Wayne Toups' brand of gumbo mixes in blues, zydeco, R&B, rock & roll, and even Western swing with a base of traditional Cajun waltzes and two-steps, and he does it all with the kind of electrifying dynamics of a natural live performer. His shows, brimming with rock stagecraft, have earned him the title of "the
Bruce Springsteen of Cajun." In the studio, though,
Toups has struggled to find a way to fully capture his natural stage charisma, and live is how you really want to experience this guy, but this ten-track studio set of Barry Beckett-produced songs (most of them drawn from 1988's
More Than Just a Little) gives a succinct look at
Toups' range and style, and it's fun stuff, if oddly muted at times. The big love ballad "That's What I Love About My Baby" is a showstopper and
Toups' reading of "Livin' on Love" has a crisp, classic pop drive to it, while "Ragin' Little Cajun Love" is a dancefloor stomper in any language. This isn't a perfect set by any means, but it does make for a fair introduction to a powerful entertainer. ~ Steve Leggett