Connected (Allen Toussaint album)

Connected
Studio album by
Allen Toussaint
Released1996
StudioSea-Saint Studios
GenreJazz, funk
LabelNYNO
ProducerAllen Toussaint, Clarence "Reginald" Toussaint
Allen Toussaint chronology
Mr. New Orleans
(1994) 		Connected
(1996) 		A New Orleans Christmas
(1997)

Connected is an album by the American musician Allen Toussaint, released in 1996.[1][2] It was released through NYNO Records, a label cofounded by Toussaint, and was his first new album in almost 20 years.[3][4] Toussaint supported the album with a North American tour.[5]

Production

Produced by Toussaint, the album was recorded at his Sea-Saint Studios, with his son, Reginald, contributing as Connected's engineer.[6][7] The album is a collection of original songs written by Toussaint.[8] Toussaint had been working on the album for many years; he was prodded by Reginald to finish it.[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Robert Christgau(choice cut)[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[12]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide[13]
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette[8]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette called the album "a sometimes rollicking, sometimes touching, always first-rate collection of love songs."[8] Newsday wrote that Connected "mixes laid-back New Orleans rhythms with a sweet, smooth pop sound ... In addition to several ballads and some jazz-funk tunes, there is one distinctly '90s touch: 'Computer Lady', a sly ode to online romance."[14] Robert Christgau singled out "Computer Lady" for praise.[11]

The Washington Post panned Toussaint's "dull voice that has a cramped range," but thought that "there are a few gems among the new tunes, most notably the ballads 'If I Leave' and 'Sweet Dreams'."[15] The Dallas Morning News opined that "the album's best tracks—'Do the Do', 'Funky Bars', 'All of It'—rekindle the jazzy New Orleans funk he helped invent in the mid-'60s with Art Neville and other future members of the Meters."[16] The Boston Herald listed Connected as one of the 10 best albums of 1996, deeming it "timeless piano funk."[17]

AllMusic called the album "fresh new funk and roll from the city where American music has always stretched to new levels."[10]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Pure Uncut Love" 
2."Do the Do" 
3."Computer Lady" 
4."Get Out of My Life, Woman" 
5."We're All Connected" 
6."Sweet Dreams" 
7."Funky Bars" 
8."Ahya" 
9."If I Leave" 
10."Aign Nyee" 
11."In Your Love" 
12."Oh My" 
13."All of It" 
14."Wrong Number" 
15."Rolling with the Punches" 

References

  1. ^ "Allen Toussaint Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  2. ^ Buckley, Peter (October 16, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides.
  3. ^ "Allen Toussaint". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021.
  4. ^ Strauss, Neil (9 May 1996). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C17.
  5. ^ Dollar, Steve (13 June 1997). "Allen Toussaint". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. p. P4.
  6. ^ Shuster, Fred (12 July 1996). "Sounds Like New Orleans: These Days, Allen Toussaint More 'Connected' Than Ever". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L18.
  7. ^ Verna, Paul (Jun 29, 1996). "Connected". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 26. p. 79.
  8. ^ a b c "Recording Review". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 8 Sep 1996. p. G8.
  9. ^ Gundersen, Edna (1 May 1996). "At Jazzfest, age affords respect". USA Today. p. 7D.
  10. ^ a b "Connected". AllMusic.
  11. ^ a b "Allen Toussaint". Robert Christgau.
  12. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 227.
  13. ^ MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 570.
  14. ^ Lipp, Marty (26 July 1996). "Spreading Around That Bayou Beat". Newsday. p. B23.
  15. ^ Himes, Geoffrey (7 August 1996). "Bounty of Blue Notes; Toussaint Puts the Big Easy in the Spotlight". The Washington Post. p. C7.
  16. ^ Christensen, Thor (May 23, 1996). "The patience of Toussaint – Modest artist is New Orleans' best-kept secret". The Dallas Morning News. p. 5C.
  17. ^ Katz, Larry (December 20, 1996). "Larry Katz's top 10". Scene. Boston Herald.