ALBUM REVIEW: BEAUSOLEIL "L'AMOUR OU LA FOLIE"

BeauSoleil: L'Amour Ou La Folie

Album Review: BeauSoleil "L'Amour Ou La Folie"

*Disclaimer: All the opinions expressed in this and other reviews are my own. French song titles do not have accent marks because my keyboard does not have them available.*

This amazing album was released in 1997 to commemorate BeauSoleil's 20th year performing as a group. They invited a whole slew of guest artists including British guitarist Richard Thompson and Texas piano player Augie Meyers to record with them in this historic session. The group's efforts paid off the following year when they won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk album. It was the group's first Grammy win after being nominated several times.

If I had to describe this album, I would say it's a mix of new hits in the tradition (with a few new styles mixed in), along with traditional standards that have been freshly recooked by Michael Doucet and the boys. Kinda like last night's gumbo - add some more spices, and maybe serve it a little different, and you're good to go for another meal.

In 2000, "L'Amour Ou La Folie" was the very first BeauSoleil album I purchased. I had heard about the group in the past and finally decided to check out their music and see what all the excitement was about. I listened to some online samples of songs from this album and immediately loved them. About a week later, I decided to go to my local record store and see if they had "L'Amour" available. They did, and I bought it, and four and a half years later I'm a huge BeauSoleil fan. For that reason, this album will always hold a special place in my heart.

1) Newz Reel

This was the very first BeauSoleil song I had ever heard in my life. As soon as I heard it, I loved it. It's a fast, steady tour-de-force of fiddling power. Michael's fiddle playing drives the song and gives it a down-home Southern flavor. Each instrument gets a solo, making for a good introduction to the group's talents. The drum and bass rhythm keeps things moving along and keeps feet stomping on the dance floor. This song is just a great, fun time and it's probably my favorite BeauSoleil song just for sentimental reasons alone.

2) Les Blues de Creve de Faim

This is a sad blues number about hunger from, most appropriately, the Great Depression era. I think it's done in waltz time, but I'm not sure. Whether waltz, blues song or both, this song does a great job conveying sadness and despair. The fiddle is haunting, and Michael's crying vocals mirror the pain the song's subject is feeling. Overall, this is a great blues song and an example of how BeauSoleil uses music to convey emotion.

3) L'Amour Ou La Folie

We switch from sad blues to the dancehall again with this track, a fast two-step with lyrics about a Cajun couple agreeing to disagree. Like all BeauSoleil two-steps, this is a fun song for dancing and letting the good times roll. Musically, Michael's fiddle is the star with the fast and energetic bowing that keeps the song moving along. David Doucet's guitar is also good, and Richard Thompson adds a bit of swampy electric guitar. This is one of the most fun songs on the album and definitely one that will get people on the dance floor moving.

4) It's A Sin To Tell A Lie

This is a tin pan alley song that was translated into Cajun French and recorded by Cleoma Breaux in the 1930s and redone by BeauSoleil on this album. The group has turned it into a waltz and the addition of Michael White's clarinet gives it a very jazzy, romantic feel. Michael sings the song very tenderly and gets the feelings across without needing to say any of it in English. As I've said in other reviews, French is a very emotional language. This is a decent song, but not a standout for me.

5) Eunice Two-Step

1920s and 30s Creole and Cajun music superstar Amedee Ardoin originally performed and recorded this song, and now BeauSoleil has taken it and given it a modern spin. It's a danceable two-step with bluesy steel guitar, steady fiddling and accordion, and Michael's high crying Cajun vocals. Even though it was created in the 1930s, BeauSoleil makes the song sound like it was written yesterday. Such is the adaptability of Cajun music to new eras and styles.

6) Charivari

Michael wrote this song described in the liner notes as a "new song in the long Cajun tradition of wedding ballads." Charivari is the old tradition of keeping newlyweds, one or both of who is marrying for the second time, awake by making as much noise as possible outside their bedroom. From such a violent and noisy tradition comes a tender song about new marriage. Michael sings romantically and slowly as the song's content requires, and the music is centered on David Doucet and Richard Thompson's acoustic guitar playing, Jimmy Breaux's loving accordion, and some gritty steel guitar. This is another in a long line of BeauSoleil's wonderful love songs, and it's one of their best.

7) Boudreaux

This is a traditional Creole "jure" song sung by David. It's pretty straightforward, and the focus is on David's excellent guitar playing. Michael's fiddle backs him up quietly in the background. David doesn't sing as wildly as he does sometimes; his voice is a bit deeper than it is on most of the other songs on which he sings. Overall this is a good, solid traditional song.

8) Valse A Pop

Cajun music pioneer Dennis McGee wrote the music, and Michael Doucet wrote the words. This is a wonderful faster waltz, with sweet sounding fiddle and a steady waltz beat by drummer Tommy Alesi. Michael's voice is haunting and sorrowful as always. This is one of the most beautiful songs on the album and should manage to bring a tear to the eye of any listener.

9) Can't You See

Texas musician Augie Meyers guests on this jazzy, country-sounding piano-filled track. This is one of the few non-Cajun songs on the album. The aforementioned piano, electric guitar and some nice saxophone playing spice this song up and give it a New Orleans jazz feel. Michael plays a little fiddle and sings, and Jimmy Breaux keeps things Cajun with his accordion. The lyrics are half in English and half in French. This is a great little bouncy number and a nice break from the two-steps and waltzes.

10) Les Blues de La Prison

This is a fiddle-heavy blues number originally performed by Amedee Ardoin. David Doucet's guitar is wonderful and gorgeous, and Michael plays some great, expressive fiddle. Although this is a blues song, it has more of a gentle, European feel. It's not really sad at all. It's a great traditional song and shows off Michael's awesome fiddle and David's subtle guitar.

11) Danse Caribe

This is an instrumental duet between Michael Doucet and special guest Michael White on clarinet, backed up by the rest of the band. Together, the Michaels play a haunting, jazzy, calypso-esque melody. As the title implies, the mood is very Caribbean and shows how the rhythms of those islands have melded with the jazz and Europeans sounds of New Orleans. The fiddle and clarinet work very well together, with the harsher tones of the fiddle offset by the sweeter, deeper sounds of the clarinet. The two musicians work their way through the melody at a relaxing pace and then kick things up in the middle of the song. Billy Ware's percussion becomes faster and harder, and the Michaels start to play the melody faster and faster. It's quite a surprise on first listen and highlights the amazing arrangements that BeauSoleil often give the songs. Jimmy Breaux's accordion is not to be ignored, because his playing adds a deeper level to the top melody played by the Michaels. His accordion sounds quite Cajun and Caribbean at the same time.

12) Valse J'Aime

This is a typical waltz for BeauSoleil. It's not the best waltz on the album, but it is still good. The mood is between sad and happy, not really either one. The addition of a dobro gives the song a different flavor and is a good, interesting contrast to the typical Cajun instruments. The fiddle, guitar and accordion are all excellent as usual, but not particularly outstanding. However, one very positive thing is that the song highlights the potent combination of fiddle and accordion. Played together, the instruments give Cajun music its power. One instrument is small, light and smooth sounding; the other is boxy and percussive. When both play a melody at the same time, that combination is unbeatable and really adds to the magic of the music.

13) Courir Avec Walker

Jimmy Breaux gets to shine on this medley of Lawrence Walker Cajun tunes. There are three two-steps in this medley, and all are perfect for dancing. Michael's fiddle gets sent to the background on this set, with Jimmy's accordion moving things along and bringing things back to the days when accordion was the preferred instrument in Cajun music. Bessyl Duhon's lap steel adds an element of country music, which also connects to Cajun music's past. This is an awesome set of tunes for dancing, and the percussive, driving accordion does its part in keeping feet moving and limbs swaying. This set shows the dancehall side of Cajun music, and I think it's one of BeauSoleil's best recorded dance music performances.

14) Ma Vie S'est Arretee

The last song on the album is a tender, sorrowful waltz. The instruments are as good as usual, and it seems like the waltz is played in a more modern style. Michael sings his lyrics about unrequited love with passion and heart and once again manages to convey the message to those who do not understand French. This ends "L'Amour Ou La Folie" on a slow, tender note and, when combined with Courir Avec Walker, shows the extreme variations in mood that appear in Cajun music. Just after a lighthearted dance mix, we end with a somber reflection on lost love. Cajun music is full of these emotions, and BeauSoleil has successfully captured these emotions in its music. It's no mere coincidence that the album won a Grammy. BeauSoleil earned it with this amazing collection of new and traditional songs to commemorate their first 20 years as a band.