Customer Reviews

Wild Tchoupitoulas

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Good goshamighty it's good to see this out on CD. This magnificent testament to the power of the Mardi Gras Indian music scene featured all four Neville Brothers performing together for the first time. Throw in The Meters fonky rhythm section and guitarist and you've got one heck of a backing band. The Tchoupitoulas themselves were older gentlemen, most of whom, their leader and the Neville's uncle George Landry included, have passed away since the record was cut. But luckily for us, in addition to spawning The Neville Brothers band, they left behind this butt burnin' document to remember them by. Do the songs all sound kind of the same? Yeah, but what a sound it is! New Orleans funky gumbo and war chants that'll have your party guests up and dancing in milliseconds. Put away the good china. Warning! Play this one in your car and your right foot starts to tap to that irresistable beat and pretty soon your car's doin' a stop and go rhumba down the road, and you'll have to explain why to the state trooper. But if he's got ears at all he'll hear it for himself and tear up the ticket. It's contagious after all. This one's another desert island disc cuz on my island we like to groove.

This 23 year old release features all the elements of a great funk record. All the Nevilles are here, Allen Toussaint, (once known as Naomi Neville) produces, Leo, George Porter & Zigaboo from the Meters are here, as well. Big Chiel Jolly wrote a lot of the songs that are performed by all the Mardi Gras Indian tribes now. This is the album that started it all, as far as I'm concerned. The Wild Magnolias have upped the tempo, and the Flaming Arrows have incorporated the wildnees, but no one tops the Wild Tchoupitoulas funk. This album contains the best recorded "Indian Red", and "Hey Mama" is unique to this outfit. While you may have heard Neville Brother versions of some of these tunes, you must hear them performed by Geoge "Jolly" Laundry. Buy this cd and learn how to rock.

Although they're from New Orleans, The Wild Tchoupitoulas sounds almost like a hybrid of World Music and R&B. The excellent rhythm section drives the music in a wild mutation of New Orleans R&B, funk and what sounds like early Jamaican influences. The harmonies are great throughout and the songs all blend into each other in an undulating festive stream of sound. When listening, I often recall early R&B like Sugarboy Crawford's "Jock-O-Mo" that later became the standard "Iko Iko." But it's rough and raw vocals, very unlike the polished sound of the Neville Brothers on eg. their version of "Bird on a Wire." This is a joyful and seamless blend of styles that lifts the spirit.

Just a spectacularly great New Orleans Funk album. People who don't know the genre or care about genres ask, "What is this? Who are these guys?" It's the album I'd enter a burning building to save. It's the album I'd walk over my dead mother to get. It's the album I'd give up beer to save. I wore out my taped copy of it. It's infectious. It's catchy, eye-opening, horizon-expanding. It's tight, it's loose, it's in your caboose.

The only complaint I have of this otherwise perfect New Orleans album is that it is too short, only 30 minutes or so. Every song is Big Easy Mardi Gras fun though. The Meters(who made and still make great funky solo albums) provide the music, the soon to be Neville brothers provide backing vocals, produced by Allen Toussaint, and the Tchoupitoulas(you'll know how to pronounce it after hearing them chant it) chant the lead vocals. Party music cajun style, southern tribal funk and all with a great sense of humor and fun. The Wild Tchoupitoulas along with Prof. Longhair and of course Dr. John belong in all record collections of any spicy depth.

When I first heard this as I wandered through the Harvard Coop, I thought my feet would stomp a hole in the floor, and I bought it at top speed. 25 years later, I am still stomping! You NEED this. it is music to which to go crazy, in the best possible way, and I suggest you wear feathers and paint. Be careful you do not hurt yourself dancing.

from the Iko-Iko-like kickoff, this sly rampage unfolds into pure pleasure. 'Think a cut or two in the middle are sub-par? You'll like them soon enough and see how they fit in the groove. How many records do I take down from the shelf 30+ years on and like exactly the same way? This is in that small club.

I met Cheif Landry way back when. They never saw dime-one out of this, but that he wasn't mad. He was getting mail from all over the world!

Having lived in New Orleans for four years, I built a pretty good size CD collection. However, I always come back to this album. A bunch of upbeat and fun songs. A must own album!

It's now a couple of years later and I must confess that I didn't do this album justice above. It's probably my favorite Nawlins album of all time. And that includes old school James Booker up through the latest Kermit Ruffins or Jon Cleary albums. And it's definitely the best Neville Brothers album, though, Live on Planet Earth ranks among the best live albums ever.

It's also unique in that it is a well-produced clean mardi-gras Indian sound instead of the more typical rough around the edges, almost improvised sound associated with mardi-gras Indian chants. And while I prefer a gritty less produced sound 99 out of 100 times, this is clearly the 100th time -- as every song works. For me, it brings out instant smiles and happiness.

Thus, considering the state of the world (jan 2007), it should surprise no one that I've been listening quite a lot of late. I just wish they'd do a follow up as it does run short.

Every now and then the planets line up just right and we get a confluence of fragile artistic elements. This album is like that, a beautiful soap bubble that dazzled with the rainbow colors of the Tchoupitoulas' costumes, floated above the crowd, and burst, leaving the Neville Brothers band as the residue. The light touch of the arrangements, where spaces are as important as hits, provides the perfect setting for the happiest, huskiest harmonies. The rough-edged street singing of the Landrys is a perfect mix with the polished studio vocals of the Nevilles, who just happened to be related to the Landrys. This was a rare unrepeatable combination. Knowing that the lyrics are rooted in reality, the drinking and fighting tradition of the New Orleans Indians in which the Landrys participated, gives the whole thing an extra dose of credibility. It's not only one of the best albums to listen and dance to, it represents a unique burst of American culture, a lightning strike that could never be reconstructed. Let this album run in your car for a week and you'll know all the words and be singing with the Big Chief!

Hoon-don-day--low down dirty ways!!!
It doesn't get any better than this.
These guys are to pop music like the Cubs are to Baseball-
How can you not like 'em?
Thank God this came out on CD, becuase my LP (original)
is worn to the bone.
Buy it!!- Buy 2 or 3 and give them to your friends. Everybody need the the "Tchoups" once in a while.