1994
Produced by: Michael Doucet, Carter Al Tharp and BeauSoleil
Recorded at: Dockside Studios; Milton, LA (April 1994)
Special guests: None
1. Chez Denouse McGee
2. O Bebe waltz
3. Freeman's Zydeco
4. Quel Espoir
5. La ville des manteau
6. Lizzette la douce
7. Evangeline waltz
8. One Iota
10. La cravate a ziggy zag
11. Chere petite blond
12. Cajun crawl
13. Angelas' waltz
14. Hip et ti-yeaux
15. La belle de bayou teche
This album is actually a theme album. BeauSoleil had been doing several albums of mostly non-traditional (or at least non-traditional sounding) music for a few years. I guess they decided to go back to their roots and rediscover some of the older music performed by the greats. Most of these songs were long forgotten until Michael decided to put them to use. The result of this experiment is a great album of music that sounds as fresh and new as anything, but that has roots going back to the first cajun music records.
This album is packed with two things: fast dance numbers and lovely waltzes. There aren't really too many songs that are in between. The amazing thing is that, as old as these songs are, BeauSoleil makes them sound new. If one was not told that these were traditional songs, you'd think Michael wrote them yesterday. In fact, he didn't write any of these songs (not the tunes, anyway. I think he wrote some of the lyrics). Without further ado, here's my assessment of the songs they've put on this super album.
Although there are quite a few slower waltzes on this album, there are still enough barn burners to satisfy the dancing-inclined Beausoleil fans. Chez Denouse McGee is one of those classic opening songs that sets the pace for the other songs. I'm not sure what style the song is, but it's a good one. The fiddling is, as always, extraordinary. Freeman's Zydeco isn't a zydeco song at all, not in the modern sense anyhow. When BeauSoleil refer to Zydeco, they're referring to the older, creole-based tradition. Zydeco isn't just a style of music, it's also a word for old time creole dance parties. The thing that makes this track stand out, in my mind, is the way the lyrics are presented.
Quel Espoir is a wonderful, fiddle-based song. It's not for dancing, but the lyrics and fiddle make it powerful. It has that old, classic sound to it. Lizzette la Douce is another great song with wonderful fiddling and what sounds like some mandolin as well. It's from the cajun string band tradition, and has that jazzier sound like some of BeauSoleil's newer stuff.
One Iota is just a classic two-step, classic all the way. The music is catchy, but the lyrics are what grab you. Michael's vocal delivery on this album is simply amazing. La cravate a ziggy zag is a whirlwind of a song. Just an absolute whirlwind. It's one of my favorite songs, and it is catchy as heck. I don't know how they did it, but they did it. Cajun Crawl is another string band song. The fiddling is excellent. Of course it is; it's Michael Doucet.
The rest of the album is dominated by the waltzes. These waltzes are quite different from what you'd find on The Best of BeauSoleil. Some of them are a little faster, a little more upbeat. O Bebe waltz is one of those. It's a faster than most waltzes, and the vocals are outstanding. Evangeline waltz is slow, but the vocals are quite good. At certain points, the singers of the group cry out in harmony and pull some serious emotional punches. Joe Falcon's waltz is another good, faster waltz with good, strong vocals by Mike.
Overall, this is a very amazing album. The musicianship and vocal delivery are outstanding. I have very much enjoyed listening to this album and would recommend it to anyone wanting a taste of BeauSoleil doing great things with traditional music. You won't be disappointed.