Various Artists - The Big Easy: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

While it didn't do for Louisiana music what the film The Harder They Come did for reggae, the soundtrack to director Jim McBride's steamy and stylized cops-and-corruption movie is a pretty good introduction to the region's extensive musical delights (even if gospel's great Swan Silvertones are from West Virginia). The late Dewey Balfa (who appears in the film's sweet porch-party scene) is to Cajun music's rural past what Terrance Simien and Zachary Richard are to its rocking present. Buckwheat Zydeco is to zydeco what Beausoleil is to Cajun: an intelligent synthesis of the old and new that you can dance to. It's a shame the St. Augustine's Marching Hundred's raw and jumping version of "Li'l Liza Jane" didn't make the cut from film to album. And it's an even bigger shame that star Dennis Quaid's awful ballad did. --Richard Gehr Amazon.com essential recording

the coo easy

The problem is in the billing.
This is the second time that I have ordered an item and gotton two copies-clearly I am doing somehting wrong. but as a doctor, I am quite capable of doing things correctly-so, what I have come away from this second experience is -don't order from Amazon.
I then ordered a breadmaker and the order went to 'one stop shopping' a (which it was) and utilized a card that I have purposely cancelled with a leter (Amazon Visa?)-again -it is just not worth the time to follow your instructioins and correft it though I have never, to my knowledge, in the last year used that card-and dropped the order.
Diane Berman December 21, 2007

Great movie; Great City

Pros: This is such a great movie, filmed in possibly the most unique city in America. If you know New Orleans, you'll realize how well the film makers captured it. The "accents" are a little over-the-top, but the acting is great, the music wonderful, and the story-line and directing top-notch. If you love anything NOLA, then get this movie. It'll become one of your favorites.

Cons: The color is a little washed out compared to the VHS version. I've got both and probably watch the VHS more than the DVD. August 28, 2007

Louisiana

Great soundtrack, if you liked the movie and New Orleans! I love both! November 6, 2006

One Of The Best

We loved the movie and discovered the sound track. As a New Orleans regular this CD just adds to the mood when we are back home. I predict you'all will jus' love it. May 11, 2006

the best single disc intro to the music of new orleans

the keyword here is single disc. the whole album clocks in just under 47 minutes. don't know why, but back then the standard running time for a cd is about 45 minutes, so that's at least 20 some odd minutes worth of music they could have put into this cd. of course, at additional right fee. perhaps that was why we couldn't tap into the music of new orleans a little deeper.

that being said, this is a great compilation for beginners. the music of new orleans is an acquired taste that you may never get used to. no matter how much japanese people likes toro, the fatty belly section of tuna, if you don't like sushi, then you will never know. once you get a hang of sushi, you will get to love toro. once you start to liking the new orleans music, you will never get enough.

although new orleans is heavily influenced by the french, but they don't have this type of music over in france, so we can almost say that this is one of the most under recognized original american music. few people knows any new orleans songs outside of tell it like it is and iko iko, and frankly speaking tell it like it is really doesn't sound new orleans to me. it is about as new orleans as toto's africa is to africa. if nothing else, getting this disc to hear the music from the big easy is both fun and educational .

one single disc cannot do new orleans justice, so there is a 4 disc boxset: doctors, professors, kings & queens - the big ol' box of new orleans, also available here at amazon. that set, as comprehensive as it is, does not sound as good as this disc in terms of fidelity. there are only four songs from this cd that appeared on the boxset, but none of them are the same version as the ones appeared in the other title. if you get both you won't feel cheated. August 12, 2005

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