Buckwheat Zydeco - Taking It Home (1988)

On his second album for Island Records, Buckwheat Zydeco continues to mix things up, adding some rock and pop covers to his trademark zydeco gumbo. Like its predecessor, On a Night Like This, the results on Taking It Home are a little mixed -- the production is a little slick, covers like Derek & the Dominos' "Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad" (featuring none other than Eric Clapton on guitar) are ill-advised, and there simply isn't the fire that distinguished his independent work. That said, no Buckwheat Zydeco album is a complete waste, and hearing him run through gritty, funky originals like "These Things You Do" and "Down Dallas Alley" makes Taking It Home worthwhile for long-term fans.~ Review by Thom Owens