Bin 12924. Australian two-on-one reissue on Raven for the Eclectic group's first two Jack Nitzsche produced albums, 1977's 'Cabretta' & 1978's 'Return To Magenta'. 2O tracks inall. Featured tracks between the two inclu... more »de 'Guardian Angel'Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl', 'Cadillac Walk', 'Venus Of AvenueD', 'Little Girl', ''A' Train Lady', 'I Broke That Promise','Soul Twist', 'Just Your Friends', as well as a guest appearance by Dr. John.« less
Bin 12924. Australian two-on-one reissue on Raven for the Eclectic group's first two Jack Nitzsche produced albums, 1977's 'Cabretta' & 1978's 'Return To Magenta'. 2O tracks inall. Featured tracks between the two include 'Guardian Angel'Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl', 'Cadillac Walk', 'Venus Of AvenueD', 'Little Girl', ''A' Train Lady', 'I Broke That Promise','Soul Twist', 'Just Your Friends', as well as a guest appearance by Dr. John.
"Though Mink DeVille toured with the likes of Elvis Costello in the late 70s, their music derived much more from the latin-flavored pop soul of 1960s New York than the angry sounds of London circa 1978.With Phil Spector's arranger Jack Nitzche on board as producer, Willy DeVille and his band turned out two superb LPs before DeVille split up the band and relocated (temporarily) to France. This two-fer CD contains both original LPs.The debut mixes DeVille's letter-perfect Brill Building song constructions with a cover (Barry & Greenwich's "Little Girl") and titles from the pen of Moon Martin ("Gunslinger" and "Cadillac Walk"). Throughout, Nitzche recreates some of the highlights of the Spector sound (lots of castanets!), but without the modulating mass of instruments. DeVille's singing stretches an amazing range of tough to tender, and the band kicks in with some great instrumental backing.The followup LP isn't as strong as the debut, though it reaches some of the same heights. The ballads, "Guardian Angel," "Just Your Friend," and "I Broke That Promise" are, in particular, quite moving."
Strong and sweetly romatic songs with street tough touches
Randy J. White | 05/12/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I first heard Cadillac Walk on the radio I knew that Blues/Rock powerful force had to be in my collection. Other surprises include She's so Tough and Spanish Stroll. You will listen again and again and not get tired of Willeys magic and mastery of music !"
If you never heard Willy, sorry for you
annommonis | Phoenix, Az, Arizona United States | 10/21/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These are two great albums. If you like your Rock and Roll raw and gritty, with a touch of class, then check out Mink (Willy) De Ville... you won't be sorry, you'll probably wind up buying everything else he ever did."
Unrecognized Musical Brilliance
Randy J. White | Anaheim, CA USA | 06/21/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These two discs are worth a thousand praises. They are two of my all time favorites. Why America did not embrace Willy Deville and his wonderful blend of rock, rhythm and blues and Latino influences is beyond me. His ballads are probably among the best ever recorded, they truly touch the heart and the soul. And on " Just Your Friends " Deville nails the subject of being a guy whose been dumped by his woman because he did not meet the approval of her friends. I don't believe no other artist has even come close to the honesty and emotion in that song. And if you need more proof that Mink Deville were poorly marketed to the masses, everytime I play these CDs people coming by my cube ask who is that singer. Then they note how terrific the music is. And Willy Deville earns another belated fan."
Two real gems from a criminally underrated band
T. Scarillo | Studio City, CA | 01/11/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a late initiate to Mink Deville (i also wrote a review of the Montreaux DVD), so i've been 'catching up' on their albums. This was a good purchase: Very cool angle on the NY scene of the late 70's - their music fuses Latino, R&B, Doc Pomus, Brill Building, and rock influences into a unique sound. Very underrated band, that isn't usually mentioned a lot today with other bands of that scene. Willy DeVille has one of the better soulful voices i've heard, very versatile and can bounce between different styles. Several of the band's classics/great tunes (IMO) appear on this collection: Little Girl, Mixed up, Shook up Girl , Spanish Stroll, She's So Tough, Guardian Angel, Soul Twist, I Broke That Promise. Having bought the anthology, i am now picking up the individual records, and this is a great way to get the first 2.
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1
