Customer Reviews

Le Chat Bleu Expanded Edition

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An absolute classic. Combines doo-wop, soul, rock, latin, into one wonderful mix. His voice, for those who have not heard him, is truly unique. Some of the songs will make you think of street-corner harmony groups, while others take on the punk spirit of the times. However, no matter what you've read, this is absolutely not "punk" or "new wave." It is music solidly grounded in the r&b and rock&roll of the late 1950's and early 1960's, without sounding dated or derivative. One of the rare early 1980's records which has aged extremely well.

Simply one of the greatest singers and songwriters of the last 30 years. Just in case you've only recently discovered Willy deVille - this is the absolute classic. "Heaven Stood Still" gotta be the mother of all ballads, and "Just to walk that little Girl home" comes a close second. The uptempo opener "This must be the night" features classic and hard to top Louis Cortellezzi sax solos. Grandiose and intimate, emotional and raw, Willy sings his heart out on every track with an intensity that is simply unmatched. One of the greatest CDs ever recorded.

This album--oh, man. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss the tragedies of American music, but it truly is a tragedy that the majority of boys and girls have never heard "Heaven Stood Still." It's regal in its beauty--think "She's Leaving Home," or "Caroline, No." This song is gorgeous in the way the Venus de Milo is gorgeous--immediately, lastingly, nakedly.
"Turn You Every Way But Loose," on the other hand, is a rock song, and one of the best Mink Deville ever did. It's constructed like a single, with a strong bass line, a seductive vocal line, and a great hook.
This album is a collection of great songs. They're songs about love, and they're sincere, passionate, and lovely. That's what rock and roll ought to be.

A dear friend gave me a cassette version of Le Chat Bleu the year it was released. I wore it out. The U.S. vinyl version criminally omitted at least one song (Mazurka). In the mid-80s I found the original, complete vinyl version at a shop in France. I played it only once, for a re-taping.

Thank god for this CD re-issue. And thank god Willie is still creating and performing...albeit mostly in Europe, where he got a small bit of the appreciation he deserves.

Now this sounds horribly corny, but I have a list of three songs to be played at my wake, should someone decide to carry on that way when I check out. "Heaven Stood Still" was the first on that list. That song and LeChat Bleu are, indeed, a "celestial rhapsody."

Thanks to Rock archivist, Glenn A Baker, for re-mastering ,'Le Chat Bleau'. Having owned it originally on vinyl, and through my roving days, on cassette, it was a thrill to rediscover it on the Raven label. de Ville's mind-set is essentially the evanscent soul of the greatest,'Drifter's' hits. That is, the boy/girl thing, the hermetically sealed priviledged conjunction about whose axis, the rest of the world can go rotate. Willy seems heroically immune to the intervening decades when these sounds and sentiments were momentous. Thus, 'Le Chat Bleau' was a glorious anachronism when it appeared, causing Capitol U.S, to baulk about its release. Unlike say,a 'Drifter's Greatest Hits', this Cd is conceived as thematically linked, with balanced tempos, and crafted to perfection. de Ville is in great voice and his pen just dripping with the inevitable, suggestive couplets.'This Must Be Tonight', justifiably turns up on most compilations. 'Bad Boy' and the cajun spiced,'Mazurka', the celestial harmony of,'Heaven Stood Still', exemplify his range. The Doc Pomus collaborations are exhilerating.'The World Outside,'You Just Keep Me Holding On', and'Just To Walk That Little Girl Home', are as classic as anything he conceved for Ben e King. Having applauded the in tact original, I think Baker's gone for overkill with the bonus versions of 7 of the tracks.de Ville's handling of,'Save The Last Dance For Me' is an honorable and devotional tribute to his sources. However, the live stuff does nothing but reveal how brilliant the chemistry was in that Paris studio. It was, as he mused, his,'Starry Night'.

I love some of the songs of Mink DeVille, "River of Tears", "Demasiado Corazon", etc etc. Heard he died and looked for additional records, cd's by him. This one seemed the holy grail according to the enthusiastic reviews. The "couldn't do no wrong" type purchase. So I bought it against my better judgement since I have discovered that most of the times just buying the best songs is a more inexpensive and rewarding option. Yes, some of the songs are right along the lines of what I always loved about Willy DeVille (Willy, Mink, go figure) but there are a lot of songs in Le Chat Bleu Expanded Edition that fall flat compared to the gems alongside them. 50/50 One half is just what I always love about this guy, the other half same takes on the same songs or lesser renderings does not make for a near perfect album. Fans will be fans so their heartfelt opinions probably rang true for them. Me, I am tired of trying to find the perfect album (rare and few so far in the course of my lifetime) and back to a song for song since they are available. Not because I like an artist I have to buy 20 songs of which, at the most, 8 are really good. Maybe for nostalgic one would do it and that is up to each and everyone. If only the really great songs had been included this certainly would rate a near perfect offering. But since, like I said, there are a lot of extras not as good I give it 3.5 Stars!