Life Is a Carnival

The Wild Magnolias | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 9, 1999)
• Original Release Date: March 9, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B00000I7JN
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,540 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #99 in Music > Indie Music > World Music > Cajun & Zydeco

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Return of Dr. John and New Orleans funk, April 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life Is a Carnival (Audio CD)

After the 1970's heyday of New Orleans funky R&B, the Meters split up, the Neville Bros' sound became increasingly washed-out with atmospheric production, and Dr. John settled on a classier piano/vocal setting. This album of Mardi Gras Indian chants and new Dr. John and Cyril Neville tunes continues the tradition set by both the Wild Magnolias and the Wild Tchoupitoulas (setting the traditional chants to contemporary R&B styles) and also revives that gritty New Orleans funk sound, with some new injections that work better than I expected. Big Chief Bo Dollis handles the lead vocals with verve, while Big Chief Monk Boudreaux often frames the songs with "raps" that lend drama. There is a suspiciously high number of Japanese musicians on the album, but you would never know by listening: June Yamagishi plays a Hendrix-oriented guitar, and the The Black Bottom Brass Band of Osaka helps make Dr. John's "All on a Mardi Gras Day" perhaps the definitive recording. This is an old-fashioned album of relentless grooves and occasionally great lyrics

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Mardi Gras/New Orleans Funk, February 9, 2000

By 

fw (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life Is a Carnival (Audio CD)

The new Wild Magnolias record is awesome - one of the best albums to come out of the New Orleans music scene in some time (in my opinion). The strong, scruffy vocals combined with the hard bass make for an extremely funky sound. Add in the Mardi Gras sounds, and you get some new funky music on par with the Meters, Nevilles, George Porter, George Clinton/P-Funk, Dr. John, Maceo Parker, James Brown, etc. "Party" is the best track, but to truly know how good the band is, you need to see them live.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Crank It Up!, August 10, 2009

By 

Karl W. Nehring (Ostrander, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life Is a Carnival (Audio CD)

If you have never heard New Orleans "Indian" music before, prepare yourself for an energetic blast from your speakers: this CD starts off with a yelp and the energy level takes off from there. With support from New Orleans musical luminaries such as Dr. John and Cyril Neville, Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias simply tear the joint up, and the sound is dynamic and full, with plenty of midbass energy to give your woofers a workout. If you can't make it down to New Orleans for Fat Tuesday, crank this CD up and you'll be close, awfully close to the real thing--any old time of the year.