Uptown (Neville Brothers album)

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Uptown
Studio album by
the Neville Brothers
Released1987
LabelEMI America[1]
ProducerJim Gaines (executive producer)
The Neville Brothers chronology
Treacherous: A History of the Neville Brothers
(1986) 		Uptown
(1987) 		Yellow Moon
(1989)

Uptown is an album by the American musical group the Neville Brothers, released in 1987.[2][3] The album's title is an homage to the New Orleans neighborhood in which the Nevilles grew up.[4] The group supported the album by touring with Santana.[5]

The album peaked at No. 155 on the Billboard 200.[6]

Production[edit]

After four commercially unsuccessful albums, the Nevilles brought in outside writers, producers, and musicians, including Jerry Garcia, Branford Marsalis.[7] The album was overseen by Jim Gaines, then best known as Huey Lewis's producer, who agreed to executive produce only if he was allowed to make a "non-traditional" New Orleans album.[7] Uptown was recorded in Metairie, Louisiana.[8]

"Midnight Key" was cowritten by Jimmy Buffett.[9] Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley also contributed to the album.

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Robert ChristgauB+[11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[12]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[13]
Windsor StarB+[9]

Spin wrote: "By stripping them of all but the most subtle New Orleansisms, the Nevilles sound like Journey. Or Rick Springfield. Or instant mashed potatoes."[4] Robert Christgau thought that "between adult themes, solidly insinuating tunes, uncommonly grizzled vocals, and faint indigenous lilt, what we have here is a pretty damn good [Contemporary Hit Radio] album."[11]

The Globe and Mail considered that "the long-term pleasures come from Art Neville's rock steady keyboards and growling voice."[14] USA Today thought that "the undistinquished playing offers little of the funky fire that has made the Nevilles New Orleans' top rhythm band."[15] The Star Tribune opined that, "at best, this slick production evokes vintage Tower of Power with a Southern accent; at worst, it's as bland as the made-for-radio barroom-rock 'n' soul of Huey Lewis."[16]

AllMusic wrote that the album contains the group's "usual tight playing and exuberant collective vocals."[10] The Rolling Stone Album Guide panned the use of "sequencers and electronic percussion."[13]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
1."Whatever It Takes"3:51
2."Forever ... For Tonight"4:13
3."You're the One"4:21
4."Money Back Guarantee (My Love Is Guaranteed)"4:35
5."Drift Away"3:58
6."Shek-A-Na-Na"3:59
7."Old Habits Die Hard"3:46
8."I Never Needed No One"3:57
9."Midnight Key"4:24
10."Spirits of the World"4:26

Personnel[edit]

  • Aaron Neville — vocals
  • Cyril Neville — vocals, percussion
  • Charles Neville — saxophone
  • Art Neville — keyboards, vocals
  • Brian Stoltz — guitar; piano on "Shek-A-Na-Na"
  • Daryl Johnson — bass, backing vocals; synthesizer on "Whatever It Takes"
  • Willie Green — drums
Additional musicians
  • Branford Marsalis — saxophone on "Drift Away", "I Never Needed No One", "Midnight Key" and "Spirits of the World"
  • Ronnie Montrose — guitar on "Whatever It Takes"
  • Carlos Santana — guitar on "Forever ... For Tonight"
  • Jerry Garcia — guitar on "You're the One"
  • Richie Zito — guitar on "Spirits of the World"
  • Keith Richards — rhythm guitar on "Midnight Key"
  • Clem Clempson — sitar on "Old Habits Die Hard"
  • Cory Lerios — keyboards on "Forever ... For Tonight", "You're the One" and "Money Back Guarantee (My Love Is Guaranteed)"
  • Eric Kolb — keyboards
  • Steve Nieve — keyboards on "Old Habits Die Hard"
  • Luis Jardim — percussion on "Shek-A-Na-Na"

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 421.
  2. ^ "Neville Brothers Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-06-04. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  3. ^ "Watch the Grateful Dead Jam with the Neville Brothers in 1987". Relix. October 24, 2018. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Matthews, Bunny (Apr 1987). "Uptown and Down". Spin. Vol. 3, no. 1. pp. 25–27.
  5. ^ Graff, Gary (7 July 1987). "Nevilles Tune Up for the Top 40". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 5.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2010). Top Pop Albums (7th ed.). Record Research. p. 563.
  7. ^ a b Tannenbaum, Rob (July 2, 1987). "The Neville Brothers: Funky but Chic". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  8. ^ Lichtenstein, Grace; Dankner, Laura (September 14, 1993). Musical Gumbo: The Music of New Orleans. W.W. Norton. ISBN 9780393034684. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Shaw, Ted (23 May 1987). "Record Review". Windsor Star. p. C2.
  10. ^ a b "Uptown". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  11. ^ a b "The Neville Brothers". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on 2021-09-14. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  12. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 159.
  13. ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 502–503.
  14. ^ Lacey, Liam (7 May 1987). "Uptown The Neville Brothers". The Globe and Mail. p. C3.
  15. ^ Milward, John (1 Apr 1987). "Popular". USA Today. p. 4D.
  16. ^ Bream, Jon (1 May 1987). "Neville Brothers, 'Uptown'". Star Tribune. p. 3C.
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