Gonna Take You Downtown is an album by the American musician Beau Jocque, released in 1996.[2][3] He is credited with his band, the Zydeco Hi-Rollers.[4] Issued as a vinyl dance track, "Make It Stank (Special Aromatic Dance Mix)" was a regional radio hit.[5][6] Jocque supported the album with a North American tour.[7]
| Gonna Take You Downtown | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Studio | Ultrasonic | |||
| Genre | Zydeco | |||
| Label | Rounder[1] | |||
| Producer | Scott Billington | |||
| Beau Jocque chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Scottish writer James Kelman used lyrics from the title track in his 2016 book, Dirt Road.[8]
Production
editRecorded in New Orleans, the album was produced by Scott Billington.[9] Its sound was influenced by funk and hard rock.[10] "Make It Stank (Special Aromatic Dance Mix)" employed tape loops and samples.[11]
"I'm on the Wonder" is a cover of the Clifton Chenier song.[12] "The Back Door" is a cover of the D. L. Menard song.[6] A talk box was used on the covers of "Cisco Kid" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door".[13]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [14] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide |  [15] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [16] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [11] |
The Chicago Reader wrote that Jocque has "pumped up his zydeco with the energy of rock, somehow incorporating that style's forceful backbeat without letting it dominate."[12] The Orlando Sentinel stated that "Jocque has a deep, imposing growl of a voice, and his style has a strong funk-soul influence," writing that "the only misstep is a rather pointless addition to the long list of covers of Bob Dylan's 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'."[16] The Denver Post determined that "Jocque groans and cries like a possessed John Lee Hooker."[17]
Guitar Player deemed the album "brimming with righteous rhythms, from the deep, offbeat pocket of Caribbean mento to the sultry swing of roots reggae and the full-bore zydeco romps."[13] Miami New Times opined: "There's some good, smoking stuff here, with a few Jocque originals that extend the legacy of zydeco and rock like mad in the process. Judging by the covers, though, Beau don't know his own considerable strengths."[18] City Pages listed Gonna Take You Downtown as the 18th best album of 1996.[19]
AllMusic wrote that "the things that set Jocque's band apart from other zydeco mainstays are the infusions of rock and funk, usually more or less missing from the genre."[14] The Village Voice concluded that the band "have perfected a superheroic woofer-whomping blend of Louisiana accordions and lubricious funk."[20]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gonna Take You Downtown" | |
| 2. | "Cisco Kid" | |
| 3. | "Allé Parti pour Voi Beau Jocque (Going to See Beau Jocque)" | |
| 4. | "I'm on the Wonder" | |
| 5. | "The Back Door" | |
| 6. | "Boogie Woogie All Nite Long" | |
| 7. | "It's So Easy When You're Breezin'" | |
| 8. | "A Little Love Always Make It Bettah" | |
| 9. | "Just One Kiss" | |
| 10. | "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" | |
| 11. | "Kinder 2 Step" | |
| 12. | "Make It Stank (Special Aromatic Dance Mix)" |
References
edit- ^ "Pop Music & Jazz". Fanfare. Newsday. 28 May 1995. p. 4.
- ^ "Beau Jocque Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Kiviat, Steve (December 6, 1996). "Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers". Washington City Paper.
- ^ "The Monterey Bay Blues Festival". Girl's Life. Vol. 3, no. 6. Jun–Jul 1997. p. 16.
- ^ Beal Jr., Jim (February 19, 1997). "Roots: The next generation – Remixers dressing up folk-based music for the club scene". San Antonio Express-News. p. 1G.
- ^ a b "Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers Gonna Take You Downtown". The Times-Picayune. November 8, 1996. p. L20.
- ^ Norman, Michael (November 24, 1996). "Pop/Rock". The Plain Dealer. p. 1I.
- ^ Kelman, James (July 11, 2017). Dirt Road. Catapult.
- ^ Billington, Scott (June 16, 2022). Making Tracks: A Record Producer’s Southern Roots Music Journey. Univ. Press of Mississippi.
- ^ Shand, John (6 Mar 1998). "I Said Dance, Sucker". Metro. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 27.
- ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books Ltd. 2006. p. 29.
- ^ a b "Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers". Chicago Reader. November 21, 1996.
- ^ a b Isola, Gregory (Dec 1996). "Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers: Grooving in Dorion's mode". Guitar Player. Vol. 30, no. 12. p. 25.
- ^ a b "Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers Gonna Take You Downtown". AllMusic.
- ^ MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 350.
- ^ a b Gettelman, Parry (23 Aug 1996). "Buckwheat Zydeco, Beau Jocque, Geno Delafose". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 10.
- ^ "Music CD gems clear choice as perfect gift for all tastes". The Denver Post. December 8, 1996. p. H1.
- ^ Floyd, John (October 3, 1996). "Rotations". Music. Miami New Times.
- ^ Robson, Britt (January 15, 1997). "Knockin' Back 40". Cover Story. City Pages.
- ^ Orteza, Arsenio (11 May 1999). "Eat their poussiere". The Village Voice. Vol. 44, no. 18. pp. 119–120.