Released for Record Store Day 2024,
Omnivore
's
Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya: Singles 1968-1974
reprises much of the same territory as the label's previous compilation, the 2015 set
The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968-1974
. Apart from being on vinyl -- which is quite a difference in and of itself -- the primary distinction is that this collection features both the A- and B-sides of both
Dr. John
's U.S. and U.K. singles during his prime period. This amounts to slightly different sequencing as well as four tracks that appear here but not on its predecessor, which is enough to make it collectable, but the chief appeal of
is that it's a rollicking good time through its four sides. Tracing
Mac Rebennack
's evolution from a psychedelic voodoo priest to a funky smoothie is a joy to hear. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine