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Not that Leroux's other albums are without merit, but you could hear outside pressures forming musical decisions on subsequent releases making this album stand out as what Leroux was truly about.Todays musical landscape seems to be somewhat of a desert to this listener and to be able to revisit something unique and wonderful like this really sounds refreshing 30+ years on. A real collaborative showcase. The song was downright infectious and fun. I highly recommend this album to anyone the least bit interested in a much different version of heavily R&B inflenced southern rock. There's really not a bad cut and the fact that "New Orleans Ladies" is such a wonderful ballad is just "icing on the cake" of a highly listenable album. In and around 1977 Southern Rock was a hot commodity.
They sounded like no one else and lit up the airwaves on then, relatively new, progressive FM radio with "Take A Ride On A Riverboat" cutting through like a laser beam. The song writing works too and it all came together for this band with this one album. While there were variations on the flavor most of it had a more raw rock meets blues with country influence. Great harmonies are abundant with really tight arrangements that showcase a band over individuals. It sounds so good cranked up so let it rip. Louisiana's Leroux came out with a real head turning more polished R&B sound and for a short while turned heads.
After hearing that I knew I wanted the album and I played it many times at my home, at college, and since I was into making high-quality sounding cassettes, my car too.These guys were really good musicians and their first album, though very polished, is true to their muse of funky southern R&B influenced rock.
Other festivals include the International Rice Festival, Contraband Days, Cotton Festival, Strawberry Festival, the Shrimp & Petroleum Festival, and most major festivals throughout the southeast."The CD is worth the price if for no other song than, "New Orleans Ladies". Some of the festivals where LeRoux has recently performed are the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Worldwide NYE 2005 telecast from the New Orleans French Quarter, Birmingham's City Stages, Mobile Bayfest, Shreveport's Red River Revel and Mud Bug Madness, Natchitoches Jazz and R&B Festival, and Lafayette's Mardi Gras & the Cajun Heartland at Cajun Field. They eventually went their separate ways.In 1996 when they were named classic for the release of their album Bayoudegradable at the House of Blues in New Orleans, they got back together to perform live."Today LeRoux continues to perform and share the stage with some of the biggest names in Classic Rock, playing primarily in the southeastern states where LeRoux continues to have a strong fan base spanning two generations.
But it's also no mystery why-lack of support from their LABELS.I guess the Companies figured they wouldn't have much appeal outside Louisiana-which was a bad decision. In 1981 they moved to RCA & had the song, ADDICTED move to the number 5 spot on MTV. It's amazing how a group so good could never hit the charts as they should have.
But their biggest & best song was, NEW ORLEANS LADIES, a song still receiving a lot of air time, and often played by many other bands.They went on to headline for such groups as ZZ Top, Kansas, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Seger & Muddy Waters. And, by the way, "they sachet[French]by" not sashay.As we say in Louisiana, "les temps bon ton roulez"-LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL. They have been nominated 49 times for the Grammy award for Best Traditional Blues Album.The group hails from the Baton Rouge area, and started out in 1975 and in '77 had a contract with Capitol Records, and Louisiana was added to the name Leroux , which is the gravy base for Gumbo.
They were billed as pop-rock which was wrong as they truly are a Blues Rock Band.
Again, great quality, just as though it's just been recorded for the first time ever. I have long been a LeRoux fan, and was devastated not to be able to find a CD; I'd had an OLD 8-track that was damaged and could not record it to a CD. I'd given up on ever having one, and this one is great quality, made me feel I was back in time at a concert (though it's not a concert recording).
My advise to all of you is to try and find an old Album or cassette and transfer it to a CD. My original analog cassette sounds better. This remix of the original is terrible. It sounds like the bass is clipping similar to trying to play it through an old pocket radio.
It's about songs, stories, and fun footstompin' music, having a good ol' time. Made in FRA in 2000, Serial# 5251292, Playing Time 38:54I don't know who's brilliant idea it was, but kudos to EMI France (of all places). Listen with a cold beer in your hand. Despite the "Louisiana" flavor, the 6-man band play fairly typical "rock" instruments: some flute, but no fiddle.It's enjoyable, un-complicated. for releasing this.Originally released back in 1978, this is LE ROUX's first of 5 albums released between 1978 and 1983.The album is in a digipak format, and contains the first offering from this group. Their musical direction is like a "light" southern-rock (compared to groups like.38 SPECIAL), a bit similar to very early DOOBIE BROTHERS and ORLEANS.
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