The proceedings kick off with a spirited "Venus of Avenue D" which, not coincidentally, was the opening track of Mink DeVille's debut. But most of the heavy hitters are present in generally fired-up versions, many of which trump the studio ones. Some might quibble with this disc's title, since a few of DeVille's well-known tunes such as "Maybe Tomorrow" and "Each Word's a Beat of My Heart" are M.I.A., yet a cover of Bryan Ferry's "Slave to Love," which wasn't a hit for him, appears. The set also functions as a decent overview of his extensive if rather inconsistent career, something that has been difficult to document because his albums have been scattered over an array of major and indie labels. That's especially interesting given how much his music drew almost entirely from American influences such as '60s Brill Building pop, New Orleans/Cajun, R&B, and an inner city Latin style best exemplified in a sizzling version of "Demasiado Corazon." Not surprisingly, the sound quality varies but it's always acceptable and some of the later tracks are particularly well recorded.
All songs were recorded in Europe, perhaps an indication of how well he was accepted there as opposed to his home country.
This generous 17-track compilation of Willy DeVille's live performances covers a large swath of time from his early years with Mink DeVille in 1977 extending to solo work in 2006.