| Locked Down | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 3, 2012 (2012-04-03) | |||
| Recorded | 2011 | |||
| Studio | Easy Eye Sound (Nashville, TN) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 42:26 | |||
| Label | Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | Dan Auerbach | |||
| Dr. John chronology | ||||
| ||||
Locked Down is a studio album by Americansinger-songwriterDr. John. It was released on April 3, 2012, throughNonesuch Records. Recording sessions took place in 2011 at Easy Eye Sound inNashville. Production was handled byDan Auerbach. It features contributions from Dan Auerbach, Max Weissenfeldt,Leon Michels,Nick Movshon, Brian Olive andThe McCrary Sisters. At the55th Annual Grammy Awards held in 2013, the album won aGrammy Award for Best Blues Album.
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.1/10[1] |
| Metacritic | 86/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Clash | 8/10[4] |
| Consequence of Sound | C+[5] |
| Los Angeles Times | [6] |
| Paste | 9/10[7] |
| Pitchfork | 7.5/10[8] |
| Robert Christgau |  [9] |
| Rolling Stone | [10] |
| The Guardian | [11] |
| The Observer | [12] |
Locked Down was met with universal acclaim frommusic critics. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received anaverage score of 86, based on thirty reviews.[2] The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? has the critical consensus of the album at a 8.1 out of 10, based on twenty-six reviews.[1]
Dave Simpson ofThe Guardian praised the album, saying: "no one makes music like this: the Night Tripper rampages inimitably through swampblues, voodoo funk andafrobeat, with his trademark piano".[11] Randall Roberts ofLos Angeles Times also praised the work, naming it "one of the best of his career".[6]Holly Gleason ofPaste called it "a sweeping confession of sanctification, embrace and glory, this is deliverance personified".[7]AllMusic's Thom Jurek stated: "no matter which era or what record you prefer, as an album,Locked Down stands with Rebennack's best".[3] John Freeman ofClash labeled it as "a mystical brew offunk,gospel and delta rock".[4]Will Hermes ofRolling Stone wrote: "full of muscled, vintageR&B grooves, fevered soloing, psychedelic arrangements and oracular mumbo jumbo, it's the wildest record Rebennack has made in many years".[10]Kitty Empire ofThe Observer wrote: "what emerges from their empathy is a thoroughly great record that adds punch and groove to Rebennack's humid party music".[12]Stephen Deusner ofPitchfork found this album "still stands out among his recent work, not so much for the leap of faith he took collaborating with Auerbach but because it turned out so damn well".[8] Adam Kivel ofConsequence concluded: "Dr. John and Auerbach come together to capture a rich, evocative, almost apocalyptic party onLocked Down, an album that makes you dance while wondering about the state of the world".[5]
All tracks are written byMalcolm John Rebennack Jr.,Dan Auerbach, Maximilian Weissenfeldt,Leon Michels,Nick Movshon and Brian Olive.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Locked Down" | 4:59 |
| 2. | "Revolution" | 3:25 |
| 3. | "Big Shot" | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Ice Age" | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Getaway" | 4:35 |
| 6. | "Kingdom of Izzness" | 3:36 |
| 7. | "You Lie" | 4:45 |
| 8. | "Eleggua" | 2:53 |
| 9. | "My Children, My Angels" | 5:06 |
| 10. | "God's Sure Good" | 4:56 |
| Total length: | 42:26 | |
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] | 50 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] | 48 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[15] | 33 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[16] | 16 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[17] | 126 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[18] | 35 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[19] | 16 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[20] | 48 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[21] | 39 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[22] | 51 |
| USBillboard 200[23] | 33 |
| USTop Rock Albums (Billboard)[24] | 8 |
| USTop Blues Albums (Billboard)[25] | 1 |
| USTop Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[26] | 3 |
| USVinyl Albums (Billboard)[27] | 14 |
