The doo-wop vocal achieved its heyday in the 1950s and early 60s, so musically before my time. Aaron Neville's venture into that catalogue, though, has produced a refreshing and delightful album which exudes style - and also familiarity, as many of the songs have been recycled over the decades.
With
the legendary producer Don Was pairing with Keith Richards and Glyn Johns at the mixing desk, Neville couldn't have asked for a better environment to bring these songs to life in a new and appealing way. Neville also proves he's no one-trick-pony in not relying on his high falsetto and tremolo vocal effects unduly.
Songs like Jay and the Americans' This Magic Moment, The Drifters' Under the Boardwalk, Leiber and Stoller's Ruby Baby, The Ronettes' Be My Baby, Curtis Mayfield's Gypsy Woman and Hank Ballard's memorable Work with me Annie all receive a new treatment.
Richards also plays restrained and highly complimentary guitar, fronting the red-hot studio band. If you like to take your musical adventures outside the mainstream now and again, I can thoroughly recommend My True Story, and I reckon it just may be the surprise hit album of 2013.
Aaron Neville
