Babylon (Mono) Dr. John

• 1 Babylon 05:23
• 2 Glowin' 05:41
• 3 Black Widow Spider 05:29
• 4 Barefoot Lady 03:11
• 5 Twilight Zone 08:15
• 6 The Patriotic Flag-Waver 04:57
• 7 The Lonesome Guitar Stangler 05:34
• Total Runtime 38:30

Info for Babylon (Mono)

Dr. John's (real name Mac Rebennack) ambition remained undiminished on his second solo album, Babylon, released shortly after the groundbreaking voodoo-psychedelia-New Orleans R&B fusion of his debut, Gris-Gris. The results, however, were not nearly as consistent or impressive.

Coolly received by critics, the album nonetheless is deserving of attention, though it pales a bit in comparison with Gris-Gris. The production is sparser and more reliant on female backup vocals than his debut. John remains intent on fusing voodoo and R&B, but the mood is oddly bleak and despairing, in comparison with the wild Mardi Gras-gone-amok tone of his first LP.

The hushed, damned atmosphere and after-hours R&B sound a bit like Van Morrison on a bummer trip at times, as peculiar as that might seem. 'The Patriotic Flag-Waiver' (sic), in keeping with the mood of the late '60s, damns social ills and hypocrisy of all sorts. An FM underground radio favorite at the time, its ambitious structure remains admirable, though its musical imperfections haven't worn well. To a degree, you could say the same about the album as a whole. But it has enough of an eerie fascination to merit investigation.' (Richie Unterberger)

Dr. John, vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion Richard 'Didimus' Washington, guitar, percussion Plas Johnson, saxophone Morris Bachamin, tenor saxophone Alvin Robinson, guitar Steve Mann, guitar Al Frazier, bass John Boudreaux, drums Ronnie Barron, organ John McAlister, quarter-tone piano, gongs, celesta Jessie Hill, backing vocals, percussion Shirley Goodman, backing vocals Tami Lynn, backing vocals

Recorded at Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles 1968
Produced by Harold Battiste

Digitally remastered

No biography found.

This album contains no booklet.