Treacherous: A History Of The Neville Brothers, 1955 - 1985
Rarely in popular music has there been a family so closely  associated with the sound of a city as the Nevilles and New Orleans.  Since the mid-'50s,Art,Aaron,Cyril, andCharles, as the  Neville Brothers and as solo artists or central contributors to key Big  Easy bands, have defined that wonderful, sensual gumbo of soul, blues,  and funk that is the sound of New Orleans. This compilation, a two-disc  set compiled by Rhino with their usual attention to detail, follows the  brothers in almost all their recording incarnations through to the  mid-'80s, just before they released their most popular records for A&M.; It  is an extraordinary testament to filial chemistry and, in Aaron's  voice, one of the most beautiful instruments in all of popular music.  It is worth noting that, fine as it is, the version of "Tell It Like It  Is" here is a live one and not Aaron's original divine single. Also,  the compilers sadly decided to exclude any recordings by theMeters. That said,  this is an essential document of a quintessential American band and  will stand in good stead until the inevitable and definitive multi-disc  box is issued.--Rob Stewart