Aaron Neville has long been one of my favourite artists ever since I heard his exceptional collaboration with Kenny G on Even If My Heart Would Break from The Bodyguard Soundtrack. Since then, I've always listened out for Neville's uniquely soulful vocals as there really isn’t anyone quite like him.
Released in 1991, Warm Your Heart is arguably Neville’s greatest musical achievement. Of course, Neville will warm your heart with this incredible release, but finding a definitive edition proved to be challenging.
Warm Your Heart had, of course, been recorded, mixed, and mastered with kid gloves, but I always found the original CD release to be a little less soulful than I’d like. It was a little shrill in places and a little too clean. The lossless CD-quality Apple Music stream similarly maintains the sonic brilliance of the recording, but the tonal warmth that makes this album so exciting and pleasurable to listen to was largely absent. Yes, that crisper sound signature may appeal to some listeners, but what I really needed was a vinyl copy with the warmth that only an analog format can deliver.
Unfortunately, I missed the 2013 vinyl re-issue by Original Recordings Group and while I had considered the SACD release, I decided that it was time to focus my attention on a singular format; plus streaming. Subsequently, when Analogue Productions reissued Warm Your Heart in 2020, I simply had to pick up a copy as it was one of my holy grail records.
The attention to detail that Chad Kassem’s Analogue Productions put into this release is beyond my ability to express in words for it has to be held and played to be believed. Yes, this release has a hype sticker that promises this and that but in this case, you can believe every word printed for this is how vinyl should sound. Detailed, smooth, and enveloping with an incredibly low noise floor ensuring that you will be swept away with the music. While it’s audacious to proclaim that this is how the artist intended it, I can say without a doubt that I’ve never heard the album sound better.
Pressed at Kassem’s Quality Record Pressings pressing plant, Warm Your Heart is delivered across four sides having been pressed at 45rpm. Yes, it could have been a 33.3rpm release, as the original LP had been, but the track structure and overall flow of the album don’t suffer from a sense of repeated flipping. Perhaps it is that the music is so enjoyable, and the quality is beyond reproach, but despite a shorter runtime on each side, this is one 45rpm record that doesn’t make me feel as if I’m getting up and down continuously.
As with many albums re-issued on audiophile labels, the music isn’t the only thing that is exceptionally well done. The tip-on gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing is a piece of art in and of itself and while it adds considerable weight to the overall package, this Analogue Productions release is built to last a lifetime as it benefits from additional rigidity. The inner gatefold opens to display the liner notes, sans lyrics, in a highly legible font; an appreciable element for my ageing eyes.
Naturally, both records are presented in the highest quality anti-static inner sleeves and are so flat, and pitch black, that you’ll find yourself staring at them in awe. By now it should go without saying, but the record labels are perfectly centred and presented beautifully. This is most certainly a quality release and while you’ll pay a premium, if you love Warm Your Heart as much as I do, it is worth the investment for no other reason than I’ve found audio nirvana and no longer need to search for a better version.
Louisiana 1927 is a perfect introduction to the body of work that is Warm Your Heart. Written by the incomparable Randy Newman, his sonic cues are most certainly present throughout, but it is the historical story of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, from the perspective of an unknown individual, that makes this a moving lament. Newman recorded it himself in 1974 and while Neville’s version is similar, Neville took it to new levels. It isn’t that Newman’s version is lacklustre, but Neville made it his own and his alone is the definitive recording of this beautiful song. That said, Russell Watson, Gary Brown, and Marcia Ball have all performed it beautifully within their respective vocal range.
Everybody Plays The Fool has a fantastic mix of soul and funk and Neville presents a smoother interpretation than The Main Ingredient’s original recording. Of course, I would have loved to have heard Bob Marley record this tune as there’s a definite reggae groove lurking just below the surface but as that never happened, to my knowledge, Neville’s is the best interpretation of this song to date.
It Feels Like Rain is simply gorgeous. Just listen and you’ll hear incredible musical layering with every element being transparent, ensuring nothing is concealed. This is how music should sound!
Somewhere Somebody has a killer groove that is perfectly recorded. Topically the search for love is highly relatable but at no time does Somewhere Somebody come across as your typical clichéd love song, it’s much more than that. Take a listen for yourself and you’ll understand what I mean.
Don't Go Please Stay is a beautiful song with a gorgeous classical choral overlay. That said, I don’t like the audible jolt when the song starts following Somewhere Somebody, but that is a minor quibble as all is forgotten as the song moves through the first verse.
With You In Mind is astonishingly good. Allen Toussaint wrote a masterful song and Neville, as is the case throughout Warm Your Heart, makes the song his own. Although, if you have the time may I suggest you give Toussaint’s original recording a listen; it’s that good and I really can’t decide which version I prefer, not that I really want to make that determination anyway.
That's The Way She Loves is one of the greatest songs ever written and recorded, by any artist. As with With You In Mind, Allen Toussaint also penned this tune and Neville and co made it a masterpiece. That's The Way She Loves is so compelling, from a musical perspective, that it is one of those songs that I use to audition new gear because I know exactly how I would like it to sound and therefore it assists me to make sure that any investment is an improvement.
Angola Bound is a little jolting after That's The Way She Loves. Thankfully, due to the 45rpm pressing’s need to flip, the shift between songs is less noticeable but if you’re streaming you’ll definitely notice it. It isn’t that Angola Bound is a bad song, it is just poorly positioned on the record. If I were doing the tracking, I’d likely have placed Angola Bound after Everybody Plays The Fool.
Close Your Eyes is a beautiful duet with Linda Ronstadt. Ronstadt was also the producer of the album and she did a fantastic job in my opinion. While Close Your Eyes doesn’t compare to Don’t Know Much, it’s wonderful that these two master musicians collaborated on more than a single song for they’re so perfectly matched. Of the numerous other renditions of Close Your Eyes, the only one that comes close is that recorded by Earl Lewis and The Channels in 1973. It’s perfect for the era it was recorded in but Close Your Eyes is another example of Neville taking a lovely tune and, with the help of Ronstadt, making it a timeless classic.
La Vie Dansante is a lovely tune, with a Caribbean style, and exceptional backing vocals that complement Neville’s lead vocal perfectly.
Warm Your Heart is a solid track, but perhaps not one to write home about. It suits the album well, however, but I don’t believe it was strong enough to be the title track.
I Bid You Goodnight is a beautiful vocal-focused ballad that is amplified significantly by the magnificent intermingling backing vocals; a perfect mix.
Ave Maria needs no introduction. Neville pays respect to the song, and its legacy, and despite being covered by some of the very best vocalists the world has ever heard, Neville’s version would undoubtedly be in my Top 10.
Streaming Bonus Track:
House On A Hill is a toe-tapping, head-bopping, song that is slightly jolting following the relaxed nature of Ave Maria, but it is so good that I don't mind the shifting style. However, I am happy to report that it wasn’t included on the vinyl release as I feel Ave Maria is the perfect closer for Warm Your Heart. Similarly, it wasn’t featured on the original CD release but as a streaming-only and CD-reissue addition, I consider it to be a value-added proposition for fans.
Warm Your Heart is superb from start to finish and should be in every music lover’s collection. If you can, I’d encourage you to pick up the Analogue Productions re-issue, but rest assured that this album is so good that it doesn’t matter which format/method you choose to enjoy it via; it’s a masterpiece!