Search - Wild Magnolias :: They Call Us Wild

Dirty New Awlins Funk

S. Holbert | The Funky South, USA | 09/30/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you want to funk, get this one. Will have you dancin' and funkin' all night. THe Wild Magnolias have to be the funkiest of the Mardi Gras tribes, with their two LP releases from the 70s. The title track is the strongest one here. This record is much more cohesive and listenable than their first, which was also some killer funk. This is New Orleans at its funkiest, with the excepetion of the Meters. Most of the tracks are very strong. Bo Dillis has a unique, husky voice that suites the grooves quite nicley. Other standout tracks are "Jumalaka-Boom" and "Firewater". Only 1 or 2 week tracks here, which is why I gave it 4 stars. This is a bit rawer than some of the Meters stuff, but still has amazingly tight bass lines, kickin'drums, slick yet rawnchy guitar, and keyboards that really drive the rythyms, especially on the title track....this cd is worth that song alone. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up."

Groovy, funky, voodoo

D. Wijngaarden | Nijmegen, The Netherlands | 11/26/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

""They call us wild / well we got soul / and when we do our thing / we lose control". The Wild Magnolias are a Mardi Gras Indian band of irresistable funkiness (like the Wild Tchoupitoulas, The Meters etc.), but this album also has a dark quality, like Dr. John's voodoo on Gris Gris. An electric bass - they use more amplification than the other bands mentioned - drives the groove against sounds that seem to come straight from the bayou. The vocals sound like they're coming from beyond. As much as they have in common with the other New Orleans funk bands, the Wild Magnolias have their own niche in the genre.Compared to the Meters or the Neville Brothers, Big Chief Bo Dollis' troupe does not sound as bright or "danceable" (ugh) but I dare you to sit still listening to this."