Very Best of Aaron Neville
Possessor of one of contemporary music's most instantly recognizable voices, Aaron Neville has a recording career that spans nearly 40 years. While he started out as a bona fide purveyor of New Orleans-flavored R&B; in the '60s, Neville has added his distinctive styling to pop fare in more recent years. Miraculously, even though he's recorded a diverse range of material--fromHoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" to a cover of theOriginals' classic "The Bells"--Neville has lost none of his innate soulfulness.  At last, there's a complete compilation that is a glorious testament to his skills as a vocal master. Thankfully, the original version of "Tell It Like It Is," Neville's 1967 R&B; standard, is included here alongside his very first charted hit, 1960's "Over You." Neville's smash duet withLinda Ronstadt, "Don't Know Much" (1989), is naturally a standout, but equally impressive are tracks culled from the vocal stylist's four non-Christmas albums for A&M;: "Don't Take Away My Heaven," a Louisiana workout ofChuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell"; the infectious "Angola Bound"; a beautiful reading of theStylistics' "Betcha By Golly Wow"; and, as a bonus, a brilliant reading ofSam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," recorded with his brothers for the 1989 "Yellow Moon." An essential collection and a reminder of Neville's undeniable artistry.--David Nathan