Oh, take me on a journey to a place where I can "lay my burden down, legalize my lows, and let the music wash my soul." In other words, "Take Me to the Mardi Gras." That's the name of a song written and recorded by Paul Simon for his 1973 "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" LP. Paul may not possess one drop of Cajun/Creole blood, but his love song to The Big Easy is as soulful as that of any N'awlins native. It's one of those songs that makes my heart ache with dreams of escaping to a place of primordial pleasure, a place where a swampy voodoo vibe percolates just beneath the surface of even the most festive of ceremonies. Bawdy ol' New Orleans is such a land -- perhaps the most culturally-unique city in America.