.com For those of us who long for the days when Dr. John smeared himself with face paint, wore impossibly large headdresses, and sang about gris-gris, gumbo ya-ya, and croker courtbullion, Anutha Zone is indeed a heartening development. For too long Dr. John has paid the bills as a genteel purveyor of tasteful blues and Tin Pan Alley standards, and while it's helped him sustain a career and win Grammies, it's probably used up about an eighth of his true potential as an artist and musician. In the late '60s Dr. John was a visionary musical alchemist, working with psychedelic imagery and funky rhythms to nab the rock crowd, then plying them with spooky swampland mythology and raw Southern R&B. On Anutha Zone, Dr. John digs deep into that murky musical well once again, with stunning results. "John Gris," "Party Hellfire," and "Soulful Warrior" brilliantly fuse slow-burn grooves, sly musicianship, and Dr. John's elegantly gruff vocals, conjuring images of dark revelry down French Quarter back alleyways. This is the comeback of 1998, hands down. --Marc Weingarten Review [Anutha Zone is] deep, dark, spooky and trippy, a walk through the graveyards and bayous where Louisiana magic is real. -- The Los Angeles Times
H**E
Five Stars
very good
S**S
Dr. John Reaches Back to Gris-Gris
Dr. John's makes another attempt to walk on guilded splinters with trippy voodoo-rock cuts that recall his first first CD, Gris-Gris. It's a solid enough effort , but still he can't quite catch fire in a bottle a second time (30 years later). 'Voices In My Head' is as tight as any rock piece out there, but the best cut on the CD is still the funky 'Why Come,' which is the Dr. John of today not the Gris-Gris man of 1968.I like the Doctor in any of his incarnations. I'll give Anutha Zone 4 stars for nostalgia's sake.
W**C
Oldie but goodie from a master of gumbo-funk:
I bought this CD because I wanted the liner details, cover art, etc. A friend had given me just the CD, and I immediately adored it. If you enjoyed the "old" Dr. John of the gris-gris-gumbo-ya-ya type, this is similar but even better. It takes the jazzy riffs that the Doctor gets into, but blends it with the swamp funk that really makes a tasty gumbo!
J**S
better than described
Delivered quickly, better than described. Had a nice note with it as opposed to those annoying emails asking for a high rating.
R**N
Dr. John has never produced an inferior collection. ...
Dr. John has never produced an inferior collection. He is one of my favorites.I regret that I have never seen him in person.
R**E
A Cajun-Infused Masterpiece
I've owned this record for close to 20 years and it never fails to blow me away every time I put it in. Why am I giving this 5 stars? Two reasons:A. The songs. Just undeniably great from start to finish. B. The musicianship. The swampy Cajun mood is always changing, never boring, and full of charming nuance in every tune. "I Don't Wanna Know" is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard. "Why Come" is hilarious and fun. YOU NEED TO HEAR THIS RECORD........
L**Y
Ohhhh yeah. This tha TRUE prescription.
From the very first notes, I knew I had something good in my hands. Unlike a previous reviewer, I don't find "the 'gris gris' stuff" old -- but then, I loved "Gris Gris" best of all Dr. John's older albums, and "Back to New Orleans" best of all his later albums, so that ought to give you an idea of where I'm coming from.Like "Gris Gris", "Anutha Zone" partakes of the spiritual and magical in places -- but unlike "Gris Gris", "Anutha Zone" benefits from all of the higher-quality production techniques of thirty years later. You can even hear a little of "Walk on Gilded Splinters" in "John Gris", with the female backup chorus (mostly the London Gospel Community Choir).And while I'm on the subject of backups, let me just mention how ably the good Doctor is supported by his band. Butt-twitchin rhythm provided by the likes of percussionist Sammy Figueroa and a variety of kit drummers, and powerfully sensitive guitar playing by Paul Weller, Bobby Broom and Matt Deighton.And as for the Doctor himself? He's at the top of his form, lyrically and musically (on some of the songs, his wife Cat Yellen shares the lyric credit). My favorite line in the entire album, from the title track:"And the lesson you can never forget / is the lesson you ain't gotten yet."From somber and pensive to greeeezy richness to unabashed party-fonk, that gumbo-spice voice sure is to my taste, and it's never tasted better.
F**I
The greatest album I have ever owned.
Without a doubt, the single best album I have ever spent money on. If you love Jazz, buy it. If you love Blues, buy it. If you love things New Orleans, buy it. If you love things Louisiana, buy it.How fantastic is this album? I have bought it 3 times. CDs are far too fragile, and I play this one so much that I have scratched it to hell and back and have bought this album 3 times. I will very soon buy it a fourth. It is money well spent, and I never for a moment feel cheated.There is not a single track that I could not listen to over and over.Dr. John I don't want to know about evil, I only want to know about love. And I love Anutha Zone.
P**S
Five Stars
A master, just discovered. Prompt delivery, will be purchasing many more of him.
S**9
Five Stars
Love Dr John. Saw him at the Barbican. Can't go wrong with this CD.
R**N
Five Stars
top cd from a top bloke
C**N
Gris Gris Wow!
Bought this when it first came out on vinyl, just had to buy the cd, it's second only to, In The Right Place anutha Dr John classic, both cds highly recommended.
C**R
Schamanen-Sumpf-Blues vom feinsten!
Der Doktor hat Medizin für alles und jeden! Ich halte das für seine beste Scheibe, aber ich bin auch spätgeboren. Zumindest musikalisch.
E**N
it is perfect
a nice product
P**T
DR.John .
zwei mal bestellt,zwei mal der gleiche Produktionsfehler,Kratzer auf beiden Plattenseiten,nicht akzeptabel !
B**D
The very best
Für meinen Gechmack seine Beste! - Funky Soul Blues!!! Eine der CD's die nie langweilig wird und ich immer wieder hören kann.
V**T
another interesting dr john album
Album de 1998 publié sur Emi avec la crème de la crème côté side-men, indispensable pour tout collectionneur sérieux. Pour les moins téméraires, vous pouvez écouter en version intégrale un des titres qui s'intitule "The Stroke" sur le site légal Mixcloud.com (sous le titre "Radioman @ Dites 33 !"); un véritable joyau du song-writing américain contemporain !
D**M
The stand out album from his later stuff
Manages to retain its driving edge whilst following an even easier vibe than his earlier classics: In 'The Right Place', and 'Destively Bonaro'.
