Dr. John
Gris-Gris
covered in a variegated spray of new orleans mardi gras feathers and shiny voodoo baubles mac rebennack's highly personal mythology was finally made real on this 1968 album this was his first appearance made under the new guise of dr john creaux the night tripper before then he'd been a pivotal figure on the crescent city rampb circuit afterward he became one of its most significant blues ambassadors this album is a classic of the admittedly specialized psychedelic swampgumbo genre boasting at least four tracks that have become cult favorites 'grisgris gumbo yaya' 'mama roux' 'jump sturdy' and 'i walk on gilded splinters' each delicately mix catchy choruses and weird spatial sound effects with radical stereo separation intensely croaking closequarter vocals from the doctor pneumatic keyboard riffs pinprick electric guitar and booming afrocaribbean percussion the album still stands at its original 33minute length with no bonus cuts unearthed but its high density more than compensates for any brevity