Backcatalog - Depeche Mode, Rough Guide to Cajun & Zydeco

Depeche Mode

World In My Eyes / Happiest Girl / Sea Of Sin

Label: Sire / Reprise Records
Released: 1990
Genre: Synthpop

A pretty typical 7 track remix Maxi-single from the late 80s/early 90s. Race and House was really starting to come over to the US, so there was an uptick in Maxi-Singles. A Single, as tracked by Billboard can only contain two tracks or a short amount of music (I believe under 20 minutes). The Maxi-Single category saw a boom about this time because bands wanted to remix every song they had for the dance floor.... It usually led to some pretty unfaithful "remixes" and some really bad club tracks.

This, well, it's a boring set of remixes honestly. It really comes across as a blatant attempt to get DM into the Raver Scene as it started up. Given their synth-pop sound and cross over into the heavily club active Goth Scene, it makes perfects sense. Except, they really didn't need the treatment, and none of the remixes here do anything interesting. This is a remix collection probably best left forgotten in time.

The Rough Guide To Cajun & Zydeco

Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band - Bayou Road

Label: World Music Network
Released: 2011
Genre: Zydeco

This is technically the Second Edition of this Rough Guide series, the first edition I have yet to track down. Zydeco came out of a mix of Cajun (and old American Folk style) and New Orleans Jazz, with some Blues tossed in for good measure. A genre I've always had some interest in, but never really knew where to start. So, a compilation is the best place to get some ideas.

Definitely not disappointed here. Zydeco is an incredibly up-beat genre. Everything is gear towards making a group jump and dance, and even the songs about things not going quite right tend to sound a little happier than other genres. The bonus CD is a full album from Chubby Carrier And The Bayou Swamp Band, their 2006 release. Which brings me right into another part of the genre I love - the band names. Lots of them have a band leader and long descriptive band name behind it. And they're never boring sounding either. Kyle Huval And The Dixie Club Ramblers; Jamie Bergeron And The Kickin' Cajuns; names like that are active, loud names. Matches the music nicely.

If you're not really into Zydeco as a whole, it appeals to the Jazz fan too, especially if you like big band, or louder jazz styles. Definitely a collection worth picking up in my opinion.