Where There's Smoke There's Fire
When Chris Blackwell signed Buckwheat Zydeco to Island Records in the mid-1980s, he may have been hoping that zydeco would break out internationally the way reggae did in the 1970s. It never happened, though Buck gave it his best shot with a series of crossover-friendly projects featuring high-profile guests.Where There's Smokeis as good as any of them. The album was produced byLos Lobos' David Hidalgo and featuredDwight Yoakamsitting in on a cover ofHank Williams's "Hey, Good Lookin'." There's also a cover of theRolling Stones' "Beast of Burden" and a version of "Route 66" featuring Hidalgo on vocals and guitar. But the best tracks are the old-fashioned accordion rave-ups, like "Buck's Hot Rod" and "Pour Tout Quelqu'un."--Rick Mitchell