Uptown (Neville Brothers album)

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Uptown
Uptown (Neville Brothers album).jpg
Studio album by
the Neville Brothers
ReleasedMarch 1987
Label EMI America [1]
Producer Jim 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]

Contents

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

Production

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

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Robert Christgau B+ [11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
MusicHound R&B: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Windsor Star B+ [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

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

Additional musicians

References

  1. 1 2 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 June 4, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  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. 1 2 Matthews, Bunny (April 1987). "Uptown and Down". Spin. Vol. 3, no. 1. pp. 25–27.
  5. ↑ Graff, Gary (July 7, 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 Shaw, Ted (May 23, 1987). "Record Review". Windsor Star. p. C2.
  10. 1 2 "Uptown". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  11. 1 2 "The Neville Brothers". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on September 14, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  12. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 159.
  13. 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 502–503.
  14. ↑ Lacey, Liam (May 7, 1987). "Uptown The Neville Brothers". The Globe and Mail. p. C3.
  15. ↑ Milward, John (April 1, 1987). "Popular". USA Today. p. 4D.
  16. ↑ Bream, Jon (May 1, 1987). "Neville Brothers, 'Uptown'". Star Tribune. p. 3C.
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