Search - Beausoleil :: Best of the Crawfish Years

Delightful Taste of Cajun Zydeco, Some of Beausoleil's Best

Keegan Smith | Greensboro, NC, USA | 06/11/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

""The Best of the Crawfish Years, 1985-1991," truly lives up to its title for sure. This album highlights some of Beausoleil's best live performances and studio recorded ones, but I enjoy the raw sound that the live performances give the most.
Right from the start, I was hooked to the album, with the extremely catchy "Maman Rosin Boudreaux," delighted from Pine Grove Blues, which basically is an almost 9 minute long jam session by headman Michael Doucet and his boys. (As you can see I'm doing this track by track) Chanson du Cafe, or roughly translated Cafe Song, is an upbeat diddy about what do you think, coffee and the local cafe. Jongle a Moi, is even more up-tempo than the previous songs, the only difference it has from a typical Michael Doucet song, not one of my favorites.
Track 4, Bunk's blues, is a deep contrast from Jongle a Moi, a fairly good little blues song, especially with Doucet's classic pitiful howl, best shown when he moans, "oh J'ai les blues, J'ai les blues, J'ai les mauvais blues!" The next song, Cochon de Lait, or Pig's Milk, (Sort of a silly name, ain't it?)is a good novelty song, but unlike what I was expecting, a more traditional cajun, less electric guitar, and more emphasis on the fiddle.
Track 7, Zydeco Gris Gris, used on the 1987 movie, The Big Easy, begins with a somewhat exciting tone with the violins and fiddles wailing, but it moves to a very playful song, with a memorable lyric "Oh, down in the black bayou, they're always screamin' for more...Zydeco!" then it moves to a wonderful guitar, then organ, solo. It's a great Zydeco song you can dance to. The next, Cajun Groove, is basically self-explanatory, it being a great live modern Cajun jam, similar to that of Pine Grove Blues, just with a Caribbean feel, with the wooden pipe xylophone, and a tad more lively, that causes me dance, if not that, tap my foot voraciously. I love this next song, a wonderful comedy narrative song, Woman or a Man, that talks about a man's troubles of being in love with a girl, or maybe, a guy, like Doucet says, "Everything a man would need...Except she needed a shave." Woman or a Man ends with the speaker getting robbed, K.0'd and thrown onto the street, but he still loved the "mystery" person with all of his heart. Woman or a Man features the electric guitar stylings of one of Doucet's heroes, the great Richard Thompson.
It seems that extreme contrasts are commonplace on this album, with this next song, Chez Seychelles, as the title mentions, it's a tribute to the Caribbean influence on Cajun Zydeco. The song has a really earthy sound to it with the rare appearances of certain Caribbean instruments and really deep mandolin vibes. It's a very beautiful song. The next, another novelty song by Beausoleil, "Hey Baby, Quoi Ca Dit?" which is a very lively song about how the guy is wondering why his girl left him, and why so abruptly. Track 11, Macaque Sur Mon Dos or Macaque On My Back, is your typical cajun song, but still is one of my favorites on this record, which is, of course, about a bad habit. Reel de Dennis McGee, is a tribute to him, and they feature his various musical talents in this reel. In the traditional "Reel" fashion, it's really fast and up-tempo with lightning quick fiddle playing, a wonderful song in it's own right.
Ah, the next song, Valse Bebe, the best song on the album, is a traditional old-style cajun waltz. Waltzes almost always have to be either bittersweet or sad, and this one is no exception, which is an expression of the singers feelings about his beloved, and how he wants to talk and dance with her again. Clearly stated in these lyrics, "Valse Bebe, valse Bebe, valse chere Bebe...valse toute la nuit."(Waltz Baby, waltz Baby, waltz dear baby, waltz all night long.) Track 14, It's You Love, is a playful song about a guy's devotion to his love, which is said first in English then in Cajun French, a good song to help you learn the dialect. The next to the last song on the album,
Johnny Peut Pas Dancer, (Johnny Can't Dance) is a children's song about how poor Johnny and his dancing problem, I really don't like this song, because of it's mindless meaning, but it's an okay kids' song.
The album closes with Bon Temps Rouler, (Good Times Roll), a great closing song about how everyone has to go to the local Zydeco, and how your crazy not to miss it. In closing, Best of the Crawfish Years would be a great addition to your existing Cajun selection, or a good first Cajun album. I give it 4 stars, or very good, because of that one song I do not like, and they could have shown some more creativity on a couple songs, not just sticking to the archetypal Cajun sound. But other than that, it's a fine record.
It's my second Beausoleil album, the first, that exposed me to the world of cajun music, L'Amour ou la Folie, a fairly good album, but I enjoy this one slightly more. Good day to those who read my review, and I bid you Adieu!"