City That Care Forgot - Dr John,The Lower 911 Album Review
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Album Review
Dr.John is still on a mission - a protest album, with a little help from stellar buddies.
He has clearly been deeply affected by the trauma of Hurricane Katrina.
This is the second album highlighting the fallout of lack of attention from the federal government of the USA on his former city of New Orleans. He ain't too impressed with the war in Iraq either. This 13 tracker sees the seasoned musician bringing us a heartfelt, painful and thought provoking album once again. Target of his anger, and there's plenty of anger believe me, is the American administration. Promises Promises featuring Willie Nelson sums it all up - "The road to the White House, paved with lies / paved with lies / paved with lies....the truth will set you free." City...begins with hangdog and funky Keep Goin', which, like much of the album, which is a masterful lament, the doctor still offers hope. Time For Change features Slowhand - Eric Clapton - who peppers the track with bluesy, Jeff Skunk Baxter (Steely Dan) licks. This could be the Dan, especially on the ¾ way jazzy groove which is in sharp contrast to the wind-down ballad You Might Be Surprised sounding like Van Morrison in the process, with Dream Warrior's menacing funky groove held tight so he can declare himself, "I'm a Samurai of the holy lost cause" which seems to take the content off on another tangent. Inevitably, Iraq is broached. He hits it straight. "Black Gold is about oil - "For that black gold politicians, sell our souls / For a taste of that black gold." Later in, NO is the focus once again - Stripped Away. This is another funk-based lament with Clapton adding sublime bluesy riffs and picks over his most direct lyrics, "There was a time New Orleans looked so hip / With all that rot and decay / Along come the waters / Now It's all stripped away." Purely on a listening / music basis, Land Grab has some thrilling (Temptations-like Papa Was A Rolling Stone) brass solos, and it's the most accessible he gets. Things get a bit swampy on the title track. The low groove and graphic lyrics are quite damning, as they should be. The bell tolling at the end is quite a profound ending.
File under : For fans, mostly.
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