Search - Doug Kershaw :: Best of

An OK Starting Place

Audio Obscurica | Spectrum of Sound | 04/24/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Doug Kershaw has issued many albums over the years, a few of which are starting to show up once again in reissues. Of all of those recordings available, what is truly the BEST of the BEST? This CD includes tracks like "Diggy Diggy Lo" from his debut, "The Cajun Way", but also includes lackluster items such as "Jambalaya" and Doug's 6th (that I know of) to date re-make of "Louisiana Man", which would have been better represented from the version on his debut. Doug's music in the early - mid 70's was little more than badly executed Nashville product, although proficiently played, sounded like the assembly line that the town's name conjures up. This is shown in cuts like "Hippy Ti Yo" and "Mama's Got The Know How", "Mamou Two-Step" is a nice, albeit untruthful cover of a tune (no, Doug did NOT write it, its a traditional tune), "You Don't Want My Love" and "Sally Jo" come from the album "Devil's Elbow", which should have been called "Doug Kershaw Records Other Famous People's Songs That Buddy Killen's Publishing Company Owns The Rights To", and a Fats Domino cover of "I'm Walkin'", that sounds so stiff and lethargic that one wonders how it managed to make it to #96 on the charts. The CD contains a rarity, an alternate version of "It Takes All Day To Get Over Night" which any fan of Doug is sure to enjoy hearing. There's no liner notes, aside from production credits. That said, it's a cheap purchase, and everyone who might need just one Doug Kershaw CD in their collection will find that this one will suffice. For the LP listeners, though, go find his "Spanish Moss" LP.

Go see Doug live if you can, as no recording can do him justice."