Rough Guide To New Orleans

Rough Guide to New Orleans
Reviewed by Sadie O., 4/4/12
Overview of many of the musical styles to come out of Nawlins. Some classics and hugely important artists, some others much less well known. Bonus CD by Dumpstaphunk, who might be my new favorite band. Minor FCC on CD 1, track 6. Also “piss you off” repeated on CD 2 track 1.
CD 1:
1. 2:19 ***call and response intro, midtempo super-funky crawl – huge hit (for a few people – like Ike & Tina), for all the best reasons. Do not try to resist this party!
2. 3:14 ***It’s the freakin’ Meters, ok? Midtempo funky instrumental (the vocals in second half are clearly instruments) classic. Everything about it is perfect.
3. 3:17 **long build-up, funky march, clearly second line.
4. 3:45 ***Indians! Downtempo relaxed funk, with lovely vocals reflecting on good times and music. Recent release, echoes on vocals, a bit jazzy. Nice.
5. 4:45 ***big hand drums intro, total hip wiggler with trumpet and blatty trombone. Sweetness!
6. 5:07 FCC: seems to be a single quick “shit” **a bit lad back, with lots of drum flourishes and horns, big band. Jazzy, with hip hop vocals. Kermit is the star of “Treme”, and a hero in the district.
7. 6:36 ***funky, wiggly, blatty, clearly a party going on, second line feel, a bit laid back, but FUN-KAY.
8. 5:04 ***starts with a few trombone blats, build into huge brass band funk.
9. 5:01 **rather laid back and downtempo, brass band, slinky.
10. 4:48 ****serious FUNK, a bit downtempo, slithery, great vocals. FUNK!!! Oh hell yeah. GNARLY guitar solo, too.
11. 4:16 smooth elevator jazz. Margaritaville. What a shame… Well, it gets a bit Latin-y towards the end, but not enough…
12. 3:58 **downtempo, relaxed Latin cha-cha with spoken word. Smooth and slinky with clave.
13. 3:53 ***It’s the Professor. It don’t get much better than that! Uptempo, great energy, with effortlessly sweet piano, whistling. Classic Mardi Gras music, live recording.
14. 4:01 ***and it’s the Doctor – it don’t get ANY better than that! Just the man and his piano. I’m just gonna sit here and BOGGLE.
15. 5:50 ***traditional Nawlins jazz by a musical purist, fine clarinet/trumpet/banjo, vocals reminiscent of Louis Prima. Katrina destroyed 5000 of his records, it says here. Ouch.
CD2:
1. 5:57 ***forceful syncopated funk, instruments mostly in unison, several (fine) voices. Check that bubbling bass – yow!
2. 4:00 ***downtempo, relaxed, super fly. Political diatribe. True talk.
3. 6:19 ****Downtempo, SICK growling double bass, farfisa, instrumental. What is not to love about this? Nothing!
4. 4:47 ****that bass again! DAMN! Rather downtempo and relaxed super-funk. Socio-political rant. Unbelievably funky. Whew.
5. 5:03 **downtempo, relaxed, sweet syncopated love song.
6. 4:48 **sweet, almost “Southern rock” intro, downbeat, another sociopolitical diatribe. The music isn’t the best on the album, but the song is amazing.
7. 5:48 ****chugging guitar intro, awesome midtempo popping bass funk, social observation lyrics. Great sound. Gnarly fuzzy electric guitar solo, too. When you think it’s winding down, it ramps right up again. Damn!