Ernie K-Doe

You can't think of Ernie K-Doe without thinking of "Mother-In-Law," his 1961 chart-topper and the only pop hit on his resumé. As this disc proves so well, K-Doe recorded many great sides. Those unfamiliar with K-Doe's career will undoubtedly get knocked out by "A Certain Girl" and "'Tain't It the Truth," two classics of New Orleans R&B. Toussaint's soulful, infectious arrangements wonderfully complement K-Doe's eccentric vocals, guiding the singer through the twisted narrative of Southern soul from the mud-baked Memphis sound of Stax ("Who Ever's Thrilling You Is Killing Me") to the Crescent City funk of the Meters ("Lawdy Mama") and beyond. What K-Doe lacks as a traditional vocalist he more than compensates for as a pure entertainer, and it's impossible to imagine cuts like the sex-crazed "Here Come the Girls" achieving such libidinous transcendence in the hands of a more conventional performer.