Save My Soul

1	Zig Zaggity Woop Woop, Pt. 1 2:33
2	You Know You Wrong 4:47
3	Always Gonna' Get Ya 2:52
4	"Don't You" Feel My Leg 4:59
5	Oh Yeah 4:36
6	Simple Songs 4:30
7	Next Week Sometime 3:21
8	Save My Soul 6:35
9	I Like It 4:19
10	Zig Zaggity Woop Woop, Pt. 2 4:45
11	[Untitled Hidden Track] 0:55

Barnes & Noble

The last survivors of the mid-'90s swing revival haven't deserted their roots. In fact, Save My Soul is as jam-packed with lurching horns, jitterbug-inducing rhythms, and good old-fashioned goofy fun as any of this combo's four previous efforts. Scotty Morris and company haven't appreciably changed their attitude since the days when they were hailed as Next Big Things -- which offers ample proof that this is the kind of music they'd be playing even if they never made it past the local bowling alley. "Zig Zaggity Woop Woop," which appears in two parts that bookend the disc, flows with the sort of boozy jump-blues groove BBVD have made their trademark, while "Don't You Feel My Leg" gives a wink and a smile before blasting off into honky-tonk bliss. The band pull off a few new steps here, notably the Latin spin they give "You Know You Wrong" and the surprisingly subtle New Orleans shimmy of "Simple Songs." So while you don't need a zoot suit to appreciate Save My Soul, a little wardrobe change never hurt anyone. David Sprague

All Music Guide

For their first album in four years, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy realized they needed to switch gears since the freak, late-'90s big band craze had become about as hot as yesterday's scrambled eggs. Thankfully, a trip down to New Orleans to play Jazzfest (recounted in this album's title track) reinvigorated and reinvented the group's sound. Gone are the smarmy Vegas charts, replaced with a swampy Crescent City, slinky Bourbon Street swagger. Add Latin mambo on the percussive "I Like It" and "You Know You're Wrong," along with some second-line funk straight out of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band on "Zig Zaggity Woop Woop, Pt. 2" and you've got a swinging, finger-popping disc that should keep the band's established fans happy, while expanding their previously limited, and nearly dead-ended scope. Most of the tunes are originals -- if derivative ones -- except for a cover of Blue Lu Barker's "Don't You Feel My Leg" (also a moderate '70s hit for Maria Muldaur). However, the barroom swagger turned Dixieland jazz of "Simple Songs" seems a bit forced and frontman Scotty Morris' voice hasn't improved. This material would benefit from a gruffer approach. But Save My Soul is a surprisingly enjoyable and fresh album from a band many might have written off as already expending their allotted 15 minutes of fame. The disc's CD-ROM content includes three live tracks, information, pictures of each band member, and shots from the making of the album. Hal Horowitz