| Return to Magenta | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Recorded |
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| Genre | R&B,Rock,Soul,Blues | |||
| Length | 30:43 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Producer | Jack Nitzsche Steve Douglas | |||
| Mink DeVille chronology | ||||
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Return to Magenta, issued in 1978, is the secondalbum by therock bandMink DeVille. The album was the last to feature all the original members of the band. For this album the band was joined byRock and Roll Hall of Fame memberSteve Douglas on sax andDr. John on piano, who would later collaborate with leadsingerWilly DeVille after his move toNew Orleans.
Return to Magenta continued in the vein of the first album, with a mixture of rock,soul,blues, and Latin rhythms. It was produced byJack Nitzsche, who also co-wrote a song with DeVille ("Just Your Friends"). Willy DeVille said aboutCabretta, Mink DeVille's album prior toReturn to Magenta, "We went againststrings on the first album — decided it should be outright, raw, and rude."[1] OnReturn to Magenta, however, Willy DeVille and producers Jack Nitzsche and Steve Douglas employed lavish string arrangements on several songs.
Willy DeVille sings a quasi-duet with singer-songwriter David Forman on the Forman-composed “’A’ Train Lady.” "Steady Drivin' Man" became a favorite of Willy DeVille fans; DeVille performed the song on hisAcoustic Trio Live in Berlin 25 years after the original recording.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[3] |
CriticRobert Christgau gave the album a C+, writing, “The main thing wrong with Willie DeVille is that he hasn't had a new idea since he decided he didn't likeacid in 1970. Even as the songpoet ofgreaser nostalgia, he's got nothing to say..."[4] Many reviewers believed that Mink DeVille's second album sounded too much like its first, and the band had not broken new ground (although Kid Leo, musical director ofWMMS inCleveland, ranked it as the eighth best rock album of all time.)[5]Return to Magenta peaked at 126 onBillboard'sPop Albums chart.[6]
During theReturn to Magenta recording sessions, the band recorded two songs for the background ofPaul Schrader'sHardcore: "Easy Slider" and "Guardian Angel", three songs for the soundtrack of the movieCruising: "Heat of the Moment", "Pullin' My String", and "It's So Easy." These songs were written by Willy DeVille and produced by Jack Nitzsche, who wrote the musical score forCruising. The three songs appeared on the CD reissue of Willy DeVille's 1987 albumMiracle. "It's So Easy" is also on the soundtrack ofQuentin Tarantino's movieGrindhouse: Death Proof.
The song "Rolene" was written byMoon Martin, who also wrote "Cadillac Walk," a song on Mink DeVille's previous album,Cabretta.
The album cover includes a quote (dated March 13, 1978) about the band byRock and Roll Hall of Fame memberDoc Pomus, who would later co-write songs with Willy DeVille:
DeVille said about the song "I Broke that Promise": "It's one of my favorite songs in that album. I keep it in the bag to do it. It has a good feeling because it says, 'I broke that promise that was so important tome.' You can say 'I broke that promise that was so important toyou,' but it's even worse to break a promise that's only important to whoever made the promise."[7]
Mink DeVille toured North America withElvis Costello andNick Lowe after this album came out.
Willy DeVille lived for a time onBoulevard de Magenta inParis, which may account for the album's name,Return to Magenta."[8]
Pianist Bobby Leonards said aboutReturn to Magenta, "Willy had wanted to do an album much like the first one. He wanted to team up with Nitzsche to write some tunes, but Nitzsche wasn’t interested in doing that. All he wanted to do was produce. He was there to help. He didn’t actually say no. He said, 'Hey we’re wasting valuable time and you don’t have a lot of material. The record companies want you to produce a product every year, ten to twelve songs, but nobody writes that way. You do a record when you’ve got something. Don’t record unless you’re ready to record.'" He added, "I went back and erased most of my tracks, but some of mine are still on there.”[9]
Unless otherwise noted, all songs by Willy DeVille.
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] | 76 |
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