As AllMusic suggests, a detailed overview of the first two decades of the legendary Allen Toussaint’s career as a songwriter, producer, pianist, and recording artist.
Hughesy's assessment: A dedicated student or fan of New Orleans' contributions to rock'n'roll and R&B will probably have have much of what's on offer here, but there are enough obscurities to make the package worthwhile. And it's a useful introduction for newbies.Overall, a reasonably comprehensive, thoroughly entertaining history of one of the great, but often overlooked, figures of R&B. As a sampler of the man's ventures into Crescent City jazz, blues and soul compressed into a single two disc 50-track compilation, this collection is hard to beat. Acceptable.
Track listing: CD1: I Want You to Know Fats Domino/ Walking with Mr. Lee Lee Allen & His Band/ Tic Toc Lee Allen & His Band/ Young School Girl Fats Domino/ I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Some Day (Fats Domino/ Whirlaway Allen Toussaint/ Happy Times Allen Toussaint/ Java Allen Toussaint/ Wham Tousan Allen Toussaint/ Naomi Allen Toussaint/ Moo Moo Allen Toussaint/ Beverly Baby Allen and Allen/ Heavenly Baby Allen and Allen/ Tiddle Winks Allen and Allen/ Whipped Cream The Stokes/ Pie Crust The Stokes/ Banana Split The Stokes/ The Fat Cat The Stokes/ Young Man Old Man The Stokes/ Poor Boy Got to Move The Stokes/ Go Back Home The Stokes/ Omar Khayyam The Rubaiyats/ Tomorrow The Rubaiyats/ Baby Do Liddle Willie & Allen/ I Don't Need No One Willie & Allen
CD2: Ooh Poo Pah Doo, Pts. 1-2 Jessie Hill/ Over You Aaron Neville/ Mother in Law Ernie K-Doe/ A Certain Girl Ernie K-Doe/ Fortune Teller Benny Spellman/ Lipstick Traces (On a Cigarette) Benny Spellman/ It's Raining Irma Thomas/ Wrong Number (I'm Sorry, Goodbye) Aaron Neville/ Ruler of My Heart Irma Thomas/ I Like It Like That, Pt. 1 Chris Kenner/ I Like It Like That, Pt. 2 Chris Kenner/ All These Things Art Neville/ Oogsey Moo Jessie Hill/ It Will Stand The Showmen/ Hot Tamales, Pt. 1 Prime Mates/ Hot Tamales, Pt. 2 Prime Mates/ Nearer to You Betty Harris/ I'm Evil Tonight Betty Harris/ Working in the Coal Mine Lee Dorsey/ Holy Cow Lee Dorsey/ Everything I Do Gohn Be Funky (From Now On) Lee Dorsey/ Sophisticated Cissy (Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste / Leo Nocentelli) The Meters/ Look A Py Py (Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste / Leo Nocentelli) The Meters/ Yes We Can Lee Dorsey/ Night People Lee Dorsey
Classics:
Almost there:
Worthwhile:
Solid: