THE NEVILLE BROTHERS
A carreira dos Neville Brothers foi bastante irregular e descontínua. Em suas primeiras gravações privilegiavam os arranjos vocais a quatro vozes, prática que cedeu lugar ao destaque da voz
da "estrela da companhia", AARON NEVILLE. Desde então as demais vozes funcionam como "backing vocals" para a inconfundível voz de Aaron.
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THE NEVILLE BROTHERS
Throughout their long careers as both solo performers and as members of the group that bore their family name, the Neville Brothers proudly carried the torch of their native New Orleans'
rich R&B legacy. Although the four siblings -- Arthur, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril -- did not officially unite under the Neville Brothers aegis until 1977, all had crossed musical paths in the past, while also enjoying success with other unrelated projects.
In 1968 producer Allen Toussaint hired the group as the house band for his Sansu Enterprises; minus Aaron and Charles, the Sounds evolved into a highly regarded rhythm section which backed artists as diverse as Lee Dorsey, Robert Palmer, and LaBelle before eventually finding fame on their own as the Meters. Consequently, Aaron resumed his solo career, although with only sporadic success; as a result, he also worked as a dock hand. Charles, meanwhile, relocated to New York City, where his skills as a saxophonist led to tenures with a variety of jazz units; after returning to New Orleans, he was arrested for possession of marijuana and served a three-year sentence at the Angola Prison Farm. Despite their gift for intricate four-part harmonies, their self-titled 1978 debut unsuccessfully cast the vocal quartet as a disco band, and following a dismal response they were dropped by their label, Capitol. The Nevilles spent the following three years without a contract, but after signing with A&M, fan Bette Midler helped secure the services of producer Joel Dorn for 1981's superior Fiyo
on the Bayou, which spotlighted Aaron's angelic tenor on standards like "Mona Lisa" and "The Ten Commandments of Love" along with renditions of "Iko Iko" and "Brother John." In subsequent years, Aaron reignited his solo career while also remaining with his brothers. In 1990, Charles also issued the jazz collection Charles Neville & Diversity. The Neville Brothers legacy continued in 1999 with Valence Street.
(By Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide - edited by CB)
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ALBUM COMMENTS
On Valence Street, the brothers offer few surprises: the groove is mighty, while the choice of material weakens the disc's overall impact. "If I Had a Hammer" is hardly as indelible a social statement as their chilling version of Bob Dylan's "With God on Our Side" was on Yellow Moon, while too many of the new songs rely on tired romantic clichés. Everything falls together on a few tracks, particularly Richard Thompson's "Dimming of the Day" and "Mona Lisa," a collaboration with Wyclef Jean that originally appeared on his Carnival album. The ghostly funk of "Tears" and "The Dealer" also shows them at their best, suggesting that more fire and brimstone and less "Little Piece of Heaven" is the way to go.
(By Rickey Wright - amazon.com)
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THE NEVILLE BROTHES: VALENCE STREET
THE NEVILLE BROTHERS
Aaron Neville
Art Neville
Charles Neville
Cyril Neville
Ivan Neville
TRACKS/FAIXAS
1. Over Africa (3:41)
2. Utterly Beloved (4:40)
3. Little Piece Of Heaven (5:08)
4. Valence Street (3:47)
5. If I Had A Hammer (6:10)
6. Until We Meet Again (5:35)
7. The Dealer (5:23)
8. Mona Lisa (4:40)
9. Dimming Of The Day (4:26)
10. Real Funk (5:37)
11. Give Me A Reason (5:15)
12. Tears (4:58)
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