Description
Yo Frankie! is an album by the American singer and songwriter Dion DiMucci of Dion & the Belmonts fame, released on Arista Records in 1989. The album was produced by Dave Edmunds. Rolling Stone Magazine statet that “Yo Frankie! walks a fine line between past and present and reveals that despite the usual obstacles, Dion DiMucci is still capable of wandering with the best of them.”
Yo Frankie! was something of a comeback album for famed ’50s singer Dion. Fortunately, the album was not a strict bid for commercial success, but an attempt to update Dion’s sound while still maintaining the integrity of his roots and musical legacy. To that effect, the record succeeds; Yo Frankie! mixes the past and the present, rock and R&B, and the talents of some surprising guest stars in an artful, focused way. Produced by Dave Edmunds – who also plays guitar on the album – Yo Frankie! has a sharp, contemporary sound while never losing sight of Dion’s soulful, doo-wop voice. Appearances by Bryan Adams, Paul Simon, Patti Smyth, and Lou Reed increase the profile of the album, yet their performances are integrated elegantly and serve the music rather than overshadow it. Overall, this is an impressive, pleasurable, and surprisingly relevant statement from an artist who helped forge rock & roll’s first wave.
Look up the word “attitude” in the dictionary and you’ll find this man’s picture – along with directions to the Bronx intersection of 187th Street and Cortina Avenue. That’s where Mr. DiMucci – known for 31 years simply as Dion – perfected the hipster cool that earned him a spot in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. However, that success left deep scars, which are well-documented in last year’s autobiography, The Wanderer.
After toiling in the gospel music vineyards for many years, Dion has made his long-awaited return to mainstream pop with Yo Frankie, an excellent aural companion to his book. The album is equal parts Traveling Wilburys-type nostalgia and New York grit. Producer Dave Edmunds frames the tunes with basic 4/4 rhythms and sneaks a few “ringers” in (Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Bryan Adams) here and there.
Whether secular or sacred, Dion has never been bashful about expressing his feelings. He avoids maudlin sentimentality with lyrics like, “loving you is killing me” and “I was wise in my own eyes / I awoke one day and realized / this attitude comes from cocaine lies.” Other stand-outs include the lovely «And the Night Stood Still» and the wistful «Serenade». Yo Frankie probably won’t motivate an unbeliever to make a decision for Christ (nor is that its intent), but its unbridled expressions of heartbreak, sorrow, love and joy make it one of the more honest albums in recent memory, and an affirmation of the uplifting power of music. [Bruce A. Bown, CCM, July 1989]
Some folks think it’s odd that Dion sings a background vocal on Lou Reed’s «Dirty Blvd.» Some folks are in need of some historical perspective. It was Reed that spoke so eloquently earlier this year, as he introduced Mr. DiMucci at his induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, of the joys of growing up listening to the voice that was “unlike any I had heard before” and of singing back ups for him on the Grammys, a gig he termed “my idea of heaven.” There have always been poets on the street but remember, before DMC and Run ran, before Tom Waits went looking for the heart of Saturday night in his old ’55, before Lou walked on the wild side, before Dylan hitched down highway 61, and even before the Drifters drifted under the boardwalk, Dion was the teenager in love who wandered the backstreets with runaround Sue. His voice and his lyrics are the stuff of legends.
It is only fitting then, that his first mainstream release in over ten years begin with an autobiographical ode called «King of the New York Streets». The music and the mood are deliciously infectious, sporting classic Dion rhymes like “People called me the scandalizer/ The world was my appetizer/ I turned gangs into fertilizer/ King of the New York streets.” Though the song, and the album in general, is clearly not a Gospel record, the truth of matters is hardly ignored, with lines like ” . . . To my kingdom I’d proclaim/ . . . To my throne I proceeded,” and “I was wise in my own eyes/ I awoke one day and realized/ you know this attitude comes from cocaine lies.”
If only the rest of the album was as good. Unfortunately, most is merely mid-70s styled “mellow rock,” some of which bears a striking resemblance to early Dire Straits. But the aforementioned cut, the unabashed male/female joy of the title cut (with its «Wanderer» chord progression), the delightful combination of 50s doo-wop classic «Little Star» (featuring Paul Simon) with DiMucci’s own «Written on the Subway Wall», and Dion’s sensitive reading of Tom Waits’ «Serenade», which closes the album, are all well worth paying retail to me. Shucks, just to hear Dion in the company of Dave Edmunds and a host of other first rate players is nothing if not big fun. So buy the album. Read the book. And thank God that this rock ‘n’ roll legend is not only alive, but well. [Thom Granger, Harvest Rock Syndicate, Issue 2, 1991 (Volume 6)]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/yo-frankie/319203311)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “King Of The New York Streets” – 4:50
A2. “And The Night Stood Still” – 4:20
A3. “Yo Frankie (She’s All Right With Me)” – 3:35
A4. “I’ve Got To Get You” – 4:32
A5. “Written On The Subway Wall / Little Star” – 3:54
Side Two
B1. “Drive All Night” – 3:00
B2. “Always In The Rain” – 4:21
B3. “Loving You Is Killing Me” – 3:39
B4. “Tower Of Love” – 4:18
B5. “Serenade” – 4:16
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Arista Records.
“Written on the Subway Wall” (VIDEO)
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