Maybe unexpectedly, Mac Rebbenack, aka Dr John the Nightripper and king of the Crescent City piano vamp, has delivered the most cuttingly vitriolic political album of the decade as he slams the US government for their inexcusable neglect of the Hurricane Katrina aftermath in favour of orchestrating more slaughter in Iraq. He wrings every last drop of passion and contempt out of the brutally graphic, complex lyrics on tracks like You Might Be Surprised with references to children dying and women being shot, blame pointed squarely at Dubya’s administration. The music is a perfect blend of poignancy and Big Easy boogie which could be overlooked against such an eloquently hard-hitting lyrical barrage but on tracks like the haunted Dream Warrior the aural gumbo is as sublime and vibrant a distillation of the classic New Orleans sound as the Doc’s ever mustered, a respectful Eric Clapton appearing on three tracks while Willie Nelson enters the fray on Promises, Promises. Music rarely gets as heartbreakingly real as My People Need A Second Line which brilliantly ups gear midway to a glorious and defiant marching band blowout. Time for A Change should quite simply be adopted by Barama as his election anthem. An unadulterated gut-wrenching masterpiece for these troubled times.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Kris Needs