Mink Deville were, quite simply, one of the great bands. There's no other way to put it. True, they never got too far on the road to popularity. Maybe, in the post-modern era, nakedly romantic love songs aren't cool any more. But, man--these guys had some incredible songs. "Harlem Nocturne" is a fun bonus, but the albums really stand on their own. Willy's read of "You Better Move On," with his endearing sincerity, is a highlight of the album.
These aren't quite the best albums in the Mink Deville corpus, and I'd recommend Cabretta and Le Chat Bleu (in that order) as a first entry point to the band. But they continued to subtly refine and deepen their sound throughout their life as a band, and Willy Deville is, quite simply, a wonderful songwriter. This compilation is well, well worth the time of any music fan who still believes in the idea of love.