No bigger fan of Boozoo Chavis—“The Lake Charles Atomic Bomb”—exists than myself. Nevertheless, I must report that his latest, and sadly, last contemporary CD—recorded just a month before his untimely passing last May—lacks the spark of his previous efforts. There’s plenty of zydeco energy here, as Boozoo recycles some great songs—“Keep Your Dress Tail Down,” “Johnnie Billy Goat” and “Negre Est Pas La (You Act Sick When I’m Around)”—but the originals in comparison are clearly superior. Down Home On Dog Hill contains some intriguing covers including “Sugar Bee,” “Broke and Hungry” and unbelievably “The Twist.”

But Jeez. I know Boozoo could be a pill in the studio—not to mention on stage, in his motor home, or on the quarter horse track—but if he’s going to insist on recording “The Twist,” why not just turn him and the Magic Sounds into a McNesse frat band and have them cover “Louie Louie,” “Shout,” or “Land of 1,000 Dances”? David Greenly’s fiddle does add some down home flavor, and Sonny Landreth contributes some get-go on slide guitar, but if you ever attended one of Boozoo’s dances, or bought his previous CDs, you might well think they intrude on his typical Dog Hill style. Even the Magic Sounds seem distracted here, as they don’t really push our man, but rather wait for something to happen which never really does.

No Boozoo Chavis CD is without merit, and this CD is better than nine out of ten contemporary zydeco releases. However, Boozoo has produced such an incredible body of work that this one doesn’t completely measure up. Nevertheless it’s Boozoo—that’s who.