Album Notes

Highs: Storm's Fifties success was not a fluke. From the opening swampy swagger of his rendition of "Sweet Little Sixteen," the rock classic Chuck Berry made famous, it's quite obvious that Storm is a professional through and through, with plenty of electric instrumentation and soulful, bluesy vocals to instantaneously bring back thoughts of sock hops and jitterbugs. "Tear It Up" is another rollicking R&B number that squeezes out every last ounce of rhythm and blues to be had, and "Favorite Dress" is a sentimental favorite that falls right in line with the doo-wap balladry of "Sea of Love" or "Sixteen Candles." Another highlight: the varied and expertly played instruments Storm uses for his solo sections. Guitar, piano, saxophone, and choice zydeco instrumental favorite, the accordion, all play prominent roles in Storm's music.

Lows: It's tough to fault anything about this kind of energizing, uplifting music. Even if you're not a fan of the genre, how can you suggest that it isn't played just as well by Storm as by the greats who boogie-woogied to the same beat Storm did back in the '50s and '60s? The only legitimate complaint might be the lack of new material that could have given us an idea of how Storm's compositional talents have changed over the years. New music, or at least a few tunes that were drastically changed in feel from the originals, might have given us more perspective on just how influential the swamp pop movement has been on popular music in general.

Fans: Like R&B? Rock 'n' roll? Think you might like it with a Creole flair? And a Cajun's sly attitude thrown in for good measure? If the answer is "yes," or even "maybe," then there's simply no arguing with the classy reelin' and rockin' -- Cajun style -- that Warren Storm cooks up on this new-and-improved collection of Creole classics.