The Neville Brothers' much-awaited followup to their generally overrated, live-at-Tipitina's Neville-ization (1984) should have been titled Pointer-ization. Here's the formula: black singing group with strong R&B roots plus white producers and songwriters with creditable rock & roll résumés equals crossover pop record with something for everybody. Tina did it. The Pointer Sisters have been doing it for years. So why not the Neville Brothers?

This is why not: the New Orleans sound – a hash of R&B, rock, funk, jazz, reggae and zydeco – is growing hazier every day. And because the Nevilles are the embodiment of that sound, Uptown is a sorry step toward the obsolescence of a unique American regional music.

But Uptown deserves fairer consideration. It is, in fact, a warm, catchy album loaded with dance tunes and singalongs that will surely satisfy the average listener. "Shek-A-Na-Na," "Old Habits Die Hard" (penned by Tina Turner's songwriting team, Graham Lyle and Terry Britten), "Midnight Key" and "Money Back Guarantee" (both co-written by Jimmy Buffett) are all cleverly retro without being blatantly nostalgic. Aaron Neville, whose vocal prowess has been painfully ignored since his 1966 hit, "Tell It Like It Is," is given numerous opportunities to flaunt his tremulous falsetto (the highlight is his cover of "Drift Away"). Branford Marsalis takes several turns on sax, and there are guitar solos by Carlos Santana, Jerry Garcia and Ronnie Montrose.

But the Nevilles never quite get to strut their stuff. Charles Neville's sax is noticeably quiet, Cyril Neville's percussion can barely be heard (he does sing several songs), and Art, the oldest Neville, lies relatively low. The last Neville Brothers' studio effort, 1981's Fiyo on the Bayou, contained authentic New Orleans music. The critics loved it; everyday people never got to hear it. Uptown is more likely to be heard by those people – too bad this introduction to the Nevilles is so far from the truth. (RS 504-505)

STEVE BLOOM