La Vie Marron

La Vie Marron
Studio album by
Filé
Released1996
GenreCajun
LabelGreen Linnet[1]
Filé chronology
Two Left Feed
(1990) 		La Vie Marron
(1996) 		Hang On to Your Chapeau
(2000)

La Vie Marron is an album by the American band Filé, released in 1996.[2][3] The title translates as "The Runaway Life".[4] The band promoted the album with a North American tour.[5] The album was a hit on Americana radio formats.[6]

Production

Filé wrote five of the album's 11 songs.[7] "Bonsoir Moreau" is a cover of the Canray Fontenot song.[8] C. C. Adcock played guitar on La Vie Marron; Dave Egan joined the band on piano.[7][9] The liner notes were written by Barry Jean Ancelet.[10]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide[12]

The Gazette noted that "the old-time waltzes and two-steps are still there, but so are demon rock `n' roll, sweat-soaked blues and sweet Dixieland."[13] The Chicago Tribune wrote that the band "blends authentic Cajun wailing and Fats Domino-style rock 'n' roll into an intriguing hybrid that's as potent a listen as it is a dance-floor stimulant."[14] The Washington Post determined that "on Egan's composition, 'I Just Can't Do [It] Right', his Professor Longhair piano licks provide a strong New Orleans flavor, but [Ward] Lormand's squeezebox and D'Jalma Garnier's fiddle pull it back into the swamps."[15]

The Blade stated: "Loping two-steps mix with bluesy zydeco as a singing fiddle and a smokin' accordion take their turns with some danceable waltzes, vintage melodies, and raucous originals."[16] Nashville Scene listed the album among the 20 best of 1996, deeming it "a rollicking album of dance tunes that blend R&B, rock, and all things Louisiane."[17] The Columbus Dispatch called La Vie Marron "nothing short of brilliant."[18]

AllMusic wrote that the band "puts a unique twist on the music with the addition of piano to the traditional mix of instruments and their own refreshing style, without losing any of the integrity of the Cajun tradition."[11]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."La Vie Marron" 
2."One Foot in the Bayou" 
3."Lucille" 
4."Bonsoir Moreau" 
5."I Just Can't Do It Right" 
6."Sandy Cove" 
7."Fido Dixieland" 
8."Talle d'Éronces" 
9."Chéroquis/Midland" 
10."Loup Garou Mange pas Mes Enfants" 
11."Boogaloo" 

References

  1. ^ Bledsoe, Wayne (23 Feb 1996). "File Brings the Bayou Spirit Back to Knoxville". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. T7.
  2. ^ "Filé Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ "New Sounds". The Seattle Times. September 5, 1996. p. E3.
  4. ^ Lalley, Heather (July 27, 2000). "Condensed Rendezvous Packs Punch". The Spokesman-Review. p. D3.
  5. ^ Herndon, John (12 Dec 1996). "Cajun rock guitarist and former Austinite D'Jalma Garnier...". Austin American-Statesman. p. 26.
  6. ^ Wirt, John (September 20, 1996). "Celtic label adding File to its gumbo". Fun. The New Orleans Advocate. p. 8.
  7. ^ a b Beal Jr., Jim (December 13, 1996). "File: Rules are made to be broken". San Antonio Express-News. p. 12H.
  8. ^ Spera, Keith (September 13, 1996). "Cajun with Some R&B Spice – A New CD Recipe". The Times-Picayune. p. L7.
  9. ^ Smallwood, Dean (July 17, 1997). "Cajun band File is savvy musical mix". The Huntsville Times. p. C3.
  10. ^ "On stage at the tulip festival". Ottawa Citizen. 20 May 1999. p. D3.
  11. ^ a b "Filé La Vie Marron: The Runaway Life". AllMusic.
  12. ^ MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 2000. p. 266.
  13. ^ Lamey, Mary (28 Sep 1996). "File La Vie Marron". The Gazette. p. E3.
  14. ^ Reger, Rick (15 Nov 1996). "The 'A' list". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 55.
  15. ^ "File Sharpens Cajun Appeal". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  16. ^ Rosenbaum, Ken (October 6, 1996). "La Vie Marron". The Blade. p. G4.
  17. ^ McCall, Michael (December 26, 1996). "Image-Conscious – The year comes to a close in Nashville". Nashville Cream. Nashville Scene.
  18. ^ Eichenberger, Bill (September 7, 1997). "Who Needs Old Geezers with This Lineup?". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 10G.