Bayou Deluxe: The Best Of Michael Doucet & Beausoleil by Michael Doucet & Beausoleil (1993-02-16)

Beausoleil has cranked out many albums over their existence. This particular album encompasses a fifteen year period in which we see them grow from traditional rebels to modern masters of mixing genres. You'll hear a little bit of everything on this disc. From heavy French and Caribbean influence to good time rock, Beausoleil ties it all together nicely with the fiddle play of Michael Doucet. I've personally dubbed his style "lazy fiddle," and I have no intentions of that sounding derogatory. I love to listen to Doucet bend and peel notes off of his fiddle.Some of my favorite tunes on this album are "Le Jig Francais," "Travallier, C'est Trop Dur," and "Je M'Endors." Everything else here is also very wonderful.This band is one of the best modern Cajun groups around, but don't expect them to stick to the standards. They often tear off into uncharted territory with their music, and for that, I have to commend them. They've managed to keep an artform alive that seems to fade quicker as the years go by. Luckily, they have managed to introduce the younger folks to the roots of our culture and have cultivated quite the interest in these older masters such as Dennis McGee and the Balfa Brothers.Introduce Cajun music to your friends via this album, but be sure to back it up with the aforementioned legends and greats such as Nathan Abshire and Joe Falcon and throw in some of the younger acts such as the Lost Bayou Ramblers and Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys. It won't hurt to put in a little Creole flavor with Amede Ardoin and Canray Fontenot, either.Highly recommended.

Our apologies to the seller & Amazon: we originally left a 1-star review, because we thought we had never received this CD, which btw, is great!Note: apparently when the Amazon box came, someone took out the other things, but put this CD in a back room with donations (?), where it got lost, and not with our other music stuff...so sorry for the confusion! (just found it today, almost 2 months later!)We love Beaujolais, having been to several outdoor concerts many years ago, and recommend this fun music, and this seller (we bought it used, came in great shape). Really fun CD; good outdoor BBQ/dance party music!

If you are a fan of the group and genre it has a great mix of foot stompers, reels, ballads, etc. It is a great starting taste for a new listener for the same reason. Lots of music for the buck.

I listened to, and subsequently purchased this recording after reading another Amazon reviewer's review of a contemporary Zydeco CD. The reviewer said that he/she liked the Zydeco recording, but ordinarily preferred traditional Cajun music, such as that of Michael Doucet. This is great--wonderful upbeat tunes with great vocals. It's fun to try to decipher the lyrics, and it reminds me of learning to read Shakespeare for the first time. Once you get used to it, it's fairly easy. If you're a fan of the various Zydeco groups and haven't yet discovered Doucet, check it out.

Great condition and wonderful music.

I love this band~~they're great. This cd is a wonderful representation of their music, and I would highly recommend it to Beausoleil fans or for fans of Cajun/Zydeco music. GREAT BAND, GREAT CD!!

A++

I saw Michael in person and he was phenomenonal!! I was however very disappointed with this CD. It seemslike overproduced, mush.

I bought this for a friend for Christmas. She absolutely loves it and spoke of the joy that seeps through from the cover!!Have to hear it myself!

Easy listening