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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is what anthologies should be., 11 May 2004
This review is from: Mos'scocious (Audio CD)
This is quite simply the most played pair of CDs I posess. The two discs have their own character and sound, but they play back to back just as well, and for the diversity of the tracks, the whole flows with a remarkable smoothness that has to be heard to be believed. Also with my copy there is a 32 page insert book with photos, a brief bio, Dr John's comments on the tracks and a list of album sources, this latter being an important feature annoyingly missing from many collections. I haven't said much about the tracks yet, and in truth nothing could do them justice. There are 39 of them, following the artist's career, and all are excelent. Every track tells a story, and you never think you are listening to a "space filler". A tattered copy of this compilation was my introduction to Dr John, and I've never looked back.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Start here!, 10 Sep 2006
This review is from: Mos'scocious (Audio CD)
This is a great collection to get, especially if you don't have many of Dr John's solo CD's already. On 2 CD's you get 39 tracks covering his career from the recordings with Ronnie Barron (tracks 1 & 2) all the way up to 1989.
Dr John is one the most important New Orleans musicians alive and this collection covers the many varied styles of his career. Naturally the sound quality of the earliest recordings, which date from 1959 are a little rough, that may be the age or it may be what was intended.
Stylistically there's huge variety here:
The Voodoo sound (Gris Gris etc)
Prof Longhair (Tipitina, Memories of Prof Longhair)
Early 70's New Orleans Funk (Right Place Wrong Time, Life)
Rock n Roll (I Wanna Rock)
Solo Boogie Woogie Piano (Honey Dripper)
Big Band influenced Jazz (Makin' Whoopie, Accentuate The Positive, More Than You Know)
And that's without discussing the very early tracks which are a very eclectic bunch. Look at the credits for example on Storm Warning (1959). Allen Toussaint - Piano, Alvin Tyler - Sax, Melvin Lastie - Trumpet. This is already a core of very important New Orleans musicians, so you shouldn't be put off by the early tracks!
The CD's come with an excellent booklet, which gives you biographical information, as well as much background information on the recordings themselves. By the way track 15 'Opening' is not in the collection (hence no sample).
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I BEEN HOODOOD....., 25 Jan 2011
This review is from: Mos'scocious (Audio CD)
....and am now completely under the spell of Mac Rebennack aka Dr John, an American singer/songwriter, pianist,and one-time guitarist who has worn more musical hats than Mrs Gertrude (The Ascot Mascot) Shilling ever did in her audacious annual visits to Royal Ascot. Starting off as a kid rock 'n' roller his music encompasses blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydecco, Gospel, and boogie woogie. His guitar career came to an end when his left ring finger was injured by a gunshot while he was defending a fellow bandmate.
He is very much a man of New Orleans, which his music reflects with such numbers as "Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", "Mardi Gras Day", "I Been Voodood", and "Mama Roux". His stage persona is that of a 'New Orleans Tavern' performer and his husky voice and strong almost honky-tonk piano playing style result, whatever the genre of music being played, in a gutsy, powerful rendition quite unlike other performers.
This anthology contains an excellent selection of his work over four decades and across the broad spectrum of his diversity of styles, including his well known "Iko Iko",and "Such A Night", and really doesn't necessitate much commentary just listening to.
A 'must have' for followers of 'rooted-in-the-deep-south' music, as well as just about all who enjoy good, foot-tapping, music performed by an accomplished artiste.
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