Customer Reviews
Success Story - By: Richard, 15 Apr 2008 
If Fats Domino carried New Orleans through the 50s then it was Allen Toussaintin the next 2 decades.Today he's on tour with Elvis Costello who he cut his last album with a mighty long way down the road from the days of Ernie K-Doe & the Stokes & the times he stoodin for Fats Domino on a new single because he was on the road & which was the start of his recording career when he had to learn how to impersonate the Fat Man
He was on a roll even when interupted by the Army-Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass had just cut Whipped Cream -covered from his own original by his group the Stokes.Another easy listening act cut a version of Java & Toussaint had an album of his own music under the name of Al Toussan.
Returning to New Orleans he carried on where he left off-Lee Dorsey had huge hits on the pop charts &in this country too.Other names too like Irma Thomas & Betty Harris In 1969 he made a cover of the Champs' Tequila
Toussaint always liked working with white guys & that included The Band who benefitted from his horn arrangements on Rock of Ages.Then came Paul McCartney & Wingsin New Orleans to cut Venus & Mars.Dr John charted with albums & singles like Right place.
In the 90s came the collaboration with Chet Atkinsin Nashville which began as a session to cut a version of Southern Nights which had hit for Glen Campbell.It ended up with the album Rhythm & Country & Soul which paired blacks with white doing versions of songs made by soul stars or country stars by pairing up unlikely bedfellows like George Jones with B B King & Gladys Knight with Vince Gill.The CD booklet showed himin a photo with the Pointer Sisters.
Soul cool - By: S J Buck, 22 Apr 2007 Heres a New Orleans artist that should bein everybodies collection. Allen Toussaint is a record producer, arranger, songwriter, musician & occasional performer. He produced the horn charts for The Band, worked with McCartney & The Meters. These 16 tracks are taken from his best albums, which all date from the 1970's I believe.
The first two tracks are from "Whisper to a scream". Amongst the backing musicians are Dr John & John Boudreaux. "What is success" (track 2) is a great soulful track where you can hear a little of Allen's underrated Piano playing. The vocal & brass arrangements are superb & give the track a distinctive sound all of its own, & it remains my favourite on the album. Tracks 3-5 are from the album "Life, Love & faith". Tracks 6-10 are from "Southern Nights" & the remaining tracks are from the album "Motion". Southern Nights is the other stand-out track for me. A beautiful melody with a vocal that sounds as though its been put through some sort of electronic effect.
Theres no weak tracks on this collection & the only think better than owning this is to go & buy the original albums. Now I wonder how much they are....
