Trop de Routes, Trop de Trains par Folk Roots

"Everything is sung in French and played with a French accent, and the end product is splendidly unique and entertaining. If you’re looking to dip in, Passez la monnaie (otherwise known as that old flapper show tune We’re In The Money), worked over on guitar, sax, dobro, banjo, whistle, harmonica, accordeon and string bass, is a fine example of the great imagination that has gone into the arrangements." Ian ANDERSON, FOLK ROOTS, juin 1995

“The label that brought you those excellent Paris Musette albums now turns its hand to a charming conglomeration who seem to have come up with a genuinely and timelessly French approach to blues and jazz. The first thing that actually hits you on this one is a swathe of R. Crumb cartoon artwork - and it turns out that the famous underground illustrator (and one time Cheap Suit Serenader), long resident in France, has applied his banjo and uke to the proceedings as well. A quick read of titles like La Femme Panthère et l’Homme sandwich or Docteur Bottleneck goes further to indicate that a good dose of le tongue-dans-le-cheek is to be expected. Apparently the brain child of guitarist/singer Dominic Cravic, Les Primitifs mix Paris café music and cabaret influences with ’30s jazz, swing and blues. There is absolutely no attempt at mimicking American originals (which, let’s face it, the French were never hugely successful at). Everything is sung in French and played with a French accent, and the end product is splendidly unique and entertaining. If you’re looking to dip in, Passez la monnaie (otherwise known as that old flapper show tune We’re In The Money), worked over on guitar, sax, dobro, banjo, whistle, harmonica, accordeon and string bass, is a fine example of the great imagination that has gone into the arrangements.” Ian ANDERSON, FOLK ROOTS, juin 1995