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Gonna Take You Downtown
Gonna Take You Downtown is an album by the American musician Beau Jocque, released in 1996.[2][3] He is credited with his band, the Zydeco Hi-Rollers.[4] Issued as a vinyl dance track, "Make It Stank (Special Aromatic Dance Mix)" was a regional radio hit.[5][6] Jocque supported the album with a North American tour.[7] The Scottish writer James Kelman used lyrics from the title track in his 2016 book, Dirt Road.[8] ProductionRecorded in New Orleans, the album was produced by Scott Billington.[9] Its sound was influenced by funk and hard rock.[10] "Make It Stank (Special Aromatic Dance Mix)" employed tape loops and samples.[11] "I'm on the Wonder" is a cover of the Clifton Chenier song.[12] "The Back Door" is a cover of the D. L. Menard song.[6] A talk box was used on the covers of "Cisco Kid" and "Knockin' on Heaven's Door".[13] Critical reception
The Chicago Reader wrote that Jocque has "pumped up his zydeco with the energy of rock, somehow incorporating that style's forceful backbeat without letting it dominate."[12] The Orlando Sentinel stated that "Jocque has a deep, imposing growl of a voice, and his style has a strong funk-soul influence," writing that "the only misstep is a rather pointless addition to the long list of covers of Bob Dylan's 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'."[16] The Denver Post determined that "Jocque groans and cries like a possessed John Lee Hooker."[17] Guitar Player deemed the album "brimming with righteous rhythms, from the deep, offbeat pocket of Caribbean mento to the sultry swing of roots reggae and the full-bore zydeco romps."[13] Miami New Times opined: "There's some good, smoking stuff here, with a few Jocque originals that extend the legacy of zydeco and rock like mad in the process. Judging by the covers, though, Beau don't know his own considerable strengths."[18] City Pages listed Gonna Take You Downtown as the 18th best album of 1996.[19] AllMusic wrote that "the things that set Jocque's band apart from other zydeco mainstays are the infusions of rock and funk, usually more or less missing from the genre."[14] The Village Voice concluded that the band "have perfected a superheroic woofer-whomping blend of Louisiana accordions and lubricious funk."[20] Track listing
References
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