Marcia Ball
LET ME PLAY WITH YOUR POODLE
Rounder 3151
available on Amazon
If it was just the title tune I would love it! This album goes on and has to be one of the best she has done. Great choice of songs, she wrote 5 of the 13, which let her show all her talents, both vocally and instrumentally. There are those slow tempo songs that seems to drive right though you, not stopping to take any prisoners. Just listen to the force of the pain and voice in I STILL LOVE YOU, and the sheer force of one of the many gems, FOR THE LOVE OF A MAN. The playfulness of the title cut and THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB, on these she is just having fun and letting the band air it out. Speaking of the band she has again assembled another top-notch cast of characters who more than hold up their end of the bargain. A few of the many who shine, are George Rains on drums, Mark Kazanoff, who does triple duty as a co-producer, excels as usual on various saxes and does the horn arrangements, and Derek O'Brien, who also co-produced and shares much of the guitar work with Steve Williams. There is an atmosphere of sharing and doing a project that these people love to do that shines through on this disc. Its snaky swamp rock sound comes through as a great big family picnic outing. Then there is the perfect song to end this disc and an absolute tour de force, Randy Newman's LOUISIANA 1927. If you don't know Marcia Ball this is a fantastic introduction, and if you liked her past work this is a gem you won't want to miss!
PLAYERS:
Marcia Ball - Vocal, Piano, Wurlitzer
Don Bennett - Bass, Additional Vocal
Rodney Craig - Drums
Steve Williams - Electric, Tremolo , Acoustic, and Slide Guitar, Additional Vocal
Derek O'Brien - Rhythm and Electric Guitar, Additional Vocal
Mark Kazanoff - Saxes, Baritone, and Tenor
Red Rails - Saxes
Paul Klemperer - Tenor Sax, Additional Vocal
John 'Mambo' Treanor - Washboard
Riley Osbourn - Hammond B-3
B.E.'Frosty' Smith - Shaker/ Congas, Percussion
Fran Christina - Drums, Additional Vocal
Les Izmore - Baritone Sax
Sarah Campbell - Additional Vocal
Larry Fulcher - Bass
George Rains - Drums
Christina Marks - Additional Vocal
Beth Tomlinson - Additional Vocal
Alicia Jones - Additional Vocal
Mike Cross - Additional Vocal
Gary Slechita - Trumpet
Randy Zimmerman - Trombone
Kristin Dewitt - Additional Vocal
David Carroll - Bass
Songs and Writers
- LET ME PLAY WITH YOUR POODLE - H. Whitaker - 4:14
- WHY WOMEN CRY - Marcia Ball - 3:29
- CRAWFISHIN' - Garlow/Rene - 2:53
- HOW BIG A FOOL - Speeks - 3:56
- THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE RIGHT JOB - Marcia Ball - 4:15
- I'M JUST A PRISONER - Jackson/Harris - 3:39
- I STILL LOVE YOU - E. Campbell - 6:14
- CAN'T TRUST MY HEART - Delbert McClinton - 3:30
- THE STORY OF MY LIFE - Marcia Ball - 3:59
- SOMETHING I CAN'T DO - Mike Duke - 3:25
- FOR THE LOVE OF A MAN - Marcia Ball - 5:29
- AMERICAN DREAM - Marcia Ball - 3:59
- LOUISIANA 1927 - Randy Newman - 5:13