1989
Produced by: Michael Doucet, Ken Gorz and Ken Irwin
Recorded at: Ultrasonic Studio, N'Awlins.
Special Guest: Scott Goodeau (electric guitar on "Baby, Please don't go.")
1. Bon Temps Rouler
2. Rolling Pin
3. Valse Bebe
4. Hey Baby, Quoi Ca Dit?
5. Couchon de Lait
6. Bayou Cadillac (Not Fade Away, Bo Diddley, Iko Iko)
7. Flammes D'Enfer
8. Bunk's Blues
9. Le Sud de la Louisiane (David Doucet, vocal)
10. Baby, Please don't go
11. Macaque Sur Mon Dos (David Doucet, vocal)
12. Island Zydeco
The fiddling on this album is absolutely outstanding. Give Mike his due, he deserves it. This stuff is what I think Cajun music should sound like. That's just my opinion.
How did I first hear about this album? Well, mostly from tracks I had listened to before. Specifically, Tracks four and five. "Hey baby...." is something like Cajun polka music. As a pole, I appreciate this kind of effort to put polka into contemporary music. I suppose it's also inspired by Tex-Mex music - after all, it was written by Augie Meyers. It's a lot of fun, and something you don't hear everyday. "Couchon de Lait," on the other hand, I cannot describe. I first heard it on a sound clip on amazon.com, and I was curious as to what exactly it was. It sounded weird, something I had never heard before. Billy Ware's percussion carries this song. The percussion is what makes the song sound weird. It's mostly instrumental, with Michael singing the phrase "Couchon de Lait" every once in a while. What does that phrase mean? The liner notes say it means........pig roast. Imagine that.
There are some flat-out fun songs on this album. Some of the best are just your everyday cajun songs. "Rolling Pin" is one of those songs. Michael plays outstanding fiddle on this song. You have to wonder how he does some of the things he does. This song is a faced-paced barnburner that should get you in a very happy mood. I can't believe these guys get paid to do this!
"Le Sud de la Louisiane" actually sounds a lot like "Rolling Pin" with the same fast fiddling style. The lyrics are from David, though, not Michael. The translated lyrics are great. The song is about the Acadians who came to Louisiana and found their paradise. Unlike "Recherchie d'Acadie" on Cajunization, this is an upbeat song focusing on all the good things the Acadians found in their new homeland. Very inspirational.
Macaque Sur Mon Dos is another great song. Again, it's a fiddling delight. David sings the lyrics again, and does a great job. The lyrics aren't quite as fun, as they are about a woman cheating on her man. "Macaque Sur Mon Dos" mean "Monkey on my Back" in English.
There are a couple songs on this CD that have rock and roll roots, or at least sound as if they do. The first song, "Bon Temps Rouler" is an old Zydeco song. The title of the song has become ingrained in the Louisiana vocabulary. This song makes good use of percussion, and it isn't really a cajun or zydeco-style song. The lyrics are mostly in English, making it even less Cajun. But it sure rocks.
The title track is one of my favorites. It, too, is percussion-heavy. It's a medly of a Buddy Holly song, "Bo Diddley" and "Iko Iko." The lyrics to the songs are part French, part English and part mumbo-jumbo. Tommy Alesi, the drummer, really does a good job here in keeping the beat and making it resonate within you. Jimmy Breaux has never been better, in my opinion. Even though the Cajun Accordian is a small instrument with a limited note range, it sure does rock in Jimmy's hand. It offers a nice contrast the fluid sounds of the fiddle. Jimmy's accordian alone makes this song worth your while.
There are a few slow songs on this CD, but they are quite good. "Valse Bebe" is a romantic waltz, but it isn't sad. It's these kinds of waltzes that I like. Mike's fiddle is magic again. This man is amazing. He is a true master of the fiddle. He doesn't let up in another slow song, "Bunk's Blues." This is by far the slowest, saddest song of the set. However, if you want to see just how good Michael Doucet is on the fiddle, this is the song for you. Even compared with all those other great songs on this album that feature his fiddle, this is the best. He's creative, and he can improvise with the best of them. This song really deserves a listen.
The other songs are good too. There really isn't a bad song on this entire CD. It's definitely one of the most enjoyable albums I've ever owned. I don't think this album gets the respect it deserves among BeauSoleil's critics, reviewers and fans. It's one of those albums that suprises you. Even though people don't really talk much about it, I think it ranks among their best, mostly because it is consistently good, and consistently enjoyable. I strongly recommend that you add it to your CD collection. BeauSoleil fan or not, I think you will enjoy it.