The Who Dats are back and ready to play. In 1987, New Orleans was on cloud nine because the Saints were enjoying their first winning season and were (gasp), finally headed to the playoffs. Being that this once was the city that care forgot, New Orleanians celebrated appropriately with music. The Saints’ success spawned a cottage industry in 45-rpm releases praising the black and gold that fall. There were as many as a dozen such “Saints singles” released. The following year, the enterprising folks at Mardi Gras Records gathered many of these singles on an album, Who Dat? Eventually, the Saints reverted back to their losing ways and Who Dat? quietly went out of print.

Now, with the new Saints kicking butt, Who Dat? is back. The original album has been augmented with celebratory non-football tracks by Rebirth and Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. among others. The popular title track by Aaron Neville and the Singing Saints (I believe lineman, now photographer, Brad Edelman was a member) has become the anthem for Saints fans. Other popular Saints ditties here include “I Believe (Go Saints All the Way),” Are You a Who Dat?” by Mike Grothues, and the riotous “A Who Dat Christmas,” by none other than the Who Dat Christmas Choir. Nothing terribly serious here (unless you’re a diehard Saints fan), and you’d have to have downed a couple of highballs to listen to this from beginning to end, but it’s great background music for tailgating or a football party. The Saints are a post-K success story. That means we’ve got at least one thing to celebrate in New Orleans.