Although it not surprisingly shares a whopping nine tracks with 2000's The Very Best of Aaron Neville, 2001's Ultimate Collection cherry picks from a far wider range of years (1960-1997) than the A&M period which was used almost exclusively for the former anthology. As such, it's a considerably broader and ultimately a better representation of the Neville Brothers' famed muscular singer with the impossibly angelic falsetto voice. The compilation kicks off with the string-laden {&"To Make Me Who...   [ read more ]

CD $13.25

In some ways, The Very Best of Aaron Neville is a very welcome addition to his catalog, since it's the first collection to touch on all areas of Neville's long career. However, it winds up being a bit unsatisfying, not just because it only has one cut from the Neville Brothers, but because his New Orleans R&B and down-home soul just don't fit that well with his smooth, cleanly produced latter-day work. Then again, the compilers didn't spend too much time with the early recordings, since the collec...   [ read more ]

CD $13.25

Devotion is Aaron Neville's latest full-length disc committed exclusively to spirituals. The singer's voice remains in great shape on reverential covers of traditional spirituals "Banks of River Jordan," "Jesus Loves Me," "Mary Don't You Weep," combined with modern rock classics possessing a sacred nature; "I Shall Be Released," "Morning Has Broken," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" fit in the context of the album beautifully. Making special appearances on Devotion are Avalon,...   [ read more ]

CD $16.13