Wayne Toups - Whoever Said It Would Be Easy

Artist:

Toups, Wayne

UPC:

016351903723

See Also:

Ardoin, Chris Richard, Zachary Chavis, Boozoo Chenier, C.J. Steve Riley/Wayne Toups/Wilson Savoy - Band Courtbouillon [11/15]

Description:

Personnel: Wayne Toups (vocals, accordion); Wayne Toups; Marc Broussard, Marty Broussard (steel guitar); Don Hayes , Don Hayes (piano, organ); Philip Knowlton, Charles Ventre (piano); Timmy Broussard (bass guitar); Darrell Toups (percussion); Delbert McClinton (vocals, background vocals); Tony Ardoin (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Travis Matte (fiddle); Stanley Dural (organ); Mike Burch (drums, percussion, background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Wayne Toups; Tony Daigle; Tony Ardoin.
Recording information: Electric Comeaux Land, Lafayette, LA.
Photographers: Russ Grantham; Belinda Toups.
Wayne Toups has always played a sort of gumbo music, mixing in blues, zydeco, R&B, rock & roll, and even Western swing to a base of traditional Cajun waltzes and two-steps, all done with the kind of electrifying dynamics that make him a natural live performer, and his shows brim with rock stagecraft, earning him the title of "the Bruce Springsteen of Cajun." On Whoever Said It Was Easy, his second album for Shanachie Records, it is obvious that Toups has every intention of adding new country to his list of gumbo ingredients, and songs like "Man in the Mirror" and "Hole in My Heart" wouldn`t sound a bit out of place on contemporary country radio sandwiched between the hat acts. The thing to remember about Toups is that he isn`t, and has never been, a traditionalist, and his mission is a populist one, so dropping heavy country elements into the stew makes perfect sense if what you`re after is a broad demographic and a road show that is the greatest Cajun dancehall on wheels. Not that the Cajun strain doesn`t peak through on this record ("The Ring That Shines" is a beautiful and wonderful Cajun waltz), but it seems a shame to keep Toups in the Cajun/zydeco niche when he assimilates so much more into his sound. "Leap of Faith" is a case in point. Featuring Stanley "Buckwheat Zydeco" Dural, the song is full-tilt gospel revival music, and while the accordion pins it in Louisiana, the fervor is pure Alabama Baptist. This album probably isn`t the one that will break Toups to the masses, however, although it`s a step closer to what passes for the center these days, and he is a natural to cross over to the country market eventually. If the programmers at country radio are smart (which has never been definitively proven), then a couple of these tunes would be added to the play list immediately because this musician`s time is coming. Nobody said it would be easy. ~ Steve Leggett

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. I Want to Dance (Je Van Danser)
2. Leap of Faith
3. Movin` On
4. Night Train to New Orleans
5. Man in the Mirror
6. Whoever Said It Was Easy
7. Ring That Shines, The
8. Watcha` Doing to Me
9. Cheap Imitation of You
10. Hole in My Heart

Album Information

Release Date:

05/25/2004

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Cajun

Label:

Shanachie Records

Producer:

Wayne Toups; Tony Daigle; Mike Burch; Tony Ardoin; Tony Ardoin; Tony Daigle

Catalog Number:

9037

Original Release Year:

2004

# of Discs:

1

Studio/Live:

Studio

Mono/Stereo:

Stereo

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