Louisiana Music is an album by the zydeco musician Rockin' Dopsie (credited with his band, the Zydeco Twisters), released in 1991.[2][3] His major label debut, it was also his final album.[4]
| Louisiana Music | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Zydeco | |||
| Label | Atlantic[1] | |||
| Producer | Ahmet Ertegun, Shane Keister | |||
| Rockin' Dopsie chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editProduced in part by Ahmet Ertegun, the album was recorded in two days.[5][6] Two of Dopsie's sons, Alton Jr. and David, contributed to the album, on drums and rub board, respectively; saxophonist John Hart, formerly of Clifton Chenier's band, also played on Louisiana Music.[7][8] "Since I Lost My Baby" is a cover version of Ivory Joe Hunter's "Since I Met You Baby", which had also been produced by Ertegun.[9]
Critical reception
edit
The New York Times wrote that the album "sounds as slapdash as an impromptu hoedown; Rockin' Dopsie revamps zydeco favorites like Clifton Chenier's 'Hot Tamale Baby (Ain't That Right)', dances all over Little Richard's 'Keep A-Rockin'' and turns a sultry line like 'I'm in the Mood' into a go-go fiesta."[6] The Chicago Tribune concluded that "this is one of the few zydeco bands to pass through a major label machine and come out with its sound and integrity intact."[12] Newsday thought that "Dopsie is nothing more (or less) than an exceptionally solid zydecan, and the same goes for this record, a rare example of blessedly unadorned roots music on a major label."[14]
The San Francisco Chronicle opined that "not since Clifton Chenier has the highly rhythmic, irresistible accordion-driven bayou beat made the heart skip in two-step time like this."[15] The Boston Herald determined that Louisiana Music "hopscotches from rock to blues to two-steps in a potent, dance-floor-packing performance."[11] The Times-Picayune wrote that the "band's loose-limbed style cuts through any pop pretenses ... And by the album's fourth song we're solidly into the classic, loose R&B with French lyrics that brought Dopsie his local following."[16]
AllMusic called the album "a killer dance blend of rootsy zydeco full of grit, funk, and soul with pedal-to-the-metal rhythms."[10] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings complained that the "studio sound crosses the line between pristine and sterile."[13]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm in the Mood" | |
| 2. | "Keep a Knockin'" | |
| 3. | "Since I Lost My Baby" | |
| 4. | "Josephine C'est Pas Ma Femme" | |
| 5. | "Lafayette Two Step" | |
| 6. | "Hot Tamale Baby (Ain't That Right)" | |
| 7. | "The Things I Used to Do" | |
| 8. | "Calinda" | |
| 9. | "That's All Right" | |
| 10. | "Zydeco Two Step" |
References
edit- ^ a b MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 229.
- ^ "Rockin' Dopsie, 61, A Master of Zydeco with His Own Style". The New York Times. Associated Press. August 28, 1993. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ^ Aswell, Tom (September 23, 2010). Louisiana Rocks!: The True Genesis of Rock and Roll. Pelican Publishing. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 85.
- ^ Wyman, Bill (August 1, 1991). "Calendar". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Schoemer, Karen (November 22, 1991). "Sounds Around Town". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Sharp, Jo Ellen Meyers (13 Jan 1992). "Record Reviews". The Indianapolis Star. p. D4.
- ^ Esmonde, Donn (February 21, 1992). "In Brief". The Buffalo News. p. G31.
- ^ a b Plotnikoff, David (December 6, 1991). "Rockin' Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters". Eye. San Jose Mercury News. p. 24.
- ^ a b "Louisiana Music". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ^ a b Convey, Kevin R. (December 6, 1991). "Discs". Boston Herald. p. S12.
- ^ a b Heim, Chris (16 Jan 1992). "Rave recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 6.
- ^ a b The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books. 2006. pp. 553–554.
- ^ Gehr, Richard (24 Nov 1991). "New Releases". Fanfare. Newsday. p. 17.
- ^ Selvin, Joel. "Rockin' Dopsie & the Zydeco Twisters: Louisiana Music". Sunday Datebook. San Francisco Chronicle. p. 42.
- ^ Aiges, Scott (December 13, 1991). "Rockin' Dopsie Captured on Wax". The Times-Picayune. p. L6.