Rhino / Wea
1995
L'amour Ou La Folie
About This Album
From the first track of L'Amour Ou la Folie to the last, Michael Doucet and Beausoleil cover a wide array of material, from original compositions to adaptations of popular songs from the 1930s. With few exceptions, it all works marvelously. There are some oddities here, like the I-think-this-works-but-I'm-not-sure "Can't You See" (a "swamp pop" song from the '50s that answers the question, "What would Fats Domino sound like if he lived on the bayou?"), but the majority of the tracks on this record are traditional tunes or fairly straight-ahead Doucet originals. This album is a relaxed outing in all regards, and even the up-tempo tracks, such as the terrific fiddle feature "Newz Reel," aren't aggressively driving. Beausoleil do a good job with the arrangements, making good use of guest artists to supply color from piano, clarinet, and pedal steel, the high point being the inclusion of Richard Thompson's guitar on two songs. Beausoleil has already acknowledged their appreciation of Thompson by covering his song "Valerie" on 1994's tribute album Beat the Retreat, and now Thompson returns the favor. Most notable is his performance on the outstanding title track, where he contributes some ferocious electric solos.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 and 10)

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