Various Artists, Boppin’ By the Bayou: Rock Me, Mama! - album review

Download: Popcorn Blues; Switch Blade Sam; Havin’ a Whole Lotta Fun; Good Morning Blues

Andy Gill
Friday 24 July 2015 14:33 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Streaming services are all very well if your tastes stretch little further than the vanilla mainstream, but what if you want to hear something like Nathan Abshire’s “Popcorn Blues”, one of my all-time favourite recordings.

Abshire was a French-speaking Cajun accordionist whose instrument bore the legend “Good Times Killin’ Me”, and whose music – in this case a louche boogie with Nathan’s garbled vocal roar punctuated by a secondary vocalist’s whoops, moans and mutters of acclaim – fully bore out that claim.

It’s not even available through iTunes, so just about the only way to hear it is by buying this latest in Ace’s Boppin’ By the Bayou series of feral Cajun swamp-pop delights from the Fifties and Sixties, which also includes prime cuts from the likes of Johnnie Allan, Johnny Jano and the magnificently named Vorris Shorty LeBlanc. Primal good times guaranteed.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in