Cajun Classics: Kings Of Cajun At Their Very Best [Ace 2002]

This is not to be confused -- and the label has only itself to blame if people understandably do get confused -- with the 1993 CD release, also on , also titled , and given the nearly identical subtitle "The Kings of Cajun At Their Very Best." It has an entirely different track selection, though most of the 24 songs did appear on either the 1993 release called or its 1994 sequel . It's not quite certain to us Herberts outside of the marketing department exactly how the public is not going to get confused by all this, and whether anyone who's bought the earlier comps will get much if anything out of this new configuration. Leaving such tetchy considerations aside, it's a good compilation of some of the best and most representative releases from the mid-'50s to the mid-'80s, and more diverse than some other anthologies with similar scopes, though the unrelenting good-time cheer might cause the unconverted to fidget. , , and are all major artists, and all have a track or two or three on this disc, sharing space with less-renowned names. Amidst the more standard two-steps are some edgier tunes that might excite or grate, depending upon your tastes, like ' with its simulated animal snorts; the -influenced by ; and 's rendition of the perennial with very -influenced guitars and vocals. ~ Richie Unterberger