Hercules: The Minit & Sansu Sessions 1960-1977

There are a lot of top-notch compositions, arrangements, performances and productions on these two CDs. My four-star award is for the quality of the music. I'm not sure that the reproduction is fully top-notch, though. It seems unlikely that these reproductions are taken directly from the original master tapes. To my ears, some of the tracks, even those from the late sixties and early seventies, sound just a bit muffled - good, strong bass but the high-end, treble sounds, such as cymbal hits and vocal consonants such as s, f, t, etc, can't clearly be heard on many songs. The fact that many of the tracks are mono instead of stereo also suggests that the original tapes were not used. Still, this is an extremely satisfying set to listen to.I am fully enjoying both CDs. There are many Allan Toussaint-penned songs on CD 2 and these are compositions of the highest calibre from his era. Other material is also extremely strong. There are many instrumental sounds that I love in the arrangements on CD 2 - way-wah guitar, Hammond organ, etc. The sounds are fully contemporary and groovy for the times. These songs have been put together by top arrangers. The musicianship also seems second to none.If you like the unusual singing style of Aaron Neville himself, then you will treasure these tracks. He sounds the same as he does on any of his better-known recordings. It's true that 'Tell It Like it Is' is a 1976 recording, not the original hit recording from the '60s. However, this doesn't bother me. I love the original, but I also like the sound of this re-recording.Something a bit strange is that the bonus tracks on CD 2 are listed as being recorded between 1969 and 1977 and then, straight underneath, it notes four of them as being recorded in 1986. The sound quality of these recordings jumps up a notch. I haven't checked, but I suspect that they are in stereo, while many or all of the others are apparently in mono.As another reviewer suggested, two or three of the tracks on CD 2 fade out early. This is particularly noticeable in a couple of cases, where Aaron is in mid-song. This is another hint that the original master tapes were no doubt not used to produce these CDs. When you're immersed in a song and hanging on to hear the rest of the story in the lyrics, it is disappointing that the track ends early.I was definitely not disappointed by the earlier recordings on CD 1. Actually, many of these sound a little clearer, in some ways, than the recordings on CD 2. Once again, the songs themselves are arranged to perfection. The musicianship is really good, as it is on CD 2. Aaron Neville also sounds great. I actually listened to CD 2 three times before listening to CD 1 for the first time. I was a little unsure whether the music on this first CD would be as good. I usually like music from the mid-sixties onwards, rather than the early 60s. I shouldn't have worried. Most of the songs on CD 1 are attributed to 'Neville' as the writer - whether Aaron Neville, one of his brothers or another 'Neville', I can't be sure. These compositions would have held their own with most other compositions of the day. They are certainly of their time, but they are fully enjoyable. There is nothing sub-standard about the actual songs, at all. Of course, they are mainly straight-forward love songs, but most songs were, back in 1960 and 1961. There is lots of opportunity for Aaron Neville to perform his vocal acrobatics. The melodies certainly aren't limiting. I know that I will definitely listen to CD 1 just as much and enjoy it just as much as CD 2. (Once again, one or two of the songs at the start of the CD seem to end early, but most are fine in this regard).A couple of other reviewers for this CD have reviewed really well and have pretty much said all that you need to know about this release. They seem to know a lot more than I do. I am more or less a casual fan of Aaron Neville's sound, having previously collected and totally enjoyed his CD album releases, 'Tell It Like it Is', 'Warm Your Heart', 'The Tattooed Heart' and 'Cry Like a Rainstorm', as well as a Neville Brothers CD - and I loved his duet work on the 'Anne Murray' album. If anything, the music on this 'Hercules - The Minit and Sansu Sessions' CD is even more up my alley than on those other favourites - largely because of the myriad of wonderful instrumental sounds in the arrangements - the high standard in composition, arrangement and production - plus the unique sound of Aaron Neville, himself. These positives are strong enough to allow the listener to ignore any faults in the CDs. I would, therefore, fully recommend this collection. Hopefully, one day, someone will release versions of these songs taken directly from the masters.

This is a good compilation that showcases the extraordinary vocal talents of Aaron Neville, but the music on the two discs are from nearly totally different eras with a big change in musical style. The songs on Disc 1 were recorded from 1960-61 (another review on here expands the dates to 1965, but I see nothing on the first disc recorded after 1961), while the second disc covers the years 1969-1977. Throughout this whole period, Neville entrusted the great Allen Toussaint to produce all of these recordings.I'm not a huge fan of early 1960s recordings but Neville's amazing voice helps to make some of this early material very memorable. One thing that I didn't know was that Neville wrote almost all of the songs on this first disc. The 7 bonus tracks on Disc 1 are alternate takes that will appeal more to collectors or diehard Aaron Neville fans. For me, they just sound redundant. So, for my tastes, the second disc is the real treat, showcasing a funkier and more soulful side of Neville. And the bonus tracks on this disc are all totally different songs.I also like the packaging, the two discs housed in what looks like a small hardcover book. The booklet that comes with this set is nice, but a bit on thin side compared to what you get with compilations from labels like Kent and Ace.

Terrific - No-one, cannot like Aaron Neville. I have much of his work and enjoy it all, over-n-over. Love him and his music.

Great song collection. Lots of his best songs...... Love it.

great music by aaron neville, he has a great way of singing all the music that he sings. great guy

Charly Records continues its recent series of 2-CD compilations, covering some of the best known New Orleans artists. This time around, we have a collection of Aaron Neville's Allen Toussaint-produced recordings for the Minit, Instant and Sansu labels. Disc One (1960-1965) covers the singles from the Minit / Instant years (as well as a handful of alternate takes); Disc Two (1969-1977) covers the Sansu recordings, some of which were released by a variety of small record labels and some of which remained unissued until the 1980s (and later.)Like the other sets in this series, this one is packaged in a hardcover "digi-book." Personally, I like the look of the packaging, but remain wary of its durability in the long run, particularly with regard to the booklet's possibly coming loose eventually.For me, disc one is worth the price of admission alone. It contains almost everything that has ever been released on CD previously from this era. Plus, it includes the actual single version of "Show Me The Way" (which has never been issued in any digital format before, contrary to what other record labels have claimed in the past.) The 45 version includes a vibraphone overdub and omits 10 seconds of the ending compared to the version which has been reissued on CD countless times over the past 25 years. We finally get to hear the real deal on CD!Two other songs ("For Every Boy, There's a Girl" and "I've Done It Again") are NOT the original single versions, contrary to Charly's claim. The single versions of those two tracks are the same as the ones heard here but with flute overdubs. In my opinion, those flute parts detract from (rather than benefit) the singles. As a Neville completist, I'd like to have those single versions in a digital format. On the other hand, I know that I'd listen to them once and then program my CD player to skip over them on subsequent listens.Amazon.uk lists 26 tracks on disc one. There are actually only 25. Neither my ears nor my audio equipment are as good as they were when I was younger, so my opinion of sound quality may not match yours! To me, the sound quality is better here than on Charly's earlier efforts, but is not quite as nice as that on Rhino's "Treacherous" compilations, Curb's "Classics" or the rare Japanese "Like It Tis" CD from Toshiba/EMI. All tracks except for #23 are in mono. A couple tracks fade earlier than they do on the Curb and Toshiba/EMI discs; one runs 20 seconds longer. I don't own the original 45's so I'm not sure which versions are most faithful to the originals (if that sort of thing matters to you!)Amazon.uk lists 28 tracks on disc two. There are only 22. That is not to say that Charly has shortchanged us here. The disc is filled to capacity! To my ears, the sound quality is very pleasing (about comparable to that on most of the earlier releases of the same material. None of the mastering errors that occurred on AIM's "Tell It Like It Is" 2-cd set are found here. "Mojo Hannah" and "Hercules" are NOT the original single versions. They are the same basic recordings minus some overdubs and other nuances. Charly has never released the original 45 versions; my guess is that they don't have access to the tapes for those. Keep in mind that Aaron re-recorded the song "Tell It Like It Is" during the 70s. The version found here is the re-recording, NOT the 1966 hit version!All in all, I feel that you can't go wrong with this set, especially considering its reasonable price. And the first-ever digital release of the original 45 version of "Show Me The Way" makes it a must-have for Neville completists. Sure, there are some differences between the tracks found here and the ones on other releases, but those anomalies don't detract from these recordings at all in my opinion.

Did not enjoy this Cd at all. Just like the Singles collection. Band and background singers overpowered Aaron's beautiful voice.

Brilliant music.

this was an enjoyable cd and I would recommend it to others. however I am a real fan of Arron Neville