BEAUSOLEIL
The Best of the Crawfish Years 1985-1991 (Rounder)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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This is something more than another "Best Of" collection. The Best Of The Crawfish Years documents the transition of Cajun music from a regional form unheard outside the small clubs and roadhouses of the Bayou regions of Louisiana and environs into an international musical phenomenon. Fiddler extraordinaire Michael Doucet and his bandmates in BeauSoleil took a pan-Cajun approach to the music, blending traditional waltzes and two-steps and bluesy zydeco with pop and rock elements that took the music beyond its natural boundaries and found new audiences in unlikely places.

BeauSoleil continues to tour and record, and their popularity is greater than ever, but it would be hard to make a case that they've ever surpassed the music found on this disc. If you're a stickler for the hard and pure, well, there's some of that here, but there's so much more for the adventurous ear. There's wit, sorrow, romance and 17 good reasons to get up and dance packed into one shiny plastic package. If you're a recent convert or an old fan, this is a BeauSoleil collection that will not fail to please.

Track List:

Maman Rosin Boudreaux * Pine Grove Blues * La Chanson du Cafe * Jongle A Moi * Bunk's Blues * Cochon de Lait * Zydeco Gris Gris * Cajun Groove (Scott Playboy Special) * Woman or a Man * Chex Seychelles * Hey Baby, Quoi Ca Dit? * Macaque Sur Mon Dos * Reel de Dennis McGee * Vase Bebe * It's You I Love * Johnny Peut Pas Dancer * Bon Temps Rouler

© 2002 - Shaun Dale