Life Is a Carnival

 (4 customer reviews)

After the 1970's heyday of New Orleans funky R&B, the Meters split up, the Neville Bros' sound became increasingly washed-out with atmospheric production, and Dr. John settled on a classier piano/vocal setting. This album of Mardi Gras Indian chants and new Dr. John and Cyril Neville tunes continues the tradition set by both the Wild Magnolias and the Wild Tchoupitoulas (setting the traditional chants to contemporary R&B styles) and also revives that gritty New Orleans funk sound, with some new injections that work better than I expected. Big Chief Bo Dollis handles the lead vocals with verve, while Big Chief Monk Boudreaux often frames the songs with "raps" that lend drama. There is a suspiciously high number of Japanese musicians on the album, but you would never know by listening: June Yamagishi plays a Hendrix-oriented guitar, and the The Black Bottom Brass Band of Osaka helps make Dr. John's "All on a Mardi Gras Day" perhaps the...Read more

The new Wild Magnolias record is awesome - one of the best albums to come out of the New Orleans music scene in some time (in my opinion). The strong, scruffy vocals combined with the hard bass make for an extremely funky sound. Add in the Mardi Gras sounds, and you get some new funky music on par with the Meters, Nevilles, George Porter, George Clinton/P-Funk, Dr. John, Maceo Parker, James Brown, etc. "Party" is the best track, but to truly know how good the band is, you need to see them live.

If you have never heard New Orleans "Indian" music before, prepare yourself for an energetic blast from your speakers: this CD starts off with a yelp and the energy level takes off from there. With support from New Orleans musical luminaries such as Dr. John and Cyril Neville, Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias simply tear the joint up, and the sound is dynamic and full, with plenty of midbass energy to give your woofers a workout. If you can't make it down to New Orleans for Fat Tuesday, crank this CD up and you'll be close, awfully close to the real thing--any old time of the year.