Recommend more albums like Dr. John's Gris Gris

That swampy, bluesy, voodoo, psych sound... whatever you want to call it. I haven't heard any other record that sounds quite like it but I'd love to be proven wrong. Anything else that taps into that Gris Gris dark vibe?

 

There are no other albums quite like Gris-Gris.

You may want to explore Mardi Gras Indian music, which is one of the many things Dr. John drew from at the time. The 1976 Wild Tchoupitoulas album (which later spawned the Neville Brothers) and the two Wild Magnolias albums are a real good place to start.

 

I remember that Wild Tchoupitoulas album! I haven't heard it in ages though. I recall it being not quite as weird as Gris Gris but like I said, it's been awhile. I loved that Wild Magnolias track that came off of Soul Jazz's excellent Saturday Night Fish Fry compilation so maybe I'll investigate farther.

 

Swampy

 

One of Dr. John's later LPs (1970) The Sun Moon & Herbs is similar.

 

I'd also recommend another of his early albums, Remedies (the first half is all great, the side-long track is just OK). One of his 90s albums, Anutha Zone, also went back to the voodoo vibe.

 

Truer words were never spoken.

 

What about the music of Exuma? He had a couple of albums released on Mercury in the early 70s. I only heard the first one a couple of times and it seemed pretty deep in the gumbo. Struck me as very weird at the time.

It's odd this topic should come up because I''ve been listening to a lot of Nina Simone lately and she did several of his tunes. Which made me think of him and how I would like to hear those few early records again.

Were they as odd as I remember them?

 

Amen. I love that Wild Tchoupitoulas album, but it sounds like the Bay City Rollers compared to Gris Gris.

 

There has to be another buried treasure somewhere that is similar to Gris-Gris.

Since it appears like it's a one-of-kind album, wouldn't a deluxe edition be nice? The second disc could have out-takes and live performances. I'd settle for that.

 

If there's an album with a song like "I Walk On Guilded Splinters" on it, I'd love to know about it too.

 

Well, there's that Humble Pie Fillmore live album....

 

I like the good Dr.'s Creole Moon. It has a song called Bruha Bemble that kinda reminds me of Gris Gris. Swampy.

 

I'm thinking "Four Cornered Room" from War's The World Is a Ghetto.

 

Johnny Jenkins 1970 LP Ton-Ton Macoute on Capricorn is the closest to Gris Gris that I can think of. It's also got that swampy vibe and he also covers Wlak on Gilded Splinters. Duane Allman plays some beautiful guitar on the Lp too.

 

It's a little pricey even used but I'll keep an eye and ear out for it.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far, folks.

 

I think Tom Waits Bone Machine has a lot of that same vibe, especially on a song like the opening "Earth Died Screaming".

Have you ever heard the closing "Cop Shoot Cop" on the Spiritualized Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space record from the mid 90s? Goes on just about forever, with Dr. John playing some of that voodoo piano and singing background. Has some of that Gris-Gris flavor, but gets a little noisier

 

And that Cher Jackson Highway album...

 

One of my favorites is by The Golden Eagles: Lightning And Thunder (featuring Monk Boudreaux), an intimate, live recording that doesn't sound like Gris Gris, but which deserves mention whenever possible.

 

I'm a huge fan of Gris-Gris, but sadly I can't begin to think of another album with the same vibe.

Bone Machine by Tom Waits is a good call though. Different vibe but same craziness.

I will follow this thread very closely.

 

It might be a bit of a stretch, but Little Feat did some slinky, funky music - stuff like "On Your Way Down" on Dixie Chicken.
More polished, not voodoo, but funky.

 

Gris-Gris (1968) / Babylon (1968) / The Sun, Moon & Herbs (1971)
/ Dr. John's Gumbo (1972) / In The Right Place (1972)

Five albums in a box.

Opinions on individual albums welcome!

 

Daniel Lanois' Acadie.

 

I don't know if there is any. Gris-Gris sounds like it comes straight outta the swamps of Louisiana.

 

Robbie Robertson's Storyville is a more urban take on Louisiana influences and culture.