Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Bad Neighborhood - Dr. John, , Ronnie & the Delinquents
2. Morgus the Magnificent
3. Storm Warning
4. Sahara - Dr. John, , Mac Rebennack
5. Down the Road - Dr. John, Roland Stone
6. Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya
7. Mama Roux
8. Jump Sturdy
9. I Walk on Guilded Splinters
10. Black Widow Spider
11. Loop Garoo
12. Wash, Mama, Wash
13. Mardi Gras Day
14. Familiar Reality (Opening)
15. Zu Zu Man
16. Mess Around
17. Somebody Changed the Lock

Disc 2:

1. Iko Iko
2. Junko Partner
3. Tipitina
4. Huey Smith Medley: High Blood Pressure/Don't You Just Know It/Well ...
5. Right Place, Wrong Time
6. Traveling Mood
7. Life
8. Such a Night
9. I Been Hoodood
10. Cold Cold Cold
11. Quitters Never Win
12. What Comes Around (Goes Around)
13. Mos' Scocious
14. Let's Make a Better World
15. Back by the River
16. I Wanna Rock
17. Memories of Professor Longhair
18. Honeydripper
19. Pretty Libby
20. Makin' Whoopee
21. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive
22. More Than You Know

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #77424 in Music
• Released on: 1993-10-19
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set

Amazon.com
New Orleans' burgeoning '50s R&B scene was the crucible for Mac Rebennack, an in-demand session guitarist in his teens, but he was sidelined by a gunshot wound to his left hand. He learned organ, then blossomed as a gifted pianist in a city renowned for brilliant, idiosyncratic players, and Mac soaked up the tradition. A move to Los Angeles and a trippy side project under the nom du disque of Dr. John, the Night Tripper, clinched his fate, giving American music one of its most ebullient, reliably musical originals. It's his gravelly, juicy voice that has earned him instant recognition, but Dr. John remains a student and evangelizer of his hometown's funky, fertile blues, R&B, and jazz canon. This superb two-disc survey serves both him and his origins well, ranging from early forays with Ronnie & The Delinquents and Morgus & The 3 Ghouls to the swampy brilliance of his solo career. His theatrical gris-gris remains deliciously spooky, but it's his later work that shines, from the brilliant R&B history lesson that yielded his classic Gumbo album, through his biggest single hit, "Right Place, Wrong Time" and his '80s forays into jazz and standards. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

An essential collection...
This is another Rhino extravagance with the usual witty and revealing liner notes best served with an artist like Dr. John who has had such a rich history. This collection spans the 30 years between 1959 to 1989 covering his early greaser days through his trippy 60's into the voodoo drenched 70's and 80's. If you feel you only need to own one Dr. John album, make sure this is the one.

I BEEN HOODOOD!
Forget the single discs, and shell out for this anthology. Dr. John just ain't a "greatest hits" kinda guy anyhow. Dig this set and you will get schooled in a number of musical styles - jazz, funk, cajun/zydeco, and voodoo. Highlights include the wicked 5/4 vamp "Black Widow Spider", the parading foot-stomper "Mardi Gras Day", the creepy "Zu Zu Mamou", and the smile-inducing "Wash Mama Wash". And when the Meters check in on disc 2, well... forget about it. YOU CAN'T SHUT DA FUNK UP!!! Mac gives piano lessons on three solo instrumentals from the early 80's, and a set of standards closes things on a classy note.

Good For What Ails You
Rhino has done it again. Excellent selection of material, terrific booklet. This 2 disc anthology tracks the development of one of our greatest eccentrics, from the impenetrable swamp voodoo origins all the way through to top 40 favorites. The funny thing about Dr. John is that he's a horrible singer, a just good pianist, and a good songwriter. But the whole is so much more than the sum of the parts. Surprisingly catchy and musical. Not one false note (except Rickie Lee Jones on Makin' Whoopee). Check out the Honeydripper, Sahara, and Memories Of Professor Longhair. The most wonderful thing about Dr. John is his love of NOLA music, and all he's done to keep it alive. Plus, with the possible exception of a Vegas showgirl, no entertainer has ever looked quite so smashing in feathers. Avoid single disk samplings and go for this. Get yourself a beignet and a cup of chicory coffee. Mos' Scocious!