Wot's It to Ya: The Best of Robbie Nevil

Robbie Nevil

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 23, 1999)
• Original Release Date: February 23, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Razor & Tie
• ASIN: B00000I0OW
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #262,254 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Who Da Man?, December 29, 2000

By	M. Scott Billups "sbillups" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The only reason I give this album 4 stars and not 5 is that the record company passed up sparkling, technically intricate, highly original songs like "Paradise", "Love and Money", and "Going Through the Motions", in favor of the cover tunes "Tell Me Something Good" and "Getting Better". Not a smart trade to offer Nevil fans.

All this aside, listen up. For those who didn't clue in to Nevil's musical genius in the 80s, this album is the only shot you get at hearing tracks from his 3 CD releases.("Robbie Nevil", "A Place Like This" and "Day 1". Each CD is better than the last, and out of print.)

Nevil's best-known pop hit "C'est La Vie" wasn't the man's best work by a long shot. His talent runs DEEP. Check out the acoustic guitar on "Somebody Like You", his vocal slip'n'slide and ferocious electric riffs on "For Your Mind", the fiery soulfulness of "Look Who's Alone Tonight", the playfulness of "Mary Lou". Nevil left pop music behind for broader horizons, and hearing these tracks, it's easy to see why. (The full story of Nevil's continuing career shows up in the liner notes.)

This isn't your ordinary pop music: it's peppered with funk and drenched in soul. Nevil's vocal and musical ability is extraordinary: he's got a three-octave range and fire in his throat, and his funkier rhythms twist and slide so much you'll swear he's playing guitar with a live eel instead of a pick. He plays with originality, guts, and joy, jumping all over the syncopation and the tricky rhythms, but never losing control over where the music's headed.

To summarize, it's almost everything a Greatest Hits album should be: the sharp stuff that true fans are hip to, the summer radio hits that so many people boogied to in the 80s, a couple of tracks you can't get on the LP releases, and a little commentary and biography to let us know how it all turned out.

Recommend for Nevil fans and newbies alike. Check it out.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lost 80's Gem., March 21, 2000

By	Jason Stein (Chula Vista, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Robbie Nevil should have amounted to more than he did. I have all three of his cds: Robbie Nevil (1986), A Place Like This (1988) and Day 1 (1991). All three are strong both in musicianship and songwriting craft. Robbie Nevil also has the greatest soul singing voice next to Daryl Hall for a white guy. It's a shame that the record company or Robbie didn't want to continue. This best of collection is a very good snapshot of his career, and it's the only thing non-fans will have since all three of his cds are out of print. Even Richard Marx's cds are still in print! This compilation includes all of Robbie's American hits like "C'est La Vie", "Dominoes", "Wot's It To Ya", "Back On Holiday", "Who Needs Somebody Like You" and "Just Like You." This is a must have for any rock collector.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good music, September 7, 1999

By A Customer

I have Robbie's first album "Robbie Nevil" which I bought back in 1987. I love his music so much! It is so good to see all his best hits on one CD. Most of his stuff is long out of print, so this is the only way to get those songs. My favorite from him is "Dominoes" and "Wot's It To Ya".