Steve Riley and
the Mamou Playboys
Happytown
Rounder 6098
Released 2001
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On this disc from Steve Riley and the Mamou Playbos, they show that no matter how progressive they get, they don’t wander far from the Cajun tradition that is near and dear to the heart of this band. This disc ranges in feeling from the joyous recklessness of a traditional sounding Creole Stomp (Happytown), to the brooding and ominous musings and electronics of Gros Jean/Big John, and stops at many moods in-between. There are 2 new members on this disc Roddie Romero, who has come in to replace former guitarist Jimmy Domengeaux, who has passed on, and Kyle Hébert on bass. The sound is fresh and exciting and the new twists to the journey this band is on are very interesting here and hold great promise for the future. This disc also shows a lateral growth in that the songs here bear the strong stamp of David Greely, who either wrote, or co-wrote 7 of the 11 songs. He also steps out takes lead vocals on 2 cuts including the haunting Les vigilants/The Vigilantes. Riley’s work as usual on accordion is superb, but it seems on this disc he has stepped back a bit and given more support to the band. He puts down the accordion and has picked up the guitar on two cuts and plays fiddle and 2 more. The sound is augmented by the addition of a couple of people Riley plays with in other ensembles, C.C. Adcock, Sam Broussard, Linda Handelsman, and Derek Huston. Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys certainly remain true to their Cajun tradition, while they definitely at the time push the envelop forward into the 21st century.
Produced by C.C. Adcock
Songs, times, and writers
1 Creole Stomp[Happytown] –3:17 – Aldus Ro
2 Big Boy Waltz – 2:34 – Leroy Broussard
3 Gros Jean/Big John – 4:11 – Broussard-Handelsman-Greely
4 Seems To Me – 4:17 – Riley
5 Les vigilants/The Vigilantes – 4:27 – Greely
6 La crève de faims/Starvation 2-step – 3:06 – Riley-Greely
7 Patoutville – 2:30 – Greely
8 Poché Bridge – 2:41 – Kyle Hébert
9 Mes enfants/My Children – 3:43 – Greely
10 Heat Lightening/ Éclairs de chaleur – 3:33 – Riley-Greely
11 Pointe aux Chênes/Oak Point – 3:35 – Adcock/Greely
Musicians
Steve Riley – accordion, lead and background vocals, guitar (7), acoustic guitar (8)
David Greely – fiddle, tenor sax, lead, harmony, and background vocals, mandolin
Kevin Dugas – drums, trinagle
Roddie Romero – electric guitar, harmony and background vocals
Kyle Hébert – electric bass, fiddle (8)
additional musicians
Sam Broussard – guitar
C.C. Adcock – acoustic guitar, background vocal
Linda Handelsman – piano
Derek Huston – baritone sax
Rhett Bernard - threat