On his third album after taking over his father's band, and his first on Slash, C.J. Chenier lets loose with a pile of zydeco. The majority of the songs are jumping little pieces, with a mishmash of zydeco, boogaloo, and R&B all rolled into one, though there are a few slower numbers, too. The album opens up with "I Feel Alright," a sax-driven R&B riffed song, and continues on with "Got My Eyes on You," in the same vein. With "It's a Shame," he slows down to a more sentimental tone, which in turn is broken by the funkiness ...
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On his third album after taking over his father's band, and his first on Slash, C.J. Chenier lets loose with a pile of zydeco. The majority of the songs are jumping little pieces, with a mishmash of zydeco, boogaloo, and R&B all rolled into one, though there are a few slower numbers, too. The album opens up with "I Feel Alright," a sax-driven R&B riffed song, and continues on with "Got My Eyes on You," in the same vein. With "It's a Shame," he slows down to a more sentimental tone, which in turn is broken by the funkiness of "Zydeco Express." "You're Still the King to Me" is a heartfelt tribute to C.J.'s father, the late Clifton Chenier. "Before It's Too Late" holds onto the sentimental nature a little longer, broken again by "Harmonica Zydeco." "Your Time to Cry" is one of the basic soul/blues tell-off songs that show up in zydeco from time to time, and the title track drives through with a thick driving force. "Old Fashioned Party" is a simple party track, and "Jole Blon" is C.J.'s take on the ultimate standard of Cajun music. The album ends on "Just the Beginning," a thick funky piece that only tells of things to come. Give the album a listen for the notes of stylistic reference to the elder Chenier, but moreover just to hear some good party tunes from one of the more important younger guns on the scene. ~ Adam Greenberg, Rovi
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