Dr. John "Television" 1994

Pulling his Night Tripper war paint and feathers out of cold storage, Mac Rebennack attempts to revisit the Right Place Wrong Time era. Whereas the mighty Meters and Allen Toussaint were once a key ingredient in his cajun stew, here a crew of overly competent GRP sessioneers add more starch than spice. Chili Pepper Anthony Kiedis raps amusingly on Shut D Fonk Up, and the cover of, "Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again)" is a highlight. - Jeff BatemanOccasionally you get to see an artist who's so far "out there" that they're a delight to watch. Someone who seems to really be doing their own thing, record company constraints be damned. Tom Waits is a good example. Dr. John is another.
On the other hand, he's not that far out there when situated in his stomping grounds of New Orleans. The people down there live and breathe music, and it's not unusual to see someone singing in the middle of the street just because they feel like it. While sometimes the more outrageous the better, New Orleans music, just like it's cooking, does combine a lot of styles to produce what they do. Jazz, funk, blues, country and rock and roll all go into the great gumbo pot to produce their sound.
While the Neville Brothers get the most publicity, and they certainly earn it, Dr. John is also one of their top ambassadors. I've listened to several of his albums, where sometimes he shines, and sometimes there are a few clunkers. I found very few clunkers on this one. It's a good example of some original tunes, plus some covers, all done with him in control vocally and at the piano. There is no standout tune, just a nice continuity to the whole work. This one can be listened to either seriously or as background music, and both directions proved satisfying to me. - By Len Czyzniejewski (Las Vegas, Nv United States)trax:

01 Television 02 Lissen 03 Limbo 04 Witchy Red 05 Shadows 06 Shut D Fonk Up 07 Thank You (Falletin Me Be Mice Elf Again) 08 Spaceship Relationship 09 Hold It 10 Money (That's What I Want) 11 U Lie 2 Much 12 Same Day Service