The Neville Brothers: Yellow Moon - 1989

Produced by Daniel Lanois of U2 and Bob Dylan fame, this was The Neville Brothers' most commercially-popular album, and this was the period when their critical kudos was at its height. 

Their effortless brand of New Orleans funky soul has many highlights on here - the saxophone-enhanced and deliciously rhythmic world music-influenced My Blood; the beautifully soulful and rollingly funky title track, Yellow Moon; Link Wray's subtle funky soul number in Fire And Brimstone; a vibrato-ridden cover of Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come; a rap meets latter-era Santana-esque, catchy tribute to Rosa Parks in Sister Rosa and a moving, possibly definitive cover of Bob Dylan's anti-war anthem With God On Our Side. In April 2022, as I write, this song is so depressingly relevant. 

Voodoo finds the brothers on familiar New Orleans ground, as does the equally funky Wake Up and there is another Dylan cover in the tragic Ballad Of Hollis Brown, another song that suits the brothers perfectly. 

The traditional song Will The Circle Be Unbroken is suitably moving while Healing Chant continues the New Orleans groove and Wild Injuns is almost disco in its groove. All excellent stuff. 

The album is a subtle, gently understated mix of bayou beats, funky rhythms and world music influences and remains a highly credible listen.

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