Two predictable Sam Cooke classics -- "You Send Me" and "A Change Is Gonna Come" -- set the CD's easy-listening tone. Some renditions ("Rainy Night in Georgia," "When a Man Loves a Woman," "Stand by Me," "My Girl") are so laid-back, you might confuse them with "lite" radio fare or even Muzak. The album finally awakens with a lush arrangement of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together," pairing Neville with Chaka Khan.
Neville picks up the pace somewhat on "Respect Yourself" (Mavis Staples joins him for a duet), "It's All Right," and "Ain't That Peculiar." Missing are a couple New Orleans staples ("Night People," "Mother-in-Law"). And he might have chosen to cut a modern-day version of his own '60s soul hit, "Tell It Like It Is." Unfortunately, Bring It On Home never gets off the couch.
