City That Care Forgot

This is an excellent contribution from Dr. John. The band Lower 911 is tremendous. I highly recommend this CD.

Gosh, what a tour de force! From the opening "bop" of "Keep on Going" right through all 13 tracks the good Doctor is on form, on song, on rhythm & on message here. There's cool jazz, funk, swamp blues & great contributions from the guest artists, in particular Eric Clapton & Terence Blanchard.
You know, a lot of "protest" albums suffer from the angst getting in the way of the artistry but not here. For example I was REALLY worried about the combo with Willie Nelson on "Promises, Promises" but by gum it works & makes the words truly resonate - "Promises, promises, empty words, empty words; the road to the White House, paved with lies.....fought in your wars, paid with our lives.....the truth will set you free". Yet the really great thing is how the tracks without the guests see the Doctor really getting down & nasty with great, driving, funky beats - just listen to "Dream Warrior" for proof positive.
Other highlights of an album of consistently high quality are "Land Grab" (great trumpet from Blanchard) & the title track (some of Clapton's "bluesiest" guitar in ages). Very rarely do I download every single track from an album into my iPod/iTunes but I did with this album. HIGHLY recommended

I Didn't expect Dr. John to release such a great album at this point of his career. The man is 67 years old. This Just might be his best album of all original songs he ever released.

Just back from Nawlins helpin my wifes sister die, and had some time to ride around a little, mainly ninth and irish canal area. Our government fell down on everyone. My bride was back down last year for the Gras and stayed w her sister on St Charles and the main bright spot was the Dr. at house o blues. Heard a bit of this album riding around w me and was moved to tears.

Not only will this please long-time fans of the Doctor, it's also a good place to start for those who don't know his work. This is an album of integrity, drive, commitment and purpose. It sounds great on the first listen and only gets better.

The band is hot and tight-- you get a sense that a lot of the performances emerged from jams. Some may feel Dr. John's recent albums have steered too close to MOR territory. But the swamp funk of 'Gumbo' has finally returned, in a deeper and darker form. And the Doctor even revives some of the ol' voodoo magic on a couple of tracks.

Don't be scared off by the fear that the guest stars will dominate the album (always a danger). In truth, the guests emblazoned across the cover play s co-operative, understated role. Clapton guitar speaks with austere reverence, and Willie Nelson's contribution is barely audible.

Like a lot of peers who first achieved international fame forty years ago, the good Doctor has hit a purple patch. Not only is this his greatest album, it's also one of the best albums of the decade. The Doctor is IN!