Bogalusa Boogie is a studio album by the American zydeco musician Clifton Chenier.[1][2] It was released in 1975 via Arhoolie Records.[3] The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011.[4] In 2016, the album was inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.[5]

Bogalusa Boogie
Studio album by
Released1975
StudioStudio in the Country
GenreZydeco
LabelArhoolie Records
ProducerChris Strachwitz
Clifton Chenier chronology
Out West
(1972)
Bogalusa Boogie
(1975)
The King of Zydeco Live at Montreux
(1975)

Production

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The album was produced by Chris Strachwitz, and was recorded at the Studio in the Country, in Bogalusa, Louisiana.[6] Chenier was backed by his Red Hot Louisiana Band.[7][8] Chenier sang partly in English and in Creole.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [9]
Robert ChristgauB+[10]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [11]
MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide     [12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [13]

Robert Christgau wrote: "Crisp, spirited, with John Hart's tenor sax applying a crucial boot in the ass to each side and Cleveland C. rubbing his board to beat the band, this is where Clifton C. finally gets one of his famous parties onto a record."[10]

AllMusic thought that "the medium tempo blues numbers such as 'Quelque Chose Sur Mon Idee' are really beautiful, while the instrumental 'Ride 'Em Cowboy' is simply lots of fun, the honking tenor sax and clickety-clacking rubboard riding high in the saddle."[9] The Rolling Stone Album Guide deemed the album "a near-flawless recording."[13] The Washington Post called it "probably the best zydeco album of all time," writing that "like Muddy Waters's 1954 group, Chenier's 1975 ensemble is one of the great bands in American history, and they rip through this set without taking any prisoners."[14]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."One Step At A Time"4:20
2."Sa M'Appel Fou (They Call Me Crazy)"3:00
3."Quelque Chose Sur Mon Idee (Something On My Mind)"4:00
4."Ride 'Em Cowboy"2:30
5."Ma Mama Ma Dit (My Mama Told Me)"3:25
6."Je Me Reveiller Ce Matin (I Woke Up This Morning)"3:10
7."Allons A Grand Coteau"3:10
8."Je Suis En Recolteur (I'm A Farmer)"4:50
9."Ti Na Na"2:12
10."Come Go Along With Me"4:55
11."Bogalusa Boogie"3:15

Personnel

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  • Clifton Chenier - piano accordion
  • Joe Brouchet - bass
  • Cleveland Chenier - rub board
  • John Hart - tenor sax
  • Robert St. Julian - drums
  • Paul Senegal - guitar

References

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  1. ^ Palmer, Robert (December 14, 1987). "Clifton Chenier, 'King of Zydeco,' Popularized Spirited Cajun Sound". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  2. ^ Broven, John (January 1, 1987). South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous. Pelican Publishing. ISBN 9780882896083 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ CHENIER, CLIFTON (October 7, 2010). Clifton Chenier - King of Zydeco. Mel Bay Publications. ISBN 9781609741631 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ "King of Zydeco Honored with Clifton Chenier Day". Acadiana Profile. June 14, 2021.
  5. ^ "Billy Joel, Metallica and The Supremes' Songs Named to National Recording Registry". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  6. ^ Fuselier, Herman. "Forty years later, 'Bogalusa Boogie' still making waves". The Daily Advertiser.
  7. ^ "Clifton Chenier's Bogalusa Boogie Into Grammy Hall of Fame". OffBeat Magazine. 29 December 2010.
  8. ^ Sandmel, Ben (1999). Zydeco!. University Press of Mississippi. p. 55.
  9. ^ a b "Bogalusa Boogie - Clifton Chenier | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  10. ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: Clifton Chenier". www.robertchristgau.com.
  11. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 317.
  12. ^ MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 150.
  13. ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 128.
  14. ^ "LOUISIANA OFFERS ITS ZYDECO TO GO". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 July 2021.