Goin' Back to New Orleans
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (16 June, 1992)
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Editorial Review

Goin' Back traces a century of Crescent City musical history, starting in the mid-19th century with Louis Moreau Gottschalk, a classical composer influenced by the African chants and slave dances he witnessed in New Orleans' Congo Square. With support from some of the city's most prominent musical pioneers (including Danny Barker, Pete Fountain, and the Neville Brothers), Dr. John breathes new life into the work of Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, and Huey Piano Smith. From early jazz to junkie blues, Goin' Back covers it all, ranging from well-trod standards ("Basin Street Blues," "Careless Love") to otherwise forgotten jewels ("I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say," "How Come My Dog Don't Bark"). What's most remarkable is how utterly alive and timeless it sounds. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Lushly made, just plain outstanding music
One of my top 10 favorite albums from the 1990s.The vocal interpretations of these classic New Orleans songs are fabulous.The production is lush, and in this case, all the orchestration works to propel this album into something that is both fun and exquisitely beautiful.You can listen to this album again and again and always find something new that's interesting.A finely detailed portrait of New Orleans music intelligently done.

Disappointing, with a few good tracks
I am a fan of blues and roots music who bought this album based on its interesting set list of classic songs and its rave reviews from various sources. Unfortunately, I found the album way overproduced. There is too much bland orchestra, chorus, and strings that smother the life of the songs. A few good tracks are exceptions: "Fess Up" is an affectionate solo piano tribute to Professor Longhair, "Cabbage Head" has amusing lyrics and a smaller combo that doesn't overload the sound, and "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You" has some good moments where you hear the interplay of individual instruments. But overall I would recommend this album only if you love Dr. John's voice and want to hear what he does with these classic songs. If you love his piano, go for the solo "Dr. John Plays Mac Rebannack." If you want to hear New Orleans blues played with great piano, vocals, and backup band, buy "Crawfish Fiesta" by Professor Longhair. To my ears, "Goin' Back to New Orleans" is overrated.

Dr. John is the coolest!
On this disc, Dr. John covers a bunch of old New Orleans standards and they all sound great.He has home-town guests including the Neville Brothers, Al Hirt, and Pete Fountain.Even the liner notes are cool, as Dr. John gives a little bit of history for each one of the songs.Some of the lyrics are a little funny, and some of the other lyrics must have been the gangsta' rap of their day.Apparently, when there is cheating going on, somebody is going to get cut up.It's mostly just good-time music, though.
Dr. John is the coolest! ... Read more

Asin: B000002LTW
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. New Orleans R&B    3. Piano Blues    4. Pop    5. R&B    6. Rock & Roll   

Dr. John's Gumbo
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (28 June, 1990)
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Editorial Review

After the studio bloat of 1971's The Sun, Moon & Herbs, Gumbo is a tightly focused return to Rebennack's musical roots. His band is full of Louisiana legends (Harold Battiste, Lee Allen) plus lesser known but equally important 'Nawlins heroes: Ronnie Barron, Alvin Robinson, and a wonderful trombonist known simply as Streamline. Together, they rage through a dozen New Orleans classics, not only the work of Professor Longhair and Huey Smith, but also Earl King and Ray Charles, who lived in the Crescent City while leading the house band at the Dew Drop Inn. Many of these songs are closely associated with the '50s, but Gumbo never sounds forced or nostalgic; it's great work from start to finish. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The Soul Of New Orleans
It is impossible to listen to this CD and not want to grab the next flight to New Orleans. Dr. John hit all the right notes when he put this collection of New Orleans standards together back in the 70's. It sounds as good today as it did then because this is timeless music. Just fantastic R & B with tasty arrangements and the Dr's rockin' piano and growling voice supplying the flavor. This is truly a classic and one I've listened to again and again for years without tiring of it. Not many records that I can say that about.

5 Stars isn't high enough!
This is not only the best Dr John recording ever, it ismy all time favorite by anyone. Total perfection!!!

Let the Doctor take you to school
A New Orleans musical history lesson that doesn't feel or sound like school at all.Actually, it sounds like a party in Dr. John's living room.Spirited piano and vocals in his inimitable style, and freewheeling arrangements of a number of Deep South R n' B standards - guaranteed fresh, hot, and steaming every time you stick it in the player.Plus, highly informative liner notes on each and every song by the good doctor. ... Read more

Asin: B000002I6P
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. New Orleans R&B    3. Piano Blues    4. Pop    5. Rock & Roll   

In the Right Place
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (28 June, 1990)
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Editorial Review

Start with the Meters, whose hard funk is so efficient there's not a wasted note or out-of-sync beat. Add producer Allen Toussaint's wonderful vocal and horn arrangements. Top them off with seven Rebennack originals plus four well-chosen covers, and you have an album that seemed to arrive out of nowhere at the time of its original 1973 release. It still sounds garden-fresh today, not just the monster hits, "Right Place, Wrong Time" and "Such a Night," but also the chain-gang funk of "Same Old Same Old," the verbal insults of "Qualified," even the second-line soul of "Shoo Fly Marches On." The closest thing to a weak link is "Peace Brother Peace," in which Rebennack anoints himself the Dr. Feelgood of love and happiness. But the Meters sound as if they believe every word he's singing, so who are we to argue? --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (5)

This IS the right place!!!
Wanna see a bunch of late 40-something's stream to the dance floor?(Okay, maybe that isn't something you want to see, but work with me here, willya?) If so, watch what happens when the first few notes of "Right Place, Wrong Time" come funkifizing out of the speakers.Guaranteed, you will have a virtual conga line of my generation making their way out to shake their groove thangs.(Hmmm...is this a good thing?)

While this may not be the acme of Dr. John albums (that honor would likely go to the wonderful "Gumbo"), this one ranks as my favorite in his catalog. Okay, I gotta admit it: This album has a lot of nostalgic appeal to me.And no, no, no, it's not like I got lucky or anything to this album.Let's face it, the ol' Doc's voice does not exactly elicit ecstasy (though the rhythms laid down by the Meters working quite skillfully as his back-up band might get some primal urges moving).No, I think this may well have been a breakthrough album in my life -- a discovery of so many things, from the joys of N'awlins funk to the realization that a singer's voice doesn't have to be pretty to be beautiful.And undoubtedly, this is the album that made me wanna dance and everyone be damned if they don't like my flailing arms and discombobulated moves.This album moves!!

Oh, and the songs."Right Place, Wrong Time" is a classic for the ages, and if you don't know it by now, you should be ashamed of yourself! (Refried confusion, indeed!!)"Same Old, Same Old" speaks the truth that I still reiterate today ("Same ol' me, same ol' stuff, same ol' work I don't make enough!"), and "Qualified" qualifies as one of the funnest and funkiest grooves Dr. J has ever laid down.And what about....

Yeah, yeah.They're all good.You need this CD in your collection.It is essential.

Peace, brother, peace.

No skipping through these songs
I am excited about this album now because for Christmas my father finally let me have his four milk carton collection of record albums, which included this album, and it was the best gift ever. As a child I always picked this album to be my favorite because of the art work, I would study the inside cover for almost the length the album played. Now as an adult I appreciate what this now dusty smelling card board canvas held, lovingly. A flow of funky rhythums, gritty vocals and an uplifting sound. This is a true, cool cat, feeling good album. To hear it now crystal clear on the CD I ran out and bought doesn't quite bring back the memories like a scratchy record album, but it does fill my car with such a flow of good music I don't care to skip forward to a better song, I want it to just keep going. After all I can't plug my record player into the car lighter...

dr. john's 'in the right place' for sure-in my top 10
dr. john's 'in the right place' for sure-in my top 10. i listened to this album when it first appeared and am still loving it like it is the first time. definitely a top 10 all time album pick. simply sophisticated without the trappings. no tricks, just great stuff. ... Read more

Asin: B000002I6Q
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Blues    3. Funk    4. New Orleans R&B    5. Piano Blues    6. Pop    7. R&B    8. Rock & Roll   

Mos' Scocious : The Dr. John Anthology
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (19 October, 1993)
list price: $31.98 -- our price: $28.99
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Editorial Review

New Orleans' burgeoning '50s R&B scene was the crucible for Mac Rebennack, an in-demand session guitarist in his teens, but he was sidelined by a gunshot wound to his left hand. He learned organ, then blossomed as a gifted pianist in a city renowned for brilliant, idiosyncratic players, and Mac soaked up the tradition. A move to Los Angeles and a trippy side project under the nom du disque of Dr. John, the Night Tripper, clinched his fate, giving American music one of its most ebullient, reliably musical originals. It's his gravelly, juicy voice that has earned him instant recognition, but Dr. John remains a student and evangelizer of his hometown's funky, fertile blues, R&B, and jazz canon. This superb two-disc survey serves both him and his origins well, ranging from early forays with Ronnie & The Delinquents and Morgus & The 3 Ghouls to the swampy brilliance of his solo career. His theatrical gris-gris remains deliciously spooky, but it's his later work that shines, from the brilliant R&B history lesson that yielded his classic Gumbo album, through his biggest single hit, "Right Place, Wrong Time" and his '80s forays into jazz and standards. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An essential collection...
This is another Rhino extravagance with the usual witty and revealing liner notes best served with an artist like Dr. John who has had such a rich history. This collection spans the 30 years between 1959 to 1989 covering his early greaser days through his trippy 60's into the voodoo drenched 70's and 80's. If you feel you only need to own one Dr. John album, make sure this is the one.

THE DR. JOHN ANTHOLOGY [ BOX SET ]
The doctor is in !!! This is one of the best anthology sets
to come along in a long time !!! However, with RHINO at the
wheel I see trouble ahead, so get it while the gettin' is good !!! I had all of his stuff on 8-track.This is even better!!!
I've always thought that Dr. John and Leon Russell sounded so much alike that sometimes it was hard to tell'em apart...

I BEEN HOODOOD!
Forget the single discs, and shell out for this anthology. Dr. John just ain't a "greatest hits" kinda guy anyhow. Dig this set and you will get schooled in a number of musical styles - jazz, funk, cajun/zydeco, and voodoo. Highlights include the wicked 5/4 vamp "Black Widow Spider", the parading foot-stomper "Mardi Gras Day", the creepy "Zu Zu Mamou", and the smile-inducing "Wash Mama Wash". And when the Meters check in on disc 2, well... forget about it. YOU CAN'T SHUT DA FUNK UP!!! Mac gives piano lessons on three solo instrumentals from the early 80's, and a set of standards closes things on a classy note. ... Read more

Asin: B00000333B
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Pop   

Afterglow
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 June, 1995)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $14.98
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Editorial Review

Unlike his In a Sentimental Mood, which swung wildly from Tin Pan Alley standards to supper-club blues, Afterglow is mostly interested in recapturing the late '40s and early '50s, when jazz, blues, and pop intersected with sophisticated ease. The choice of material is impeccable--songs made popular by Nat "King" Cole, Louis Jordan, and Duke Ellington--and the playing is superb throughout. However, "Ain't I Been Good to You," "Just a Lucky So and So," and a stark read of "I'm Confessin'" are particularly effective. And on his original, "I Still Believe in You," Dr. John proves just how influenced he is by West Coast blues legend Charles Brown, who once recorded at Cosimo Matassa's studio where the future Night Tripper got his start. A lovely, effective album whose only misstep is a version of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" that sounds slightly out of step with everything else. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

dr john at his best.
this music is a mixture of big band sound and blues.Can't get enough of this cd.

I Glow After Listening to this CD!
Wow, this is so mellow, so romantic, so moody. I can never just listen to this one just once. I get all perky when I listen to him singing "Blue Skies", I just want to smile and be cheerful, then when "So Long" comes on, I'm instantly sweep back off my feet and end up misty eyed... this man knows how to arrange, pick, write, record and wrap you in a multi mood cocoon! So sit back, put the music on and let the Doctor work his magic with that magical voice.

Smooth Baby
"AfterGlow" is a fabulous collection of big-band classics, with a couple of originals thrown in for good measure.From the rolling piano intro of "I Know What I Got," which soon bursts forth into aglorious blaze of horns, you know this is going to be a special album.Andindeed it is.The Doctor's gravelly voice is a perfect compliment to TommyLiPuma's smooth arrangements, which sound both authentic to the period andnicely up-to-date.Highlights include the opening number, "Gee Baby,Ain't I Good to You," "I'm Just a Lucky So & So" and"There Must Be A Better World Somewhere," a Dr John tuneoriginally recorded by BB King.Oddly enough, his take on "BlueSkies" falls flat, and the album seems to trail off rather than make adefinitive final statement.That said, however, "Afterglow" isan album I always pull out when I need that distingue ambience. ... Read more

Asin: B000003N5J
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. New Orleans R&B    3. Piano Blues    4. Pop    5. R&B    6. Rock & Roll   

Trippin' Live
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 July, 1997)
list price: $15.98 -- our price: $15.98
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Editorial Review

Trippin' Live is an absolute marvel. Recorded over eight days of shows in London, the sound quality is crisp, and Rebennack's eight-man band, including such longtime colleagues as saxophonists Red Tyler and Ronnie Cuber, swings with remarkable ease. Naturally, they tackle "Tipitina," "Such a Night," and "Right Place, Wrong Time." However, the real revelations come from lesser-known material: the loose, joyous funk of "Wild Honey," a touching version of "My Buddy," and an unlikely but effective "spiritual medley" that opens with a Mardi Gras-parade version of "Down by the Riverside" and closes on the black gospel jive of "I Shall Not Be Moved." Satisfying from its first note to the close of the eleventh song, Trippin' Live proves that Rebennack can still summon the musical magic of a city as strange and wonderful as any voodoo spirit. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Features

• Live

Reviews (6)

Voice-over kills what should have been a great cd
The music on this live CD is spectacular, as satisfying as anything Mac has ever recorded.But I'm downgrading this to a 3 stars because of the horrible decision by the producer to have the first minute of every song destroyed by having a superimposed recording of Dr. John verbally giving us his thoughts about the song. The first minute of the actual music as a result remains only a distant fade in the background.And for me, the instrumental introduction of the song, where the doctor is playing his butt off, is often the best.Mac gets an A+ for his efforts; the producer gets an F for his bonehead move.

The Great Doctor Serves It Up Hot and Spicy
This is a great live CD which really captures the versatility of Dr. John(he even plays guitar on this album).The songs are great all the waythrough-not a bad song (or story) on the album.Buy this album is you likeNew Orleans Funk Blues.Buy this album if you like music at all.Buy thisalbum if you want to know what music is.Just buy it!!

Outstanding! Buy this CD!
If you like music in any way whatsoever, you'll LOVE this album! It's got a load of stuff on it, and it's not all 7 bar blues stuff, it's got a good mixture. ... Read more

Asin: B000005B4P
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. New Orleans R&B    3. Piano Blues    4. Pop   

The Brightest Smile in Town
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (02 October, 1989)
list price: $15.98
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Editorial Review

The second of back-to-back solo albums cut in the early '80s, The Brightest Smile in Town presents a more balanced mix of vocal and instrumental tracks than its predecessor, Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack. While it's fun to hear the great New Orleans pianist romp through "Box Car Boogie" and patiently work his way through the twilight blues of "Pretty Libby," the unexpected treats are the best: a heartsick version of Jimmy Rodgers's "Waiting for a Train;" a Doc Pomus cover, "Average Kind of Guy," that sounds like Randy Newman on a particularly good day; and "Marie La Veau," a highly syncopated bow to one of the Crescent City's many voodoo queens. By the time Rebennack ends Brightest Smile with two gorgeous instrumentals--a lovely take on Harold Arlen's "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Suite Home New Orleans"--you're reminded just how encyclopedic his knowledge of American music is. --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Boogie
Overall, I prefer "Dr John Plays Mac Rebennack" slightly to this set, but both are winners.On "Average Kind of Guy", Dr. John sings:

"Overworked and underpaid
Underloved and overlaid
I'm just an average kind of guy"

Killer stuff.Average, he is not.He's one of those musicians that really must be seen to be fully appreciated and for that, I recommend the New Orleans Jazz Festival.But to get back to this record, if you love piano blues and jazz, you'll love this album and be sure to check out "Plays Mac Rebennack" too.

A Classic From The Good Doctor!!
Dr. John's "The Brightest Smile In Town," is one of the finest works he has ever produced!The good doctor never sounded any better with his classy piano playing and his unmistakable voice!My favorite tracksare "Pretty Libby" and "Average Kind of Guy," a songthat alot of us can relate to!The best thing about this CD is that itflows naturally and easily, and it has a feel good quality underlying itall the way.The Night Tripper shows his extensive talents with this work,I recommend this to all fans of the Good Doctor and to music loverseverywhere! ... Read more

Asin: B0000001Z7
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. New Orleans R&B    3. Piano Blues    4. Pop    5. R&B    6. Rock & Roll