Can't get enough of your love.
I’ve said it before and I might as well lead off with it here: I’m an acolyte in the Church of 1983. As in, there’s been no good music since 1983. I’m not a fundamentalist though; pre-1983 artists have put out good music since then. And, like a blue moon, every once in awhile some post-1983 artist sneaks through (although off the top of my head I can’t think of anyone).
But—bad news—I’m addicted to music. But—good news—I already have more than enough fantastic music should I live another 57 years. But—bad news—I’m also addicted to acquiring music. What to do?
My solution in the last decade or so is to go back to the past. Back to other genres like country & western. Today, for instance, I ordered 3 volumes of Bear Family’s Dim Lights, Thick Smoke, & Hillbilly Music series. And yesterday I got the Bear Family Jerry Lee Lewis Sun box. (Aside: I was prompted to do that after seeing Jerry Lee’s guest appearance on TJ Hooker. Absolutely fantastic performance in some little honky-tonk set scene and far better acting in other scenes than anyone else who has ever appeared on that series.) Or jazz; I’m about ready to pull the trigger on the Mosaic Coleman Hawkins box.
Or I get tempted by PR hype and reviews of artists from my sweet spot (aka, up to 1983) and decide to see if maybe, just maybe, I missed the boat on something or my tastes have changed. This has led in the last years to getting most of the Roxy Music and ELO catalogues, among other more dubious, less rewarding, purchases.
The latest temptation comes after reading the latest issue of Record Collector; this had a very nice article on Bear Family that spurred recent purchases. But it also had an article on Willy DeVille, about whom I knew very little. Article sure made him sound like something I’d like and shouldn’t have missed. I’m certain I’ve heard a few songs on comps but I sure can’t recall anything about them.
Any advice from the Hall of Rock? Yeah or nay on Willy DeVille? If yeah, where to start? Any suggestions for other neglected pre-1983 artists I can indulge my habit with?
The only album I know is the first Mink Deville album, and I think it’s great, a new-wave era version of a rock/R&B mix with a lot of charm and energy.
The first two Mink DeVille albums, Cabretta and Return to Magenta, are excellent. After that he went down a musical path I was not interested in.
Big Steve was the subject matter expert when I had the very same question a few years ago. I ended up with a compilation which is pretty good, although I was expecting it to be Great based on the two songs that I already knew.
The discussion is here: https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/index.php/what-s-up-with-mink-deville/
the comp I got is here: http://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Stroll-Mink-Deville/dp/B000003IWR/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_13
Oops! See comment #2
Yeah that comp has some of that Euro-cabaret stuff that I don’t dig. He lived in New Orleans for a long time, and he was a notorious junkie. It’s amazing he lived as long as he did.
Download Mink DeVille’s “Let Me Dream if I Want To” from the Live at CBGBs album. It’s a really nice Velvets knock-off with a little added finesse. Nothing I ever heard after that was as good.
By the way, I thought the cut-off was 1981. Who started out in 1982/83 that you approve of?
The cut-off of 1983, to account for 1982 releases like Imperial Bedroom and The Jam’s “Town Called Malice” and the good songs off the last Undertones album, 1983’s The Sin of Pride. There may have been a few more good records that upheld all that is great about rock ‘n roll and avoided all that would suck about the genre (mainstream edition) through the rest of the decade.
1983 came about because I couldn’t really remember what the actual year was. I guess I should have searched through the RTH files to find out. And to find out if DeVille had been discussed here before
You’ve jogged the memory banks, Geo. That’s the place I remember hearing Mink DeVille first – when you loaned me that LP so many decades ago.
What, you don’t even care for this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMgzf0SkOZE&feature=related
I think you’re messing up with your date of 1983. I think that’s only the halfway point, and I know that 90% of everything is pure crap and 8% is tolerable but 2% is terrific, and you’ll never be able to buy all or even hear all of that 2%.
But anyway, I’ve got Mink Deville’s Savoir Faire lp. I think I got it after reading that inital post. I think I paid three dollars for it on nice vinyl with a decent cover. It’s a compilation of their first three albums, and it’s a little spotty but pretty great most of the time. You really can’t beat it for less than five bucks.