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That is when I learned to really enjoy Cajun music. When we lived in California there was a show that came on weekly which highlighted Cajun bands. I can't understand the words, but love the beat. Lovers of Cajun music will really enjoy this CD. I love the band Beausoleil.
As usual, this is a danceable set of tunes, done with style and flair, a seamless blend of old and new, tradition and innovation. Michael White) are blended right into the musical fabric. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, Cajun group Beausoleil was joined on several cuts by some guest musicians on this recording. From my perspective, a label on the cover of a CD proclaiming that the recording features special musical guests is often a handy warning to steer clear, but in this case, I was glad I gave this disk a listen, for Beausoleil sounded as good as ever, and the guests (the most well known are Richard Thompson, Augie Meyers, and Dr.
Oh and Riverdude, sorry sweetie but the drummers name is Tommy Alesi, not Jimmy. Newcomers and diehard fans of Beausoleil must own this one. I'm a Beausoleil addict. I agree with everything Riverdude said about how wonderful this CD is and I bought this one from David Doucet himself from the back of his car so that makes it even more special to me.
If you don't know Beausoleil, the first Grammy winning Cajun band, this is a fine place to start appreciating their talent for inventing a new sound out of a musical tradition stretching back decades and even hundreds of years. From the wry lyrics and joyous melody of the title cut ("Love or Folly") to the heartfelt slow-dance sadness of Les Blues De Creve De Faim ("The Hurting with Hunger Blues"), Beausoleil's musicians again demonstrate their enormous range. These guys really are the Beatles, not just of Louisiana, but of all roots-based American music. If you do like this album, you'll also want to get Cajunization, Cajun Conja, the new live album, and all the collections they've released. Born out of traditional Cajun-Creole folk, the group has raised old-time Louisiana French folk songs to artistic heights few down-home bands have achieved. Beausoleil is the dynamic rhythm and lead guitary of David Doucet, brother Michael Doucet's alternately dizzying and passionate fiddle and strong lead vocals, Jimmy Breaux's virtuoso accordion, backed by dead-on percussion of Billy Ware and Jimmy Alesi.The guest musicians include Guitarist Richard Thompson, Augie Meyers, saxophonist Harry Simoneaux, Josh Graves on dobro, Murnel Babineaux on pedal steel, pianist Dave Pellicciaro, Tommy Comeaux's mandolin, and accordionist/steel guitarist Bessyl Duhon.You get a some old-time Cajun, a little "newgrass," some Caribbean spice, a Parisian-flavored melody, and the most danceable and toe-tappable TV news theme ever broadcast (Newz Reel really is the theme of the nightly newscast in Lafayette, LA).If you already know Beausoleil, you'll have a hard time deciding if this isn't the best of all of their studio albums.
The songs are well done and nothing comes across as gimmicky or fake. It's traditonal, but at the same time there is a "newness" about it.Thanks, Beausoleil, for spreading the music of our unique culture across the world. Boy, was I ever wrong. The closest example I can come up with would be rockabilly. Maybe it's the Cajun boy in me, but I used to be very unnerved by the popularity of Beausoleil across the world.
In its infant stages, most of its pioneers could barely play instruments, but when folks like Buddy Holly, who studied music and experimented with it, came along, the sound took on a whole new state. Few contemporary Cajun bands can play songs like these guys and turn it into a beautiful thing that crosses language and cultural boundaries.The songs on "L'Amour Ou La Folie" are fun, imaginative and heavily steeped not only in Cajun tradition, but the French tradition as well(listen to "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" and don't tell me that you think of France when you hear it). Beausoleil does that with Cajun music. As long as bands such as yourself exist, I don't think we'll have to worry about the Cajun culture fading away for a long time. When you hear "Charivari," you catch a glimpse of life that few have ever experienced outside of the Pelican State. It's a true masterpiece.
I just couldn't comprehend why folks in cities like NYC or Boston or San Francisco would enjoy this music, most of which was in a language they couldn't understand. "Newz Reel" had me longing to watch KATC news(you won't get this if you haven't been around Lafayette). Not only does the music pay homage to the past, but you can hear new sounds that haven't been played by a Cajun band before. It almost seemed as if Beausoleil was using their "ethnicity" to trick people outside of Louisiana into liking them because they were a "novelty" act. Everything is found on this album. The fiddle work is brilliant and the band's sound is tight.
As I've become more mature, I've realized that Beausoleil's popularity isn't due to their "novel" status, but their brilliant music. The rest of the album, from the tribute to "Pop" McGee to the title track, is fantastic.
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