King of the Bayous

At the dawn of the 1970s, Clifton Chenier was ramping up his tour schedule, playing in Europe more extensively and appearing at numerous folk and blues festivals throughout the United States. Three years passed between the release of King of the Bayous and its predecessor, Black Snake Blues, and in that time Chenier’s profile grew internationally while he concurrently set up shop at the Blue Angel in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was at that local dance hall that he continued to thrill local audiences and evolve the zydeco music he originated (called zodico in the album’s liner notes). King of the Bayous features tunes typical of Chenier’s setlists of the time, including the definitive studio recording of “I Am Coming Home,” an emotional blues waltz featured prominently on the album’s cover, which Chenier wrote for his mother while she was dying.

Track Listing

1	Tu Le Ton Son Ton Clifton Chenier	03:41
2	Hard to Love Someone Clifton Chenier	03:23
3	Who Can Your Good Man Be Clifton Chenier	03:39
4	Zodico Two Step Clifton Chenier	03:16
5	Going La Maison Clifton Chenier	03:35
6	I Believe I'll Go Back Home Clifton Chenier	03:20
7	Release Me Clifton Chenier	03:57
8	Big Mamou Clifton Chenier	03:21
9	Ton Na Na Clifton Chenier	03:05
10	I Am Coming Home Clifton Chenier	03:14
11	Josephine Par Se Ma Femme Clifton Chenier	03:07
12	It's Christmas Time Clifton Chenier	04:12