Dr. John

Locked Down {Press}

“One of the best [albums] of his career … the embodiment of everything he's ever done but pushed in a clear new direction."

Locked Down "stands out among his recent work, not so much for the leap of faith he took collaborating with Auerbach but because it turned out so damn well ... a weird-ass gumbo of grotty funk and R&B, littered with raunchy reeds, leering organ riffs, and blustery guitar."

“One of the smokiest, funkiest, sexiest works of the legend’s career.”

"Full of muscled, vintage R&B grooves, fevered soloing, psychedelic arrangements and oracular mumbo jumbo, it's the wildest record Rebennack has made in many years.”

Album of the Month
"An edgy, sensational return to Gris-Gris territory … Hugely successful. Essentially, Locked Down is the opposite of that fallback position of the artist in their seventh or eighth decade, the 'Rick Rubin' treatment. Instead, it goes entirely the other way: this isn’t a record that seeks to embrace maturity, but instead wants to invoke the wild spirits of the artist’s misspent youth. Weird, powerful rock ‘n’ roll. Enormously funky."

"The collaboration between the New Orleans legend and Auerbach is inspired, with the younger garage-bluesman placing the 71-year-old's blues and fire in a perfectly retro-modern frame. 21st-century production techniques make sounds as old as the hills seem box-fresh. But no one makes music like this: the Night Tripper rampages inimitably through swamp blues, voodoo funk and Afrobeat, with his trademark piano. This is more than just a retro retool. It all powers along on tunes from his top drawer. Terrific stuff."

"A return to darker core values. It’s the freshest, tautest record he’s made for years. A vivid reminder as to why his myth has endured so long. No one else comes close to sounding like this."

"Dr. John teams up with Dan Auerbach and the gumbo is bubbling once again. 10 of the funkiest tracks Dr. John’s been involved in since the ‘70s. There are elements of Gris-Gris and Babylon, but this is no revival; the night-tripping grooves are tight, cosmically-inclined, and brewed with a real soulfulness. This is definitely right place, right time."

"The closest he has come to making a masterpiece in a very long time … [Dr. John] is in full splendor."

"A wonderfully spicy, intoxicating and timeless gumbo that is as brilliant and thoroughly otherworldly as anything this musical treasure ever has given us."

“Incredibly, in the few weeks they spent creating Locked Down, Dan Auerbach and Dr. John roused some spirits not heard from since the late '60s, and got them to speak about what it means to be alive and kicking in 2012.”

“It's solid, committed work, with no shortage of passion or innovation."

“A fierce, flowing, enchanting album.”

"A very 21st century LP from an ageless artist always worth listening to."

"A terrific collaborative album which has already begun to reinvigorate the legendary piano-player’s career."