Mink De Ville - Coup de Grace
#510
By Brian San Marco
Mink DeVille
Coup De Grace
Genre: RnB. Yup RnB.
Allen’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Brian’s Rating: 4 out of 5
Highlights:
Just Give Me One Good Reason
Maybe Tomorrow
Teardrops Must Fall
At first glance at the album cover, I thought I was in for a New Wave/early 80’s synth extravaganza. But no. Not even close. Then I looked more closely. Willy DeVille was more stray cat than Gary Newman. I can’t believe I missed it on the cover. Then I listened.
What I got was surely unexpected. This is old school RnB/Blues mixed with the intensity of Robert Palmer (70’s Palmer) and Bruce Springstein. The product is a clean, slightly polished, tight sound. Not quite as tight as Palmer, but way less raucous than Springstein. Still, in many ways, I find that is could be popular music today save for the real instruments. Speaking of which, this is a big band and features Sax in most songs.
This record flows nicely and has a good mix of styles that Mink DeVille always pulls off in their own way. Yet the parallels and familiarity are infinite. This record is not cerebral in anyway. It’s not even ground breaking, but it’s interesting to listen to and sounds great which are always things I can get behind. It’s a good record.
All that said, there is something truly remarkable about an RnB band being one of the house bands at CBGB during the punk craze. This makes me want to listen more, because I know it’s honest and the scene would have ever accepted something pretentious. Can you imagine seeing the Ramones and between them and the next act you have the fine RnB classics of Mink Deville? I’m sure some of you can. This to me earns them 4 stars.
https://open.spotify.com/album/2gYxwgqsQM4F3bT9k8Znld?si=rNlZTq7hSuSgs6kM2aogKg
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