AARON NEVILLE Orchid In The Storm (Passport/Jem)

Doo wop and those beautiful C/Am/F/G ballads of the ‘50s and early ‘60s were always the sounds of love as far as I was concerned. Unrealistic, perhaps—but it was kinda nice getting totally lost in the overwhelming, powerful romance of it all (and is probably where the “love will cure/save all” fairy tales of the late ‘60s evolved from...). Anyway, Aaron Neville really makes you believe it all over again on this minialbum. His “Pledging My Love” actually beats versions by Johnny Ace and Elvis, while “For Your Precious Love” is as fine as Jerry Butler’s original. Some of the choices are questionable; I’ve never been especially fond of “The Ten Commandments Of Love” or “We Belong Together.” But his “Earth Angel” is like the first time you ever heard it and may make you wanna go out and find one of your own. B.H.