Repertoire (label)
10 February 2015 (released)
10 February 2015
Yet another from the brilliant ‘Live at Rockpalast’ series, this time from the criminally underrated Willy Deville in both his early incarnation as Mink Deville and then after he went solo. We lost him in 2009 from pancreatic cancer and hepatitis C and the last of these shows must have been recorded while he was already ill but you couldn’t tell from his performance.
Musically he sits in a difficult place – somewhere around Americana with New York Spanish elements and even rockabilly edges and with his thin moustache, pompadour hair and southern drawl (strange since he was born in Stamford Connecticut) coupled with a horn section he somehow ended up lumped in with the punk movement although their biggest hit – ‘Spanish Stroll’ – was far too clever and sassy for punk.
Looking at the two different sets there is a definite difference in style and presentation with the earlier set seeing Deville almost aggressive as he stares out at the crowd, seated and sparse, hair tight and creases sharp as knife edges tearing out the Mink Deville classics such as ‘Cadillac Walk’ or ‘Mixed Up, Shook Up girl’. The band are tight as a drum but in many respects anonymous – all the focus is on the man at the front and even when the camera pans to other members of the band his presence still permeates the screen.
The solo material sees a totally different reaction from the crowd, up on their feet from the off and a packed hall to see Willy Deville and as he slopes on to the stage to the conga and sax opening of ‘Slow Drain’ the man is clearly the same man but developed with his frills, massive pompadour and drape coat he is almost a pastiche of the Latin lover but that voice … so dark and so commanding. He drills the harp opening to ‘Slow Driving Man with the band cooking behind him – Blues to the max and as good as you could wish for. The set includes a great version of ‘Spanish Stroll’ as well as a beautiful ‘Angel Eyes’ which has the entire crowd going ape and you get the full Latin on his ‘Demasiado Corazon’. I defy anyone to avoid a tear in their eye to a desperately dark and sad ‘Heaven Stood Still’ but this version nails it in front of a silent and reverent crowd.
Each of the packages comes complete with two DVDs and a CD and across four sets shows the development of one of the greatest of his generation – buy both as a treat but the Willy Deville is essential.
