Customer Reviews

Let Me Play With Your Poodle

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been following Marcia off and on for the last 10 years...always thought of her as a fun artist with a nice voice and enough piano to make her credible.

Then I heard this album...she cranks out a bunch of blistering pounding piano solos that impressed this old hard heart.

Go get this one...by far the best of her albums

This was a chance purchase by my Father who shares my love of blues. I feel like I have been let into a new field of boogie~woogie, key dancin...world. This lady is fantastic, I would give my right left toe to be able to do what she does to those ivorys. Play with Your Poodle is a piece of mastery that would bring anyone out of the deepest funk they have ever been in. I thought for a minute this lady knew me in 'can't trust my heart'... Wonderful mix of boogie and soulful heart breakers... I will be working my through the rest of these! If you love piano music of this kind as I do, this is a must have..the whole CD is great....

I think this is Marcia Ball's most far-reaching and sophisticated CD to date. Her full range as a musican and singer are on display. The first song "Let Me Play With Your Poodle", reaches out, grabs you out of your chair, and takes you full-speed into the joyous world that is Marcia Ball's music. You get the full drive and power of her piano playing. Other Louisiana type songs include "Crawfishin'" and "The Right Tool for the Job". "American Dream" is a little bit different for Marcia--a Delbert McClinton-style rocker--but it's become one of my favorites. Lost-love ballads like "The Story of My Life" are a great change of pace, and the final song "Evangeline" is a quietly passionate cover of a Randy Newman song that is just exquisite.

I thought "Blue House" was the best, but this is even better. It really shows off the Marcia Ball Band (which, unfortunately, has seen almost a complete turnover since this CD came out) at its most mature and powerful.

Marcia delivers piano as sizzling uptempo or in yearning ballad forms and comes out sounding fab either way. The title track and Crawfishin' are instant classics, and all her slower moments are sweet and tender.

Not a duff track in the batch. The song blend of originals and covers is well focused, and lends creedance to the great history of music and life on the Bayou (Delbert McClinton, Randy Newman).

I've listended to a lot of blues influenced ivory ticklers on CD, and I've seen many a player hit the 88 keys live and in person, but Marcia delivers the right stuff from start to finish.

Her voice is warm and welcoming. Session heavyweight Doyle Bramhall (Sr.), joins in to add spice to the party in session.

Next time the neighbors are coming over for a BBQ, slip into something comfortable and try on a little Marcia Ball..this Poodle is worth picking up.

"Play With Your Poodle" is great upbeat blues album that isn't too syrupy and depressing. It is a pleasant blend of tradtional blues licks, great vocals with just a touch of country toe tapping rhythm. Eric Clapton look out!

During a recent on-stage interview in Austin, Texas(courtesy of NPR's great program, "Fresh Air" and its talented host, Terri Gross), the marvelous Ms. Ball resisted attempts to peg her as being EITHER from Texas or Louisiana. Instead, she gave a musician's rationale for disregarding state borders where the gulf-states region is considered. It was no swipe at state sovereignty, but rather, a compelling homage to the rich mixture of influences that infuse the music from New Orleans to Austin! Just listen to what she serves up on this disc, and you'll readily endorse her her right and claim to dual-state residency. I've been a guitar player all my life...and yet, when I listen to Marcia Ball tickling the keys of a piano, I wish I'd taken up the ivories as well. There's just no limit to the ways Marcia Ball makes her musical presence known! She's equally at home with raucous, New Orleans boogie (listen to the opening title track), and heart renching blues and r&b ballads like "I Still Love You" and "How Big A Fool" (I could almost see Etta James and Ruth Brown nodding their approval). Then listen to Marcia "preach the gospel truth" on "For the Love of A Man" and you'll have been witness to that masterful blend of instrumentation and visceral vocal phrasing that is R&B at its most convincing. And if the soulful slow numbers have you immobilized and your knees pinned to the floor, just jump to "Crawfishin'" and you'll be back in full motion.

When's the next flight to New Orleans and Austin?

Enough said. Marcia knows her way around the piano. Well-written songs and a tight, supportive band bring out the best of this great musician.

I have no idea why I need to review this item with a run on sentence that must be at least twenty works long and I hope that this is long enough and you get the point

One of my best decisions ever was to attend the "gala" music event at a trade show in Austin, TX with Marsha Ball heading the bill. I was converted from "Never heard of her" to "Gotta buy an album and play it for Kay as soon as I get home". She's a real rocker and this is one of her later and better albums.

Marcia is a great New Orleans blues singer. She has a wonderful stage presence and should get more national recognition.