While
Willy DeVille was trying to perfect his blend of roots rock, fiery punk energy, and the heart-rending ballad style that established vocalists such as
Ben E. King and Clyde McPhatter, he went through a few changes.
Mink DeVille's previous recording,
Le Chat Bleu, had opened the door to
DeVille being as fine a ballad singer as any. Along with the
Doc Pomus ballads there were a few rockers, and the seeds were sewn for the band to pursue this direction, with
Willy DeVille stepping more and more out front as an enigma. The combination of
DeVille and
Jack Nitzsche brought the early rock and soul vibe deep into the heart of Coup De Grace.
Louis Cortelezzi and
Kenny Margolis provided the sound of the Jersey Shore and Coney Island on saxophone, keyboard and accordion and swirled around
DeVille's and
Rick Borgia's guitars, undercut by
Tommy Price's drums. The band's sound combined with
Nitzsche's timeless production style thatr, combined with his singing voice, created a rock & roll purer than even
Bruce Springsteen's in 1981. The evidence is on the anthems "Maybe Tomorrow," the slippery doo wop feel of "Love & Emotion," and the devastating read of Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On" that includes in its soulful Spanish stroll mix a pair of marimbas and the ever-lamenting accordion, that turns the track into something that is so deadly serious it could have been in West Side Story. This was
Mink DeVille near their zenith as a recording unit. ~ Thom Jurek