Reviews (page 2 of 7)
This album is SO weird! Psychedelic rock combined with Louisiana cajun folklore. I love the storytelling and moodiness. There is a whole song just making sounds of the bayou. It feels so unique and fresh, even by today's standards. What a treat!
I got a contact high from playing this. NEAT
Classic NOLA
I don't think there's much else like this. Spooky, groovy weirdness. Sometimes it sounds like everyone is playing a different song - in a good way. A hell of a trip.
My immediate point of reference when listening to the opening track was Live and Let Die. Lines like "I got remedies to cure all y'alls ills!" could be uttered by Baron Samedi (in the complex, with the proximity mines). It's so hammed-up that it could even be Papa Lazarou. However, the more the album develops, and the more I read about the good Dr, the more it made sense, the more I liked it. This isn't someone looking to exploit a culture. His network of musicians from the New Orleans diaspora, steeped in local musical tradition, provide a real authenticity. It really is a great ensemble piece. It's probably the best concept album I've heard. A dark world of characters delivered with eerie timbres. It goes from foreboding ritualistic chants on 'Danse Kalinda Ba Doom', to the irresistible Southern groove of 'Mama Roux', the hypnotic classic soul of 'Danse Fambeaux', the single-worthy 'Jump Sturdy', with banjo and what sounds like a deepened clarinet, (and has the bounce of Fats Domino almost, but with the foreboding rnb undercurrent). And 'Croker Courtbullion' is like a murder mystery soundtrack, full of delicious intrigue. The flute is eerie but carnivalesque, with accompanying organ punctuating the suspense. Superb. The whole thing is eccentricity different and marvelous.
Mi è piaciuto molto. Sicuramente vorrei riascoltarlo ed esplorare altri suoi album
Fun album! I saw "psychadelic" and 1968 and thought 'oh god, here we go again.' But this wasn't that at all. It was sludgy, jazzy, voodoo cosplay fun! It felt very underground, and that certainly added to its appeal. This is the kind of weird, fun album that I started this project to find!
Love Dr. John's voice. Love his style.
What a gem. I heard a bit over the years but nothing like this fantastic moody deep fun journey. It’s a keeper.
A Blues album that explores the heart an history of Blues.
Yes
nakon cile mise oko psihodelije, ovo je sjajno
Prvih četri pet dr. Johnova su odreda nevjerojatni, hipnotički albumi ali s ovim je sve počelo. Po meni top dvadeset albuma šezdesetih bez većeg beda. I btw nema boljih albuma za slušat na slušalice od ovih iz šezdesetih. Morali su štedit kanale pa su su hard panirali u livo ili desno. Iz čega se naravno izrodila psihodelija.
👍
Captain Beefheart's psychedelic counterpart, prefigurement of late-style Tom Waits, and bayou-gris-gris shaman, Dr. John is a genius of mood and experience. The blues has never come w/ as many health benefits or heart balms before: 'If you work too hard and you need a little rest try my utilize rub put some on my drop fix and jam, put some in your breakfast.' But it's not really the blues, nor is it merely psychedelia-flavored New Orleans R&B - it seems to me an intimation of 70s funk in a special way. The thematic oddities, the spiritual levity, the outlandish but incredibly tight production all point to something beyond 60s rock. Somewhere between Sun Ra and Parliament-Funkadelic, this has the metaphysics + a narcotic festivity.
Sad boy stuff the night tripper! He completely reinvented himself for this album and created a persona that brought New Orleans to the world for generations. Mac was the real deal and this became a life of cultural history and performance art that is amazing. Gris Gris is real, weird, heavy, psychedelic, and soulful. Every song has a place in creating the Big Bang that was De. John The Night Tripper
Masterpiece
This is what should be on here. Amazing combo of traditional American styles fused with rock and folk stylings.
Amazing stuff. I loved his more popular stuff, but this is great too.
Un incontournable que je connaissais pas. Un disque qui augmente la température ambiante, qui pue, qui fait décoller la peinture des murs. Une ambiance laidback, glauque mais toujours ludique.
So entertaining! Short but intense; it feels like one of those trippy scenes in movies set in the 70s where everyone takes drugs and then starts seeing creepy shit.
les le bon temps rouler!
FT
What an unexpected treat. It sounded like I was listening to The Spirit of Jazz from Mighty Boosh during his years on the run through the Bayeux. Which is it say, I loved it.
Gris gris is a voodoo amulet that acts as a kind of medicine that protects one from evil. Well this doctor has the right prescription. May this album be your medicine, and may no misfortune infiltrate your life, and may no evil grab a hold in your soul, jock-a-mo fi na dey.
Playing catch up today so grateful for a short record, but this is fantastic and I want to spend more time with it. What a ride. I only know Right Place Right Time and that he worked with the Beatles. I didn't even know he was a white guy, which is vaguely uncomfortable given he's going on about voodoo all the time here. But I'm prepared to forgive this as it clearly comes from a place of love and appreciation for New Orleans culture. And it slaps. So much going on, so much rhythm, so much vibe, so much funk, it's just so much, man!
Loved it! 5
This is a great atmospheric album, especially as a debut album albeit after a time working as a session musician. Creates the Sr. John persona, all swampy, bluesy and psych.
I'm surprised but elated Dr. John made it on! The worlds introduction to the joy of creole jazz.
The atmosphere on this album is truly special. Quite literally took me to a whole other place. Love everything about the instrumentation as well as the frequent chanting. This album is awesome front to back
esse sim foi um álbum que parecia que eu realmente deveria escutar antes de morrer
Really enjoyed this one, I think the weather has something to do with it because it feels like an album id like to have to actively listen to in the summer, not just something on in the background. Mama roux was groovy and although Crocker courtbullion sounded like a bunch of tribals doing a rain dance in the Louisiana bayou, it was still something I liked
Loved me some of this New Orleans casserole!
What a weirdo. 5/5 stars.
So... Eighties Tom Waits actually existed a few years before he started the first phase of his career in the early seventies, and his name was actually Dr. John, from New Orleans... Good to know. And awesome to listen to. Even if this thing comes from the late sixties, its swampy, voodoo-inspired mood is so singular that it's basically timeless. Would have loved hearing this music in a David Lynch or Jim Jarmusch flick. Fortunately, the 1001 albums book and app were there to make me discover this gem in another way... All jokes about Tom Waits aside, I already had a superficial knowledge of who Dr. John was, but that was through *Dr. John's , Gumbo*, his breakout LP of covers related to his hometown, nice and dandy, but not very surprising sonically speaking. I have to say that this far more original debut is definitely more suited to my tastes. It's bookended by two killer cuts in their off-kilter bluesy genre, "Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya" and "I Walk One Guilded Splinters". "Mama Roux" and "Jump Sturdy" sound great as well, and the two "danses" are mysterious and cinematic enough to seal the whole deal for me (only the lengthy "Croker Courtbullion" is grating after a while). Spent some time this afternoon falling into a rabbit hole and exploring other Dr. John albums prior to *Gumbo*. Those records are all flawed to an extent, but on the other hand, they all have a couple of gems to spare at the same time. Who cast a spell on me? Looks like "the night tripper" did... 4.5/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential albums", rounded up to 5. 9.5/10 grade for more general purposes (5+4.5) Number of albums left to review: 122 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 382 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 225 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 283
Roots vibratoons straight from a soul.
The list needs more of this vibe.
A Perfect Album. Truth be told I own a copy and probably haven't listened to it in 20 years but this weekend listened to it about five times and am enchanted in a way I wasn't before. Every element of this all-time masterpiece is superlative, the composition, performance, production and even the packaging is all absolutely 10/10 wouldn't change a thing. One technical aspect that might not be obvious to the casual listener is the use of reverb. reverb is an artificial effect that creates an echoing sound that makes it feel like the musician is in a large room and maybe on the other side of the room from you. on this album they use a lot of it. the vocals are fairly dry so the effect is it feels like Dr John is whispering in your ear while the rest of the band is on the other side of some voodoo shack out on the bayou.
Funky and grimy. Sometimes creepy. Always mesmerizing.
10/10
Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya Mamá Roux Jump Sturdy Never heard of Dr. John but. Boy do I love this album. Feels like each note was perfectly crafted and placed. The vibe behind this feels like you’re wading through the Bayou on a treasure hunt.
I LOVE DR JOHN!!! He is so unique and talented. I love the songs he performs in the last waltz!!
genius
Oh man, this is what I’m talking about. It’s so weird. I have a bit of a fascination with the occult, one of my favourite bands as I’ve mentioned before is a Folk-Metal group called Green Lung who make Black Sabbath-esque Hard Rock with lyrics inspired by Pagan rituals and witchcraft, so having an equally spooky sounding record that sounds like an honest to god VooDoo ceremony is way up my street. And it doesn’t hurt that this is also just a really impressive bit of musicianship, it’s got a swampy, murky sound that almost betrays how well layered, structured and dense it is. I’m all in and will absolutely be coming back to Gris-Gris
This is actually insanely good, how have I never even heard of this guy before. It's like a prime-era Tom Waits album but 15 years before that even happens, sounds so ahead of it's time. Every song was interesting, great mix of instruments, range of vocals, it has everything. Makes me fall in love with this challenge all over again.
Sublime
Wild and weird.
💖 danse kalinda ba boom 🗣️ 9️⃣
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this music until I read Apple’s description of it. New Orleans swamp meets 1960’s San Francisco psychedelic. It puts it into perspective, and I wish I’d had this in my life two weeks ago when I was actually in New Orleans. It is a truly deep and dark psychedelic experience, and the kind of oddity that I’m always searching for and thrilled to find.
Awesome album!
This is a dark, brooding and absolutely amazing album. I've held off reviewing it for a couple of days, but that's only because I've not been able to get it out my head. "Walk on guilded splinters" is a masterpiece. Love it.
god i'm sorry this album is SO FUCKING COOL MAN. i've known it for a long time now and every time I come back to it, i am continually blown away by the feel of this one. it's an all time vibe album for me, nothing sounds like this album, nothing gives off the vibe of this album. Gris-Gris is a singularity. you're not here for the quality of the lyrics, this album is VIBES ONLY and the vibes of this one are IMMACULATE. it sounds so dark, and so folk-y (in the sense that it's very rough around the edges). to me it perfectly matches the cover of this album, it feels like music being played at some sort of voodoo ceremony.
Overraskende banger
Atmosphere is the one thing that should be used to describe Dr. John's debut album. While the voodoo stuff might all be a bit obscure and maybe cliché ridden it surely works as a proper setting for this album you should listen in summer evenings and nights with that certain aura of mysteriousness. But for all the great sounds in the percussion work there are proper relaxing tunes too - 'Mama Roux' must be one of those few songs that are sexy, cool and laid-back enough for a little bit of openmindedness (if you get my meaning). I absolutely adore this album. Dr. John made some other great records which are certainly good - but in a different, less psychedelic and challenging way.
Gotta love Dr. John.
What a debut. This album is all greasy, swampy vibes and I love it.
This is fucking awesome bayou witch music. the kind of chaos that sooth the adhd riddled brain
Interesting blend of musical styles.
An amazing record. He stood on the shoulders of giants, true, but was a remarkable, unique man. The word unique is used too much, but it's the only correct major descriptor for Dr. John. May he rest in funky, multicultural peace.
My only complaint about this album is that it’s way too short.
brb, moving to the bayou with Dr. John
Awesome. Loved this one a long time. The vibe is perfect.
This album does not sound how it looks. I was expecting exuberant psychedelic rock, I got the most amazing laid-back rhythm and blues. What a pleasant surprise and a great start to a shitty Tuesday.
Gris-Gris Gumbo is an astonishing opening track for your debut album. It sets out the calling card for who you are and what's to come for the next three decades. Quite a statement. Then the samba hits you. The good Dr doesn't stand still. Latin rhythms, African chanting, plus so much more that I couldn't keep up with on the first listen.
The first song sounded like Tom Waits during his mid-80s Frank's wild years phase. I was happy that Tom listed Dr. J as an influence. the doctor is a fascinating character, playing traditional R&B as a session musician for a decade, then unleashing this voodoo psychedelia as a debut. It's a dark, swampy album that you know isn't going to be bought by too many. I especially love the sloppy background vocalists.
Never heard of this before, wanted to listen to it again straight after. Walk on gilded splinters was a shock!
Figoooo😎
Love this album. One of the best
AWESOME !!
As soon as Dr John's voice kicked in I knew I'd heard it somewhere before and remember that I Walk on Guilded Splinters was on a Back to Mine album by Lamb from 2004. Not realising that I Walk on Guilded Splinters was on this album I was thinking my favourite track was Jump Sturdy. On my second listen I got into the other tracks a lot more but I Walk on Guilded Splinters is still a stand out for me. Oh, and I always thought the lyric was "'til Alberta" :)
Swampy goodness. Doesn't really sound like anything else you might come across, which is a huge accolade in my book! Fave track - "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" has been one of my fave tracks by anyone for years! The "get it burn it" refrain echoing away always gives me chills.... 🧟
Absolutely terrifyingly good album. Dr John sets the tone, does what he needs and leaves without prolonging it Can't wait to trip to this
It's magic)
fantastic atmospheric brew of psychedelia, cajun, blues, soul and n'awlins voodoo. Dr John really finds his voice with this album, which is chock full of funky, bluesy tunes. Walk on Gilded Splinters, Mama Roux and Jump Sturdy are all classic numbers. As well as brilliant musicianship, the backing singers really add a lot of personality to the songs
I have a real appreciation for Dr. John and how he incorporates the music and traditions of Acadiana. He's steeped in it.
cool
I had not heard this one before, but I came to it completely prepared to dislike it because it's late 60s psychedelic and I thought my hippy parents kinda burned me out on this whole genre (although I adore Jimi, Janice and any number of hippy era artists so this is probably one of those dumb prejudices that has no basis in reality). Indeed, I loved this album! So much that I'm giving an album I had never heard until yesterday FIVE STARS. That's serious stuff. This album is hard to put words to, but it's a richly layered Cajun/zydeco cacophony. Extremely well produced, super fun songs, amazing musicianship. I listened to it twice and want to listen to it again right now.
Can swamp groove be considered a genre? There is some blues, some funk, some R&B, but swamp groove seems a better description to me. It is also music that doesn't seem it can be from anywhere other than New Orleans. If one is a fan (I am), this is where it all began. Dr. John as a persona may simply be a creation by Mac Rebennack, but it is fully formed here. Great saxophone work by Plas Johnson. Wonderful throughout.
Psychedelic voodoo blues.
Dr. John's first album is a feast of New Orleans rock and psychedelia. He leans into his namesake's legend as a voodoo doctor to create a persona that is mesmerizing and menacing. The music itself is slow burning, and simmers like a pot of gumbo to develop and deliver something that sits at a musical crossroads and dares you to classify it. Dr. John found himself in legal trouble and fled to Los Angeles from New Orleans. Apparently, his storied hometown followed him there because he put together a group of New Orleans session musicians and took on the Dr. John moniker. I'm a big fan of New Orleans music and lore and this album manages to weave it all together without becoming yet another forgettable 60s psychedelic album.
super cool surprised I haven't heard it
Such wonderful, swampy, sticky sounds. I can definitely see the influence on future artist like Tom Waits! Can’t wait to give it another listen and explore more Dr John.
Ge mig mer av The Night Trippers sizzling Gris-Gris! Wow! Detta var annorlunda. Mörkt, psykedeliskt, träskigt, långsamt funkigt. Jävlar vad jag gillar det. Dr. John har ett tydligt New Orleans-sound, voodoo-influerad swamp-blues. Liknar Tom Waits Rain Dogs (eller Rain Dogs som liknar Gris-Gris, såklart). I de mörkare låtarna sitter du vid en lägereld i en fuktig bayou i Louisiana. Det är mitt i natten, det regnar, du har hamnat mitt i en voodoo-ritual och vet inte riktigt om du är i fara eller inte. Allt du har att luta dig mot är shamanen Dr. Johns raspiga stämma mässandes Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya. Albumet är perfekt komponerat, lagom kort. Mitt i det skräckinjagande mörkret finns en välkomnande lättsam andningspaus i mitten med Mama Roux, och till en viss del Danse Fambeaux. Bäst är I Walk on Guilded Splinters, med det finns inte en enda svag låt. Om jag skulle tvingas ta ut min top-5 från detta albumet (på 7 låtar) så skulle nog Danse Kalinda Ba Doom och Croker Courtbullion ryka. Ett album som griper tag i en och inte går att sluta lyssna på. Jag kommer hålla hårt i denna talisman. Bästa låt: I Walk on Guilded Splinters.
Fantastic stuff as always from The Dr.
So this was a very interesting mellow and swampy and fun album. Great rhythms hinting at the Caribbean grooves with a very much Creole setting. There’s a hint of a future Tom Waits in here - I loved this. And it was short enough to keep you wanting more
Voodoo-flavored psychedelia, very fun and weird. From never having heard of this guy, to liking this album a lot, to looking up more about him, learning I knew a bunch of stuff from him and also learning that he was the visual inspiration for Dr. Teeth from the muppets’ The Electric Mayhem.
I find this album to be unique, magical and local to Nola flair. Loved it.
A really cool hidden gem! I had never heard of Dr. John, but this is some awesome New Orleans jazz meets psychedelic nightmare fuel
I have some qualms about the Dr John phenomena from a cultural standpoint but this is such a testament to his talent, taste, and personality
this was really cool and unexpected
Incredible. Fun in every way.
Physcadelically weird, a fun off kilter album
Blind album and artist. What a listen of something unique and quirky thats somehow got a tone and rhythm you can't get outta your head. Whatever this list of from thr wire of "100 albums that set the world on fire..." is, im gonna have to check it out after the project. 4.
Müstiline voodoo-album, kus pidevalt lauldakse Gris-gris (ma oletan, et joogist). Aga päris ainulaadne kõla, mis pani mind mõtlema, et ma olen kuskil saarel hõimlaste poolt kinni peetud ja mu ainuke lohutus on see, et vähemalt on muusika päris hea ja kuulatav. 3.9/5
Great and sometimes spooky NOLA tunes
Really dug this. Trippy and weird and bluesy and soulful. Wholly American
Funky, weird, bopping. This is exactly the kind of album I was hoping to discover from this list.
I've liked Dr. John did that have showed up via algorithm, but I couldn't decide with the first track here whether it was creative or affected. Learning he was creating a character based on a historic figure (however true) helped me feel more receptive. By the second listen, I started to feel that this belongs among the albums that really cohere *as albums* rather than having a few great tracks. It conjures a world all its own and holds you there throughout. I'd have to listen more closely to really appreciate all the characters, but I can picture the hand-drawn animated adaptation of this album, and it's a fun movie to become immersed in.
I've never, ever heard this. I was mesmerized on the first listen by the production, the performances, and the weird way they mic and mix his voice. The second listen made it harder to ignore the rough edges — the barely-staying-together meanderings of "Croker Courtbullion", his voice sounding like someone recording themself onto a performance for which they weren't in the room, and the general shagginess of the whole outing. I left unsure whether this album was thoughtful or tossed off. Likely it's a little of both. There are enough cool moments that I'll be back for more, but enough shagginess that it won't be going in regular rotation. Still, a great surprise.
Better than Coldplay
Favorite Track: Mama Roux
An album of pure New Orleans weirdness and no one does it quite like Dr. John.
Me gustó bastante, fue interesante, es como bastante tétrico y misterioso, pero no lo sentí aburrido ni tedioso
There's no way I'm coming back to this, but I couldn't help but appreciate how out there it is. Whatever is happening here, it feels incredibly authentic, and sounds to me like something that was recorded with no pretense and no expectations from anyone. This is a vibe and I'm on board for the ride. I am quite certain that spending a week as Dr. John in the late 60s would have been a wild, wild trip.
Is it false advertising to label yourself a doctor even though you don't have a medical degree? That said, this album has its own vibe.
There aren't many albums anymore that really surprise me when I listen to them, but this one definitely does, there are some very unique songs on this, almost unlike anything I have ever heard, that just bring me to places I never knew existed. There are however also some less interesting songs on it, that just couldn't fully grab my attention. Four stars
It’s rare for an album to have this thick sense of mystery in its sound, like walking down a dank and foggy alley way and unknowingly walking in front of people hiding behind the trash cans.
Virkelig bizar plade. Lød ikke rigtig som noget som helst andet (positivt)
Well this was weird and original.
The songs here feel slight, variations on the album’s Louisiana Halloween livery, but they cohere into something more haunting than the tourist blurb suggests. “Gris Gris” sounds more like a series of neighbourhoods than a sequence of tracks, moody spots with their own populations of characters, sounds and rhythms. I’m reminded of “Tago Mago”. It takes a lot of effort to sound precisely this wrong.
Dr. John makes some weird music but it also completely pulls you in when you listen. Not something I necessarily want to throw on every day but I really enjoy it.
It was weird, it was funky, it ripped!
Cool and funky, maybe a little trippy at times. Almost tribal with its mystic voodoo infused R&B come psychedelic funk. Enjoyable listen.
Wham bam thank you mam
I used to enjoy this one a lot more. Dr. John is a true weirdo and the there are some quality tunes here but at times it doesn't quite sit right. Still the album is bookended with absolute bangers and I will keep coming back for more.
Sometimes this project feels pointless, but records like this give me the motivation to keep going. I should rewatch Treme.
Not a big fan of swampy voodoo fueled music but this album surprised to me. Much more subdued and melodic than I expected. I Walk on Guilded Splinters is a favorite.
Sexy voodoo boogaloonacy. Extra point for dr teeth
Weird but really interesting
this album is sold, fun, and cool
geil
Vodoo Pepper
Reminds me of procuring my first Gris Gris bag in New Orleans. They can be found in mystical shops, full of fragrance, color, and intensity. Each bag is full of a potent mix of ingredients and spells to bring the things you want closer and keep others at a distance. There's a sweet smell and a tension.
If Captain Beefheart listened to a shitload of Randy Newman I think it might sound something close to this. Not a bad thing at all.
Quite interesting record. I liked it.
This album has style. That style is like a psychedelic greaser vampire. It’s weird. Weird and cool.
Gambit from X-Men totally has this shit on vinyl.
Different but enjoyed it
Very interesting, sounds somewhat familiar. On first listening I’d say 7/10 but I’m pretty sure after repeated listening I’d get more into this.
Never heard of Dr. John before, but based on general reviews this is pretty polarizing. I thought this had a very cool vibe. I enjoyed listening to it, and think I would like re-listening at some point. The music was complex and atmospheric, it felt very New Orleans. As I was listening to it I was thinking I probably shouldn't learn anything about Dr. John as an actual person because I have a feeling he's probably not really all that great.
I'm in for the vibes Will I listen to again: 60%
Reminds me of exuma tbh
I really enjoyed this
Chaotic and fun to listen to, does not surprise me that the people of 1969 were not ready for this
C’était très bizarre et dans le meilleur sens du terme ! Il y a vraiment une atmosphère occulte et incompréhensible que j’apprécie beaucoup !
This is not my thing, but I understand the reverence from anyone that is into blues, that New Orleans sound, psychradelica, or even some free-form jazz. It was an interesting listen, and I'm glad I now have heard it.
Gris gris, indeed
Tom Waits if he was an old voodoo man. Wonderful!
Actually, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Latin American sounds in the mix are always welcome. Distinctive and good. Also quite short which is usually a plus.
An album dad recommended to me a while ago. I enjoyed it and will definitely come back to it when i’m in the mood for a full album of great 60’s psychedelia
I don't know why I'd been avoiding Dr. John for so long, but this was an excellently weird listen.
Wow! That was fun and odd. I wouldn't necessarily to choose to listen this album from start to finish again, but it would be fine if someone threw it on.
I have no idea what I just listened to but it was good, like really good?
I meant to listen to him after my deep dive on the Band so this was a welcome surprise. It blew any expectations I had out of the water. It somehow makes Tom Waits look inauthentic. This is in the upper echelon of albums from the southeast. It feels impossible to replicate. He pushes the boundaries of weird just enough but he doesn’t forget to make an enjoyable song at the same time. Rating: 4.4
The cover to this album made it look like this might be some sort of voodoo zombie themed novelty record, but it proved to be a lot more interesting than that first impression. Dr. John (a.k.a. Mac Rebennack) was a session musician from New Orleans who was working with Sonny and Cher, when a gap in the schedules gave him some studio time for himself. He put together a band and recorded this glorious mix of swampy R&B and creole rhythms that really does evoke misty bayous, moonless nights and something strange lurking in the darkness. Swamp-tastic!
Spooky
Definitely an interesting melange of swamp rock. Not something you ever hear very often. More than a lark, it is actually put together quite well.
I think this is one of the weirdest albums I’ve ever listened to but I totally freak with it like I love this and I wouldn’t expect anything less than voodoo psychedelic music from the guy who made the song Down In New Orleans from the movie princess and the frog
DEZE MAAKT LIEDJES VAN PRINCES EN DE KIKKER
Wat een mystiek album.. met een sound, context, en thema zo niche dat het bijna 60 jaar later nog steeds even 'vreemd' aanvoelt. En alhoewel het vast meer op de golflengte zit van de locals in de Big Easy en omliggend bayou country dan op die van mij, kwam ik hier vrij snel in. De nummers lijken soms nauwelijks op 'liedjes' in de Westerse zin van het woord, en meer op spreuken, ceremonies en vloeken geleid en verspreid door de lokale voodoo-priester (wat natuurlijk ook het concept van dit album is). Maar toch haal ik hier wel veel interessants uit, en dat vind ik een belangrijk element van kunst. Zoveel instrumenten die ik niet kon plaatsen en moest opzoeken, de vocalen (voor- en achtergrond) die op zo'n onorthodoxe manier worden opgenomen dat het voelt alsof je omringt bent door witch doctors in een Louisiana Swamp. En zo nu en dan is het ook echt heel catchy (Mama Roux, Jump Sturdy), en vergeet het album zeker niet de iconische funky en dansbare Mardi Gras-sound van New Orleans uit te stralen. En dan eindigen met het unieke en waanzinnig cult-filmische 'I Walk On Guilded Splinters', tekenend is voor deze plaat. Het transporteert je naar de wonderlijke maar sinistere wereld van de zwarte magie, en doet dat vol kleur. Tuurlijk zet je dit niet elke dag op voor het luisterplezier (als je geen alligator of medicijnman bent), maar het doet wel waar muziek zo goed in kan zijn; andermans gedachtewereld - hoever van je bed dan ook - op schilderachtige wijze delen. 8/10 Highlights: Danse Fambeaux Jump Sturdy I Walk On Guilded Splinters
I came into this expecting something a little more straight-ahead New Orleans—maybe closer to Professor Longhair with some voodoo seasoning. Instead, I got a swamp ritual. Gris-Gris is chaotic in a mostly good way. Tempos shift, percussion layers blur together, and the instrumentation often feels intentionally hard to pin down. It’s more trance than party, more séance than barroom. At times that looseness keeps it from locking into the kind of groove I naturally gravitate toward—but when it hits, it really hits. “Jump Sturdy” brings the clearest connection to the Dr. John sound I already knew and love, with a grounded pulse and character-driven swagger. And “Walk on Gilded Splinters” is hypnotic, ritualistic, and unforgettable—the kind of track that justifies the whole smoky premise. It’s weird. It’s immersive. It fully commits to its own world. Not something I’ll spin every week, but absolutely a record I respect and will revisit. A strong four.
A cacophonous, percussive record that makes it feel like you are in a booze soaked New Orleans club. Dr. John lays the template for Tom Waits, creating a unique sound and vibe that defies genre categorization. A really cool, interesting listen.
I guess this what you would call voodoo blues. Very cool, unique and interesting. First song threw me off a little, thought it to be generic stuff but this I would actually listen to again
More
i'd join this guy's cult. pretty fun and trippy fav song: Mama Roux
weird and perfectly 1968 - a good reference for my friends king gizzard
Seriously cool. 3.5/5
Truly psychedelic, in the sense that when you listen it feels like your perception is being altered to the point where it feels hallucinatory. This album has so much goddamn ambiance in a way that feels totally original, even (or especially) more so than other Dr. John albums, including the one that gave a pretty famous festival its name. That comes maybe at the expense of having tighter songwriting, but on the other hand who cares? If you're coming here to this project specifically for at least a partial music history lesson, this is a can't miss.
Fun and crazy. Whats not to like?
It was my first listen of this artist and I dig this sound! Very late 60s vibe but an interesting mix of psychedelia and R'n'B and it isn't less interesting nearly 60 years later. I will definitely relisten this album.
Mysterious, spooky New Orleans psychedelia/swamp rock, inspired by a real life 19th century voodoo doctor? Sign me the hell up.
Really enjoyed this. Good vibes
Man, this is the Tom Waits album that never was
3.5
Envoûtant
Gets better with each listen
I mentioned yesterday what a lot of psychedelia we were getting, and blimey here's another. The first track made me realise that this was definitely something different, however - not at all like the west coast stuff. I had a great half an hour listening to this; it's very jazzy and moody and definitely has hints of voodoo; a fusion of African roots with psychedelia, by way of southern jazz? Or something like that. New Orleans through and through, I guess. I'm glad he didn't sing *too* much (sorry, Dr John) as I wasn't that keen on his voice; by the last couple of tracks I kind of got it, though. Overall, very cool.
Another big album from dr John, can really see the tightness of the band when they play live
Cool and unusual. My first time hearing New Orleans R&B psychedelia
This is a lot of fun. I dig the New Orleans psychedelic vibes. It continues to amaze me what music is out there that I haven't even explored. After a deeper dive on Spotify, I recognize Right Place, Wrong Time from a later album. And of course the Curious George theme song :)
This kinda goes. Love me some weird experimental stuff and Cajun jazz influenced psych rock is one hell of a combo.
Ich liebe Tom Waits und dieses Album hat ihn definitiv beeinflusst. Herrlich weird und psychedelisch. Sehr schöne Entdeckung für mich.
Remember back when the WWE was the WWF, and pretty much everyone was some sort of gimmick, so wrestling matches would feel like Street Fighter? Who would win in a fight between a Soviet and a bird-loving Jamaican? A barber vs a police officer? A dead guy vs. a Miami drug dealer? It was all sort of stereotypical, sometimes outright racist, but it was also goofy as hell. Anyway, this Dr. John guy is great.
I expected an album with Louisiana roots, but this is much more than I expected. He really went full-bore into the particular vision of this album. It sounds like you just stepped into a secret religious ceremony. I really like it. It sets such a specific tone and feeling and provides a nice survey of Louisiana music. "A la Gris-Gris, calimbo-calimbo"
His voice reminded me of Tom Waits at times. Enjoyable!
I'm already a sucker for New Orleans music in general. This is like New Orleans meets a dark jungle. Mysterious and interesting.
I hadn't realized Dr. John was so interesting and prolific.
??? das cover der opener heyhey trippin brother dr.jhon. Shamanistic van morrison c
Det va mest av alt litt rart, men også egentlig litt fornøyelig? Nokka sånt.
First time round this was a solid 2, but on listening again the echoes (pre-echoes?) of Tom Waits and early Nick Cave and soft spot for psychedelia raised it to a high 3/low 4.
Este álbum tiene exactamente mi edad y la verdad es que me suena muy experimental para ser del 1968. Como músico que venía del R&B, la colección que aquí nos trae Dr John tiene más pinta de celebración de magia negra que de blues. No extraña que en su momento no tuviera éxito, pero por extraño que parezca es un álbum que de deja oír e incluso más de una vez. Otra prueba de que lo poco convencional tiene más recorrido en el tiempo del que parece.
Wonderfully strange exotic sounds.
This is some swamp boogey voodoo music. The production isn't great and Dr John leans into the spoken word vocals a bit heavy at times but overall it is an experience.
I think Dr John took all the drugs for this album
Es ist wahrscheinlich besser, beim Hören dieser Platte unter ähnlich viel Drogeneinfluss zu stehen wie deren Ersteller. Ich dagegen lag übermüdet mit sich anbahnender Erkältung als Einschlafbegleitung im abgedunkelten Schlafzimmer, was auch exakt genauso lange gedauert hat wie dieses Album. Krasser Sound, gerade für 1967. Sehr bluesig, sehr dreckig. Da hat sich Tom Waits sicherlich inspirieren lassen. "Croker Courtbullion" klingt, als hätte man jeden Musiker separat jammen lassen und die Tonspuren nur noch nebeneinander gelegt. Das war wirklich nur schwer auszuhalten. Aber ansonsten ist das schon sehr cool. Insbesondere der Opener und Closer haben es mir angetan.
Stuff like this is why I wanted to start this project! Really enjoyed the first half of the album but got a bit shrill toward the end (especially Croker Courtbullion, which I didn’t like much). Overall 4/5 would listen again
Mjög góð plata! Kom skemmtilega á óvart. Algjört rugl en gott rugl
Qué es esto. Nunca había escuchado nada que sonase así. Graciosísimo el concepto de maestro vudú. A veces suena a música de malo de peli de disney, a veces suena a música de malo de videojuego, a veces suena groovy, a veces suena tribal y en general suena más experimental que el carajo. Ignorando que las voces suenen como si se hubiesen grabado con el micrófono del móvil en 1968, curiosísimo disco, muy divertido. Ni idea de lo que acabo de escuchar.
Recently went down a Dr John listening spree, this was a standout album from him for sure. 4.5
Was deeply skeptical of this whole thing, but damn it really sustains a mood and atmosphere. Maybe works best when he’s not singing...
241021 11:02 3.5
Not my favorite Dr John album, but would be good background music
### *Gris-Gris* (1968) – Dr. John, the Night Tripper An in-depth review of the album that dragged New-Orleans voodoo into the psychedelic era. --- ### 1. **Lyrics – Hoodoo Liturgy in Broken English & Creole Spells** - **Vocabulary of spells & street-medicine**: “Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya-Ya” opens with the doctor promising “remedies for all y’all’s ills,” immediately establishing the record as a pharmacopoeia of jive talk, folk-Catholic imagery and voodoo product-placement (gris-gris bags, goofer dust, “mojo eye”). - **Non-linear storytelling**: Instead of verses/choruses we get incantatory lists (“I walk through the fire, children / fly through the smoke…”) that feel improvised during a ceremony. - **Code-switching & micro-dialects**: English, French-Creole, carnival barker slang and jive overlap, giving the text a linguistic swampiness that mirrors the music. - **Hidden social commentary**: Beneath the hokum, tunes like “Mama Roux” lament the closing of the old Storyville dance-halls while “Danse Kalinda Ba-Doom” hints at slave-dance rituals re-packaged for tourists. --- ### 2. **Music – A Séance in 7/4 Time** - **Rhythm section as snake skeleton**: Most tracks ride a loping New-Orleans second-line groove, but tempo is often electronically *slowed* (Vari-Speed) so hand-drums, claves and bass appear to crawl. - **Modal vamps instead of blues changes**: Instead of I-IV-V, songs hover around one minor chord decorated by micro-riffs on clavinet, low-register flute or banjo, creating trance rather than progression. - **Timbre cocktail**: reed organ processed through a homemade ring-modulator, triangle wave generators, bowed double-bass *and* baritone sax giving sub-harmonic “mud,” while Harold Battiste’s piccolo or clarinet supplies *high* insect buzz—producing the swamp-insect nightscape you can actually hear. - **Vocal delivery**: Dr. John’s voice is mixed bone-dry, up-front and slightly over-modulated; he half-speaks, half-sings like a medicine-show priest while background singers (including Jessie Hill & Shirley Goodman) respond in church-fallen-into-river call-and-response. --- ### 3. **Production – Studio as Gris-Gris Bag** Producer Harold Battiste and arranger Mac Rebennack (Dr. John) had three days of leftover studio time at Gold Star in L.A. and a cartload of ideas they couldn’t use on Sonny & Cher sessions. - **Varispeed abuse**: Tapes routinely run at 15 ips then played back at 7½ ips, instantly deepening horns and voices and giving the record its underwater gait. - **Hard-left / hard-right psychedelic panning**: percussion in one ear, organ in the other, creating the dislocated “you’re in the middle of the ritual circle” feel. - **Live floor bleed**: almost everything cut live with minimal overdubbing—room mics capture foot-stomps and murmurs, adding documentary realism to the voodoo theatre. - **First-use of clavinet through a rotating Leslie on a rock record** (later copied by Billy Preston & Stevie Wonder). --- ### 4. **Themes – Identity, Exile & Cultural Re-Enchantment** - **Self-(re)invention**: Mac Rebennack, a white journeyman R&B pianist freshly out of heroin trouble, invents “Dr. John the Night Tripper,” a composite of 19th-century hoodoo doctor John Montaigne and Afro-Atlantic folk imagery—an early concept of musical Afro-futurism. - **Post-Pepper psychedelia meets post-colonial folklore**: the record answers *Sgt. Pepper*’s costume-party surrealism with something blood-and-soil: real diasporic culture filtered through counter-culture paranoia. - **Celebration of “low” culture**: street vendors, Mardi-Indians, back-alley dice games are elevated to shamanic archetypes, predicting the sample-based reverence of later hip-hop and crate-digger culture. --- ### 5. **Influence & Legacy** - **Immediate ripple**: Mick Jagger cited “I Walk on Guilded Splinters” as inspiration for “Sympathy for the Devil” grooves; Paul Weller, The Neville Brothers, Spiritualized, Super Furry Animals and even Cher (who covered “Splinters”) openly borrowed its swamp-gospel atmosphere. - **Hip-hop & sampling**: the hypnotic percussion loop from “Splinters” was flipped by Beck (“Loser”), Oasis (“Go Let It Out”), and countless DJs; it essentially pre-loaded the voodoo palette of 90s trip-hop. - **New-Orleans revival**: alongside The Meters and Professor Longhair, *Gris-Gris* kick-started global interest in modern New-Orleans music, paving the way for funk-jam bands (Galactic, Greyboy Allstars) and HBO’s *Treme* aesthetic decades later. - **Cultural studies**: texts on Afro-Atlantic religion now routinely cite the album as pop-culture evidence of hoodoo’s survival; it’s one of the few rock-era records archived in the Smithsonian’s Folkways playlist. --- ### 6. **Pros & Cons – A Listener’s Field Guide** | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | 1. Still sounds *utterly unique*—nothing in 1968 (or 2025) quite matches its humid sonic stew. | 1. Murky fidelity: intentionally distorted vocals and over-cranked tape saturation can fatigue ears on hi-fi systems. | | 2. Brilliant hybrid of styles—Congo Square drums, Delta banjo, modal jazz, early funk—makes 35 minutes feel like a world-music mixtape before that term existed. | 2. Loose song structures; if you crave sing-along choruses or verse-bridge-verse logic, you’ll be lost in the bayou. | | 3. Lyrical mystique invites multiple interpretations; each listen reveals new coded phrases. | 3. Some cultural-appropriation unease: white artist trading in black folk-magic tropes—though most scholars argue Rebennack’s lifelong advocacy for New-Orleans musicians offsets it. | | 4. Production innovations (vari-speed, hard panning, Leslie’d clavinet) became template for psychedelic funk and later trip-hop. | 4. Short running order (7 tracks) may leave you wishing for a second helping just when the trance peaks. | | 5. Stand-alone centerpiece “I Walk on Guilded Splinters” is a 7-minute master-class in slow-burn voodoo groove and has aged better than many 60s “classics.” | 5. Requires *active* listening; works poorly as background music—can feel meandering or even silly if half-heard. | --- ### **Verdict** *Gris-Gris* is less an album than a weather system: humid, slightly dangerous, but life-giving if you surrender to it. Its pros outweigh the cons by a long shot, provided you accept the record on its own occult terms. If rock history were a deck of tarot cards, this would be **The Hanged Man**—suspended, mysterious, demanding you look at music from an inverted angle.
Great artist. Throughout his career, he has touched all genres of music, and done them all incredibly well. Congrats on over 50 years of artistry. Great voice, and music.
Really good album. More of a ritualistic fever dream than some of his more popular work, the drumming here sort of lures you in throughout. I do like his more upbeat music over this, but this is still really good. He is one of the more unique artist to have made it big. 3.5/5 Will listen again
This is like Beck meets Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem (from the Muppet Show). The entire album was fascinating. An international flavor with a touch of Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun". Not all of the tracks did it for me, but they certainly kept my interest. "Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya", "I Walk On Guilded Splinters", and "Danse Kalinda Ba Boom" were the standouts.
That second line playing. This is great. Walk on guilded splinters is a top20 song. Mack Rebennak conjures the voodoo of New Orleans and magic happens. Bit of filler but what works works. 4
++*: Mama Roux ++: Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya, Croker Courtbouillon, I Walk on Guilded Splinters +: Danse Fambeaux, Jump Sturdy +-: Danse Kalinda Ba Doom 8,2/10
Can’t believe I liked this as much as I did. Title track and guilded splinters both good. Weird blend of jazz and horror?
i really didn't care for this at first blush, but it got better on repeated listens. very unique sound and album for this list, so i'm on board with that. and it's barely half an hour? excellent stuff. favorites: danse kalinda ba doom, mama roux, danse fambeaux, jump sturdy
After the first: "YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA YAAAAAAAA" the album had me. 4 stars.
Cover art freaked me out a little when I first opened this around 4am. It's a good fit for the music. Never heard anything like this.
This is great. I heard the name before but not the music. It had a lot of layers to it, will be playing again.
Strange but damn good
i already heard this earlier this year when exploring this album list on my own. was fairly enjoyable. i'll listen again for rating purposes Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya - 5/5 Danse Kalinda Ba Doom - 3/5 Mama Roux - 4/5 Danse Fambeaux - 5/5 Croker Courtbullion - 4/5 Jump Sturdy - 4/5 I Walk on Guilded Splinters - 5/5 Average score: 4.3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Got psychedelics?
it's weird. it's fascinating. it's annoying. it's smooth. it's everything at once. i've listened to it more often than most other albums of artists i haven't known before.
This album has such a fun, creepy, witchy vibe. I love it. I have a good version of this record on vinyl, but I listed to a high quality digital file with headphones for this session, and there was a lot of new-to-me detail that was revealed this time. I almost want to give this record five stars for its uniqueness, but I'm going to have to go with four. This record scratches a very particular itch, but it just isn't a legendary recording on par with something like Abbey Road, Dark Side of the Moon, or Songs in the Key of Life. Four stars.
Freaky new Orleans swamp jazz
expérimental et cool j'ai jamais entendu ce style ambiance qui rendait aussi bien
What an atmospheric album
This record somehow screamed „Beck“ to me. So I investigated and found out that Johnny Jenkins covered Guilded Splinters. And Becks Loser was strongly influenced by it (drum sample and guitar). It’s understanding lineages like this which makes this challenge so rewarding. Besides this: Insanely groovy record (the base!) Stereo separation is too strong and croker courtbouillon is too experimental. Overall more than decent but god why did they settle with this horrible album cover? Did they wanna sabotage themselves?
Sometimes you get three star albums that are just fine, and sometimes you get three star albums that are a wild mix of 'WTF, this is really something' and, well, the same, but in a very bad way. It was clear to me that this was a very interesting album, but it is not the kind of thing you'd put on to have a nice time or in front of people.
8/10 Creates an excellent atmosphere and feeling. Can hear these songs in so much of the music that followed it
This album didn't start well. And there's quite a lot of randomness to the mix. But, the more it went on, the more I enjoyed it. I like the soulful vocals that mix in with the poorly mixed grunts. There was a nice mix of psychadelia in here (without moving into Velvet Underground-esque droning). Terrible artist name, by the way! It's a product of it's time, bit it has aged better than a few other albums I've seen on this list. I liked the array of instruments on 'Croker Courtbullion', the tune could have been used on a James Bond film, but certainly not this recording! Maybe it's parody! In which case, I am all on board for that! It did end in dribble.... Actually, I take that back! Animal noises! But, then it kind of has a nice drums to bring it home (jury is not out yet...) 'Mama Roux' was a nice one. Can we get more albums with Harpsichord!? I was going to say this sits in my catergory of, pleasant experience, but not particularly exciting or stimulating. But actually, I felt while listening there were plenty of moments to enjoy... I'm saying it: 4 Stars!
Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya 3.4 Danse Kalinda Ba Doom 3.6 Mama Roux 3.5 Danse Fambeaux 3.5 Croker Courtbullion 3.6 Jump Sturdy 3.4 I Walk on Guilded Splinters 3.7 Score: 3.528571429
Definitely an interesting album, but not in a bad way. Buddy is just having a good time on the bayou. Would revisit. Would definitely do a deep dive into Dr John's other works.
Love his voice and the fact that he was, I fact, at least half the criminal huckster he sang about. What a personality. Read up on him.
Interesting deep south blues. Voodoo rock?
Introduces Dr. John character, post-midnight ceremony in the bayou Gumbo ya ya Mama roux
I like
Check it out
Loved this - felt like a companion piece to Exile On Main Street. Dirty and frayed at the edges.
I only really knew of his later stuff from programs like OGWT. This was a nice surprise - chaotic and percussive. Definitely an influence on later Tom Waits.
THIS is the kind of thing I wanted to come across doing this. What a wierd and wonderful album. Production is very rough around the edges but the mix of blues, soul, gospel, psychedelia is unlike very much I’ve ever come across before. Absolutely loving ‘I walk on gilded splinters’ in particular.
Odd experiment, like the sound of a voodoo Jethro Tull
Wide world of music and still a down home feel
Love the unique vibe
Listens: 3 Standout tracks: Danse Fambeaux, Jump Sturdy, I Walk on Guilded Splinters I enjoyed this. It was weird. I felt like I was witness to a Witch Doctor Vodo ceremony. Otherworldly almost. Danse Fambeaux sounds very old-country (Gypsy music?) - where the old country is the southern bayou Louisiana. Crocker Courtbullion has some weird parts where it sounds like he's calling a cat pst pst pstpstpst pst. Jump Sturdy has great chorus and backing vocals and the lyrics themselves are great.
Odd, but the kind of odd I dig.
4/5 - I needed to hear this because I didn't know psychedelic voodoo was a thing. I thought it was trouble after the first track, but it got a lot more tuneful after that. The music here has a real "feel" and rhythm that I don't think I have the words to describe; it just kinda makes you move. "Mama Roux" and "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" were the standout tracks for me.
Get me whatever Dr. John's on. I hate that I universally dig dudes that sound like Beefheart (psychopaths) - the weird acid bayou-soul sound absolutely fuckin makes this, don't know if I've ever heard anything like it. Totally gonna listen again and this might get better with time
Very interesting sounds.
Haunted in a wonderful way
Really cool! 3.5/5
This is very creative and original. Plus, it is fun to listen to. I really liked it!
With the exception of the BRILLIANT Walk on gilded splinters, it's a passable album that doesn't really have much in the way of hooks or memorable songs, but the vibe is impeccable. It's just such a glorious, juju-drenched vibe that was pleasant to luxuriate in, even if I'd have little interest in hearing the songs covered...
Weird, psychadelic, mellow, great fun
This album reminded me a lot visiting New Orleans, but also watching Treme and other NOLA set shows and movies (often featuring Dr John). It was a lot of fun, but for some reason I was left wanting more. I can’t actually explain it, but maybe it was the psychedelic parts that I wanted less of, and more of the Cajun rhythms. It’s a 3.5 for me that I’ll bump up to a 4.
The idea of an artist channeling their city's essence through their music is one I find quite romantic, and Dr. John succeeds in doing so on Gris Gris, stirring up a swampy cauldron of New Orleans R&B and voodoo-tinged psychedelia bubbling over with reverence for his roots.
SOUNDS LIKE GUMBO
Reminds me of Tom Waits - which is no bad thing indeed!
First impression pre listen: Seems really campy so it looks like it's gonna be interesting at least. I have no idea what to expect from this, but if the execution is right the creepy witch doctor themes could turn out to be really fun. I really like the odd theatricality of the album cover, it just has this really silly energy about it. Never heard of this artist before so at least it will be a new discovery for me. And even if it's bad at least it's quite short. Individual track notes: Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya Leaning very hard into this witch doctor character. It's very weird. I kinda like the bluesy backing track. As I'm not really engrossed in the cultural context behind this I'm really struggling to take this seriously. A bizzare experience. Definitely very psychedelic. Fine. 3/5 Danse Kalinda Da Boom Really unique sounding track. Love the rhythm and the strange instrumental passages. Sounds really dark and mysterious. Love the almost chant-like vocals. The hollow metal percussive elements add a lot to the spooky atmosphere of the track. Genuinely quite inspiring. Fantastic. 5/5 Mama Roux Really fun song. Sounds almost effortless. Great little jazzy instrumental with a charismatic vocal performance. Infectious and catchy. Great. 4.5/5 Danse Fambeaux Spooky atmosphere. Really like the haunting and hypnotic background vocals. Fun bass. Love the strange instrumentation. Awesome energy from the background vocalists. The bell effect is an interesting aesthetic choice. Good. 4/5 Crocker Courtbullion Weird. Psychedelic and chaotic. Feels very improvisational. Great bass. Extremely ominous sounding at times. Animal sounds? Don't know what to call that. Definitely an experience. Decent. 3.5/5 Jump Sturdy Spooky and haunting. I like the bluesy, mystical vibe. Has some moments where it almost sounds normal. Decent. 3.5/5 I Walk on Gilded Splinters Great drumming. Really atmospheric. I like the almost chant like chorus. Enchanting and hypnotic. Great pacing. Great. 4.5/5 Final Review: Well that was fucking weird. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. I went into this list looking for new and unique listening experiences, and with this album I got exactly that. It's dark and spooky with an interesting swampy concept of this occult voodoo witch doctor figure, enchanting and deceiving you deeper into his mystical world. And that's where this album shines. In this a campy, theatrical fantasy version of the bayou, you're taken on a weird adventure through janky and strange instrumentation and chant-like vocals. It's at times hypnotic and entrancing and with Dr. John's almost spoken delivery it feels like you're taking part in some underground ritual. You get some jazz and you get some blues as well as some rootsy worldly soundscapes that are performed with passion and soul. And while the recording does sound crusty and dated I genuinely think it adds some charm to the experience, which would not be present with newer slicker production. If you're looking for a short and fun psychedelic late '60s album I'd definitely recommend this one. For me it's not an all time favourite, but it remains a very memorable discovery from the journey so far. 4/5
"I Walk On Gilded Splinters" is an absolute classic. The rest of the album is pretty damn good, too. Would have loved to see a live show from Dr. John and his band.
Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya - You can feel Dr. John's later work in this but it is clearly the genesis, a stepping off point. Brilliant. Danse Kalinda Ba Doom - Mystical, it feels like you're observing a voodoo ritual. Mama Roux - Suddenly upbeat and showing hints of Right Place Wrong Time and the first track to be recognisable as a song. Danse Fambeaux - Heading back into the trance. Croker Courtbullion - The intro sounds like Golden Brown by The Stranglers. The song sounds like you're having a bad trip. Walk on Guilded Splinters - The trip is ending. Great, full of the mysticism, unconventional instrumentation and feel that Dr. John was known for throughout his career.
Unusual, skilled, fascinating
Dr. John is here to prescribe you an anxiety ridden fever dream and he is gonna play that shit on repeat until you agree it’s at least a 4 star. The more I listen, the more I understand the medicinal value of Gris-Gris. 4 stars
Wow, Gris-Gris really surprised me! I honestly didn't expect it to be so trippy, but I absolutely love it. This album is odd, weird, fun – all of the above, and it just works. And Dr. John's voice? What more can you say? It's utterly mesmerizing. It pulls you right into his world. This album is a solid 4 stars all day long. The Dr. has definitely arrived!
Voodoo magic…
Whoah this is awesome. How have I never heard of this before? Crazy that this came out in 1968.
This was a good album. Not enough for me to listen to his back catalogue just yet but I was surprised by how much I liked it.
Dr. John the night tripper is on some bayou voodoo shaman shit. A wonderfully unique album that has the power to transport you to a peculiar, magical, spooky world. It’s really far out, and really cool if you surrender to it. It can’t be categorized or explained; it must be heard and felt. If you dig this, check out Exuma for a Bahamian spin on this type of music. Only comparable album out there conceptually.
This one pretty much blew my mind hearing it for the first time many years ago, and for a while it was one of my all-time favorites. Revisiting it for this, I'm noticing just how much it relies on a great opener and great closer. Other than maybe "Mama Roux", everything in between that is more or less forgettable. But that first song and last song are totally perfect, the way that the backing vocals feel like they're ghosts rising out of the swamp is *still* eerie!
Slow intro with "Gris Gris Gumbo Ya Ya" and the elongated drawl of Dr. John calling himself "The Night Tripper", then shit gets crazy, scary, spooky, hilarious... "Walk On Gilded Splinters" is a strong closer, though I had only ever heard the Paul Weller cover before.
Outrageously sleazy nonsense. Loved it
Wow, described by someone as “midnight ceremony in the bayou” and it’s spot on - mad and mysterious, uneasy but funky listening. Danse Fambeaux very good
I had listened to this album years ago and didn't love it, but this time through I was digging the unpolished, creole soul.
Mac Rebennack wasn't even supposed to be Dr. John, he was simply the character's creator. Having taken the helm on anyways, his performance helped spread the cultural depth of New Orleans' voodoo heritage far and wide. The album is sticky and stylish, dripping with charisma and continuing to pull you in. One of music's first iconic characters in his most honest way
Wow!
Super vibe. Où est-ce que vous vous cachez tout le monde qui m'avez jamais parlé de ça?!?
Never heard of before, but nice. Quite slow jazzy like but not completely. Very short album so have listened to it around 3 times by now.
Evocative, interesting, probably too much for the normal people.
It was actually pretty good
Wow, that’s cool! Like it
a singular and special vision
I liked this more than I expected. I think I had them mixed up with "Dr Hook" in my head, so went in with low expectations
A Reeeeally cool listen and its still insane to me how a recording from 1968 can sound this good even if its a remaster like wooow
Woah, this was cool. Jazzy voodoo psychedelic blues with a singer that sounds like Tom Waits? 3.5 rounded up
Really fantastic, only really a little spotty in a few places
Weird and fun. Ahead of its time.
Pretty cool. I like when old albums can sound so unique. Its not all killer but definitely an interesting listen. Also I had no idea he wrote walk on guilded splinters, I love that song.
Weird, something Frank would like, I have to listen to this again.
Very interesting and one of the first truly unique hearing experiences from me through this project. What an odd and trippy sound, but one that somehow kept me engaged.
Super weird album. Liked it a lot more than I expected
not what I was expecting. really liked it tho
Learn something new every day…”I Walk on Guilded Splinters” was written by the good Doctor. Album is a good beginning to an illustrious career.
Soundtrack of the French Quarter
Had it at 3.5 but bumped it to 4 on another listen. Nothing here is excellent but it’s solid and the vibes are always cool and his voice rules imo
It’s very atmospheric - my office briefly felt like a spooky Louisiana swamp. And Walk on Guilded Splinters is such a tune.
A strange, narcotic, Cajun flavored voodoo trip of an album.
Wow, super cool! Dr. John was not on my radar at all, and I feel like a fool. The voice was a little meh in the beginning, to be honest, but I was able to get into it. I went on to listen to another album of a live performance he did a couple of years later. He clearly had one hell of a career 👏👏👏
Would be good record to have
Bluesy and laid-back, this was certainly a strange record—one I couldn't really figure out on this first listen. It was quite unsettling at times, in a good way. I loved the mood established by 'Danse Kalinda Ba Doom,' which is very Eastern-influenced. The closer 'I Walk on Guilded Splinters' does something similar as well. It's a very tribal and spiritual-sounding closer. Everything here sets a very strong mood. It's a hypnotizing record I'll give it that, especially on the jazzy-instrumental moments like 'Croker Courtbullion'. I didn't fully get this album so I can't write much about it, but I'll most likely be revisiting it - it's a unique sound, especially for its time.
It’s fun and probably was a total wild and different sound for the time.
18/1001 I’m honestly at a loss for words with this record. I only know of Dr. John from Right Place Wrong Time, while thks is some trippy music, even for me and my favourite genre is stoner doom, but I kinda dig it. My biggest gripe with the album is the production. The music is good, and so is the vocals, but the mix just sounds weird. The vocals sounds almost like it’s peaking making it feel out of place, which is a bit off putting, but not in the way that the music is off putting. That’s, however, not to say the music isn’t off putting in a good way, it’s voodoo vibe sound scary and mystic in an imaginative way playing across the boundaries of rock. Jump Sturdy is the album’s most straightforward song (also the only song, where Dr. John’s vocals sounds mixed correctly), and is much more in line with the funk of Right Place Wrong Time, and I think it gives the album a nice place to breathe before the climax of the seven and a half minutes long I Walk on Guilded Splinters. 4/5
This is just an interesting and unique one. It’s fun to listen to, and that’s enough.
This one was very weird and out there, but I very much enjoyed it and even gave it a second listen through since it’s not a long album. Definitely unique.
This was a great great surprise. It's not perfect, but it contains the exact amount of everything that makes a good album. It's not easy, but also not extremely challenging and every piece looks in the right place.
Very eclectic. A lot going on.
super moody. id like more like this
So weird. I loved it. This must have been so far ahead of it's time. This is why I'm listening to all these records.
I've let this grow into quite a queue, so here's just a quick: yeah, cool. In terms of pure "Did I need to hear this?" one of the best albums I've had in a while. Might put this on again.
人聲的部分很特別，像「Danse Fambeaux」裡面的「啪咚」真的很有趣。幾乎每一首都有很獵奇又很好聽的旋律，像是「gris-gris」、「mama roux」。
Pretty fun, shaggy, party voodoo.
wacky but very fun
Unique southern psychedelic rock journey. Bob Dylan meets Burt Bacharach
The only song of Dr. John’s I know is “Right Place, Wrong Time,” which I know from its use in Dazed and Confused. I don’t have any strong feelings towards that song, but I’d usually skip over it when I was listening to the soundtrack, mostly because there were other songs I wanted to hear more. I haven’t been that high on a lot of the psychedelic albums from the sixties that I’ve reviewed so far, so I don’t have particularly high hopes for this album, but maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised! This album was a pleasant surprise. While it’s not a five-star album for me, I still thought it was really good. I enjoyed the overall vibe of the album, and I loved how it really leaned into the whole southern voodoo aesthetic, which I thought worked really well. There weren’t really any particular songs that stood out to me, but that was okay since the album sounded great as a whole. Dr. John’s spoken vocals fit the album’s tone really well, allowing him to really embrace the persona he crafted. His voice and style elevated this album into something beyond typical blues, but the sound never felt like a gimmick. The percussion was really solid throughout the album as well, which helped give even more shape to the southern voodoo sound of the album. This isn’t something I’d typically gravitate towards, but it was a fun and unique experience, and I’m glad it’s on the list.
Clearly Tom waits north star
Gris-Gris is the debut album by American musician Dr. John, originally released in 1968. I mainly only know of Dr. John from The Last Waltz. I knew he was big in the 60s and I dug his performance with The Band. This was the first time I'm hearing a full album by him. Man, this was weirder than I expected it to be! I thought it would mostly be soul, but this thing delves a bit into free jazz at times. It's also produced very well for 1968. Great usage of a wide array of instruments and guest performers. Definitely worth another listen to catch all the details.
4.2