The Brightest Smile in Town

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The Brightest Smile in Town
Studio album by
Dr. John
Released1983
LabelClean Cuts[1]
ProducerEd Levine, Jack Heyrman
Dr. John chronology
Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack, Vol. 1
(1982) 		The Brightest Smile in Town
(1983) 		Such a Night! Live in London
(1984)

The Brightest Smile in Town is an album by the American musician Dr. John, released in 1983.[2][3] It was his second solo piano album.[4][5] It was reissued in 2006, along with Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack, Vol. 1 plus bonus tracks.[6]

Production[edit]

The album was coproduced by Ed Levine.[7] Half of its songs are instrumentals.[8] "Waiting for a Train" is a cover of the Jimmie Rodgers song.[9] "Touro Infirmary", about a dead friend, was included on the album's reissue.[10]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
Robert ChristgauB−[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[12]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[1]
The Philadelphia Inquirer[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[14]

The Philadelphia Inquirer deemed the album "an uneven but charming record that peaks with his rowdy performances of 'Marie La Veau' and ... 'Average Kind of Guy'."[13] The Globe and Mail praised the "unassuming, easy-rolling vein of New Orleans' piano playing."[15] The Philadelphia Daily News called it "a joyous romp through various aspects of traditional and modern music from the Crescent City."[16]

Robert Christgau noted that "too often on his second unaccompanied mostly-instrumental album he's as pleasant and boring as any other session man doing his thing."[11] Goldmine determined that the album is "filled with glissandos, arpeggios and quiet, almost eerie, passages."[17]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Saddled the Cow" 
2."Boxcar Boogie" 
3."The Brightest Smile in Town" 
4."Waiting for a Train" 
5."Monkey Puzzle" 
6."Your Average Kind of Guy" 
7."Pretty Libby" 
8."Marie La Veau" 
9."Come Rain or Come Shine" 
10."Suite Home New Orleans" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 350.
  2. ^ Bambarger, Bradley (May 21, 2006). "Dr. John takes it easy". Spotlight. The Star-Ledger. p. 12.
  3. ^ Sweeting, Adam (7 June 2019). "Dr John Obituary". Music. The Guardian. p. 8.
  4. ^ Milkowski, Bill (6 June 2019). "Dr. John Dies at 77". DownBeat. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  5. ^ McDermott, Tom (December 21, 2002). "Solo Practice – Twenty years ago, Dr. John single-handedly recorded one of the best albums of his career". Food & Drink. Gambit.
  6. ^ Shuster, Fred (March 5, 2006). "Recordings". Zest. Houston Chronicle. Los Angeles Daily News. p. 4.
  7. ^ Levine, Ed (2019). Serious Eater: A Food Lover's Perilous Quest for Pizza and Redemption. Penguin. p. 37.
  8. ^ a b "The Brightest Smile in Town Review by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Building a Library". Stereophile: 249. April 1998.
  10. ^ Rebennack, Mac (1995). Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper. Macmillan. pp. 242–243.
  11. ^ a b "Dr. John". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  12. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 3. MUZE. p. 112.
  13. ^ a b Tucker, Ken (15 Jan 1984). "Dr. John, The Brightest Smile in Town". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. I5.
  14. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 204–205.
  15. ^ Lacey, Liam (26 Jan 1984). "The Brightest Smile in Town Dr. John". The Globe and Mail. p. E3.
  16. ^ Marsh, Dave (24 Mar 1984). "Dr. John: The Brightest Smile in Town". Features. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 18.
  17. ^ "Dr. John". Goldmine. 37 (5): 43–47. Spring 2011.
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