Now Available: Allen Toussaint, The Complete Warner Recordings
When Allen Toussaint died of a heart attack on November 10 of last year, it was a shock to just about everyone, since the famed pianist had still been extremely active, to the point where he’d been set to perform a sold-out show in London on Nov. 15 and to perform a benefit concert with Paul Simon in New Orleans less than a month later. While his absence is still felt even now, we hope this news will help fill at least some small portion of the void: The Complete Warner Recordings, which has been out of print since the sellout of its limited-edition Rhino Handmade release, is now available once more.
This two-disc, 43-track includes Toussaint’s three albums for Warner Brothers – 1971’s Toussaint, 1972’s Life, Love and Faith, and 1975’s Southern Nights – as well as a 10-track live album which up until the Rhino Handmade set had been previously unreleased.
Although Toussaint may be known more for the songs he wrote and produced for others than he is for the work he recorded under his own name, there’s no question that if you’re going to get one Toussaint release for your collection, The Complete Warner Recordings is the way to go. It won’t permanently heal the heartbreak you may have suffered when he left us, but it’ll go a long way toward preserving your memories of the music he made while he was here.
Disc: 11. Victims Of The Darkness
2. Am I Expecting Too Much
3. My Baby Is The Real Thing
4. Goin' Down
5. She Once Belonged To Me
6. Out Of The City [Into Country Life]
7. Soul Sister
8. Fingers And Toes
9. I've Got To Convince Myself
10. On Your Way Down
11. Gone Too Far
12. Electricity
13. Last Train
14. Worldwide
15. Back In Baby's Arms
16. Country John
17. Basic Lady
18. Southern Nights
19. You Will Not Lose
20. What Do You Want The Girl To Do?
21. When The Party's Over
22. Cruel Way To Go Down
23. Country John (Remastered Single Version)
Disc: 2
1. Night People (Remastered Version)
2. Just A Kiss Away (Remastered Version)
3. With You In Mind (Remastered Version)
4. Lover Of Love (Remastered Version)
5. To Be With You (Remastered Version)
6. Motion (Remastered Version)
7. Viva La Money (Remastered Version)
8. Declaration Of Love (Remastered Version)
9. Happiness (Remastered Version)
10. The Optimism Blues (Remastered Version)
11. Intro / High Life (Previously Unissued)
12. Touch Of Love (Previously Unissued)
13. Brickyard Blues (Previously Unissued)
14. What Is Success (Previously Unissued)
15. Freedom For The Stallion (Previously Unissued)
16. Last Train (Previously Unissued)
17. Shoo-Ra (Previously Unissued)
18. Allen And Gary Brown (Previously Unissued)
19. Southern Nights (Previously Unissued)
20. Allen's Closing Remarks (Previously Unissued)
