Coup de Grace/Where Angels Fear to Tread (CD - 1998)

Producers include: Jack Nitzsche.

Personnel: Mink DeVille (background vocals); Willy DeVille (vocals, guitar, slide guitar); Kenny Margolis (accordion, piano, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, vibraphone); Louis Cortelezzi (saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Joey Vasta (bass guitar); Joe Galdo, Tommy Price (drums, percussion); Fred Wickstrom (timpani, percussion).

Recording information: Criteria Recording Studio, FL.

This pairing of two key moments in the transition of Mink DeVille from full-on street rock & roll band to a sophisticated, songcrafting vehicle for frontman Willy DeVille cannot be overestimated. The sound developed here had been informed by the gorgeous balladic style displayed on Le Chat Bleu, Mink DeVille's last record for Capitol, and showcased the production teams of Jack Nitzsche on the former and the Albert Brothers on the latter, each of them figuring the accordions, marimbas, strings, and horns carefully into their respective mixes. On these two records, the razored, savvy swagger of the late '70s met the street-corner doo wop poets of the '50s, the tango singers of the 1940s, and the Spanish soulsters of the '60s in a mix that was timeless. The evidence lies in the fact that only this band could cover Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On" with a straight face in the '80s and "Harlem Nocturne" (a live bonus cut included here), or sing a solid Dion DiMucci doo wop chorus without sounding nostalgic and then turn around and burn off a salsa number like "Demisado Corazon." Though the band splintered after Where Angels Fear to Tread, the testament to their greatness lies in these two Atlantic albums, which prove that Le Chat Bleu was not only not a fluke, but also the tip of the iceberg in terms of Mink DeVille's depth and musical dimension. Included along with the two original albums are full credits, a brief series of liner notes, some interesting photographs, and another bonus cut -- a live version of "Maybe Tomorrow" -- tossed in for good measure at an economical price. This is indispensable rock from a period that was issuing a lot of it. ~ Thom Jurek minimize