Meters provide fabulous back-up and the majority of songs are Dr. John originals. This album is every bit as good as "Place," and it's a shame it's not available here in the States. Funky highlights include "Mos Scoscious" and "Everybody Wanna Get Rich Right Away." Perhaps one day Dr. John will receive the respect he deserves by the re-release of the balance of his out-of-print '70s output. Not all of it was brilliant, but much was damn good and important coming from a legend like Rebennack.

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.

This album is an all-time favourite of mine - a fantastic collection of superb songs, intelligent texts, Dr. John's voice, brilliant music and superb back-up singers.
All the songs, quick or slow, are excellent in their own rights.
Even if you never heard about Dr. john before, this album is a must-have... - thank you ever so much, M label, for releasing this masterpiece (earlier only found on vinyl) on CD!
Finally, the CD sounds just as great (Bass etc.) as the record did - well done!

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.

Great Dr Joh Album from way back in the day. If your a Dr. John fan you will love it, if not you might just become one.