Customer Reviews

N'Awlinz Dis, Dat, or D'Udda

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

hey you, guys at Amazon, come on adjourn your Dr. John's essential recordings list!!!
Needless to say this is not the new Gumbo, it is not even the new Goin' back to New Orleans: the fact is that during the decades the Doctor has constantly expanded his musical palette and now he has summed all his science up into this new album, though we find the usual receipt of Rebennack originals and Rebennack arranged traditionals here too. The special guests are really special and do special things with the Doctor: Mavis Staple on When the Saints - the fabulous slow version trademarked by Rebennack - and on Lay my burden down; Randy Newman is amazing - though every connoisseur is aware that Randy is very knowledgeable of New Orleans music - when he sings I ate up the apple tree; Cyril Neville vocals will kill you on Marie Laveau, Chickee le Pas and the closing number I'm goin' home; and what about Nicholas Payton and his trumpet who help the Doctor paying hommage to Louis Armstrong on Dear old Southland? and how not to be haunted by Wardell Quezergue's horns and strings? and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band does a wonderful job on Time marches on and Lay my burden now, then I wish you own a decent hi-fi system to enjoy the wonderful percussion job by John Boudreaux, Smokey Johnson and Joachim Cooder. And don't forget all the regular guests of Dr. John recordings: the legendary Earl Palmer, the Mardi Gras Indians, David Barard and many others. And what to say about Malcolm "Mac" Rebennack? well, I want to say one word no one would use to describe the Dr. John persona: he is serious, he is a damned serious musician in love with the music and he respects the music and the musical heritage of New Orleans.
Buy this record, it makes no difference if you are already a fan of the good Doctor or a newcomer: this album is - to put it simply - great music, genre bending music, a masterpiece.
And don't miss your chance to see Dr. John in concert!!!

A fine album by the good Dr. and his special guests, but not every selection is top notch. While most of the material captures a Nawlinz buzz and has that identifiable Mac sway, I found Newman to be pretty irritating on "I Ate Up the Apple Tree" - if someone could be accused of mugging for the microphone (rather than the camera), this is it. He actually sounds like he is trying to relegate Dr. John to the background. Also, to my ears, Nelson and King on "Time Marches On" sound uninspired and dull, especially when contrasted with B.B.'s much better vocal performance on "Hen Layin' Rooster." I get the feeling that were it not for their presence, "Time" would have been left on the studio floor. It's a shame because Mac and Willie sounded great together on the tune "Black Night" (Nelson's Milk Cow Blues). That said, the remaining material is so strong, so much fun, so dense and atmospheric, that it is easy to recommend this album as a whole.

This album is mesmerizing! This is definately one of the most enjoyable albums I have heard this year. Dr John brings the "flava" of New Orleans home in this album with the funeral dirge-like lamenting of "When The Saints Go Marching In" (with Mavis Staples)- also the Marie Laveau with Cyrille Neville is enchanting. Not to mention all the other remarkable vocal couplings with other legendary artists! Get in the bayou mood and get this one!

This is my first Dr. John CD and I'm pretty amazed. "When the Saints Go Marching In" with Mavis Staples' smoking voice and a waltz-time type rhythm had me literally up on my feet.

"Marie Laveau" with Cyril Neville took me to Nawlins past. Great tribute to the legend from two of my favorite artists.

Unlike others I enjoyed "I ate up the apple tree." with Randy Newman.

Overall, a great effort and a fun one. Can't be given up for Lent or any other reason!

Straight shot o' Weesi-anna's best musical soundscape here, and ol' Dr. John is just the professor to bring it all home. If you prefer your Bayou sounds sanitized and watered down for Top 40, stay away from this. It's too pure and likely gonna be a tough dose of the real thing.

On d'udda hand, this is a treasure chest. Each song is worthy of repeated listens, and each time something new and valuable is discovered. Picking the best of these 18 songs ain't possible, as each contributes to the overall perspective.

Spirituals, blues, standards, voodoo, soul. It's all here.

It's become way-too-commonplace today to puff up a CD with guest artists. But this has very serious cats sittin' in, and they don't simply show up for a payday. They came to play and pay homage to the distinct music found only in N'Awlinz.

I'm a sucker for anything Randy Newman does, but he has never sounded more inspired. Willie Nelson is today's Perry Como, but he, too, finds a new depth of performance. What can be said of B.B. King except you'd better be ready to play when he shows up; and they do!

Arrangements of lyrics and themes and scores are so evenly proportioned that songs you know like the palm of your foot sound fresh again. The way Mavis Staples and Dr. John retool "When The Saints Go Marching In" makes you wonder where you ever heard these lyrics before.

With The Dirty Dozen Brass Band backing, Michael Bolton could make passable music, so you can imagine what happens when blended with the real deal.

Forgive my musical ignorance. I'm not familiar with a lot of the other notable local musicians on this CD. But any of 'em could cut the famous studio boys in The City or L.A. or Nashville without breaking a sweat.

I'm here to testify. It's gonna be a long time until I've fully digested this cajun meal, and I love each bite.

Dr. John has again provided an incredible album that hits the heights of new orleans music. when I saw there were only three reviews I had to add my opinion. And here I go, exploding like a rocket to Mars... This album is not a revelation to those already familiar with the Night Tripper, but it is a treat for those of us fortunate enough to have fonkified our existence with the help of this travelling Voodoo mujician. I would class this album up there with Loretta Lynne's in terms of the "Old Folk showin' the chilluns a thing or two" category. Man, 2004 and this guy is still ripping it up. Let's see if Jack White and Ryan Adams are still doin' albums like this in 50 years. I hope so to be honest. But I digress, as is my wont. I saw the Doctor earlier this year and he looked like he was struggling, but he's put up, rather than shut up, with this album. all the tracks are solid, but my faves are, in no particular; the one with Willie, the title track, and a coupla others I can't remember for the life of me. if you like the Doctor, buy the album, if you don't know of him, buy his 'best of' first.
P.S. How good was ANUTHA ZONE, baby! Woooooooooooooooooooooo, to paraphrase the great Ric Flair.
P.P.S. Here's to Merle, Lefty, george, Willie etc.

I've enjoyed this guy for ages. He epitomizes NOLA music. He did learn at the knee of one of the giants of NOLA musicians, after all (the immortal Professor Longhair). This CD is the Doc's greatest expression of his N'Awlins (OK purists, quibble with my spelling and usage) thus far, and that is saying something.

He has gathered an unbelievable supporting cast for this CD. Mavis Staples' contribution on The Saints Come Marching In, for instance, lends that old saw an entirely new dimension of expression and soulfulness. Slow Drag New Orleans Jazz at it's rootsiest and one of the best modern examples I've heard in recent memory. The Dr has always been great at homework. The heritage is tatooed into his consciousness.

"Marie Laveau" is a pure Night Tripper gumbo and gris-gris homage to his former persona, with a contemporary, sardonic, tongue in cheek veneer.

Chikee Le Pas, Mardi Gras is pure purple, gold and green, and will take any former NOLA denizen straight back to St Charles Ave on Fat Tuesday in a heartbeat. How could it not, as it features Cyril Neville and The Mardi Gras Indians on backup vocals?

Fellow New Orleanean Randy Newman (another Crescent City genius) lends his considerable style and talent to another great track: I Ate up the Apple tree...usual satirical, farcical genius at work.

It's also fitting that Willie Nelson appears on a couple tracks, most notably on "Such a Much." Louisiana and neighboring Louisiana have long had an exchange of music and musicians... I can't recall the number of times I heard the late Stevie Ray Vaughan at Tipitinas...He was practically the Texas House band...Willie does a great job in preserving the "hands across the border" tradition.

Nice to hear the late Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown contributing, as well. He and the also posthumous James Booker were huge influences on Mac, as well.

Then you get a nice dose of BB King on "Hen-Layin Rooster" in the double entendre tradition of Bessie Smith, et al....who could resist? This is the in-crowd folks, makin' music like only true roots artists can. The assembled cast could knock off more soul-inspired melodies in their sleep than the current crowd of wannabes could struggle for in a lifetime of trying.

On my premiere list of recordings for the new decade.

For fans of NOLA or Dr John...please also give a listen and maybe buy the CD, Seppiana Hericane. All procedes go to victims of Katrina. He pours his heart out to his hometown on that one. He pours his soul out in this one. This has it over the more recent CD, musically, but the city, unique in the world, needs your bucks on the other.

BEK

digging the Cuts with Mavis Staples,B.B. King&Nicholas Payton. Dr John still has His Touch but some things are a Bit over Produced in spots.Mavis rocks "When the Saints go marching in".I tend to prefer Dr John's older Material.I'm not a Big fan of the Hook Up Album type of Projects because they tend to lose stem somewhere along the line&this one has that fate as well still a Better than Average set.

it's a fantastic album! I've been playing it over and again ever since I received it. I'm so happy with my choice, not only Dr. John is superb, but the instrumentals, the back up singers and the talented performers that are also given the chance to sing by themselves. This album also features great songs like "When the saints go marching in" in a rendition that's brilliant and not often heard, as well as "Lay my burden down" with Dr. John and Mavis Staples that is all soul. The piano solos are superb, and I can truly say that there's not one song I don't like or that I like less. B.B.King and Willie Nelson are also featured. In my opinion this album is a real treasure.

I'm new to Dr. John, so I didn't know what to expect when I ordered this. I've listened to it several times now, and while I enjoyed the first listen, it keeps getting better. It's like a rich musical gumbo (sorry about that) with lots of texture. Yeah - that's the ticket - texture. It's not a particularly joyous album, but a rather somber and earthy one, with a quality of writing and musicianship that is rare these days. I plan to buy many more of his discs.

You would hope that music of this calibre was properly recorded and mastered, and fortunately N'Awlinz was. This disc has audiophile quality sound that would be difficult to improve upon. The soundstage is deep and wide, the tonal balance is perfect, and it wasn't mastered too loud, allowing full dynamics. They did push the volume to the point just before compression occurs, and I wish they'd given it a little headroom, but it works. Due to the fullness of the sound and lack of grain, I suspect it was mastered using DSD.