When you take competent artists and pair them with great material which they faithfully re-create, you have the recipe for a good album — not a great one — which is what we have here. The song selections are, in a word, obvious: The Beatles, Dylan, The Beach Boys, Velvet Underground, The Who, etc., and so are the arrangements. No liberties have been taken. No boundaries have been stretched. There are few surprises to be found. I doubt Sweet or Hoffs were ambitious enough to think they would render the originals disposable, but they did not manage to add anything to them either.
Under the Covers is never a bad listen nor is it ever a compelling one. It's pleasant and well-meaning, but never soars. This album is for the people who think Rod Stewart's American Songbook series is anything more than the CliffsNotes. If you liked any of these songs before, you will probably like what Sid 'N' Susie have done with them here. Despite not being a real fan of Hoffs' voice, I was pretty impressed with her stab at "Different Drum." "The Kids Are Alright" is defanged and sounds too mushy. I thought I would like "Monday Monday" more than I do but was surprised to like "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere" this much.
It's not as much fun as it should be, but it beats the hell out of Karaoke.
Tracklisting:
- I See the Rain (The Marmalade)
- And Your Bird Can Sing (The Beatles)
- It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan)
- Who Knows Where the Time Goes? (Fairport Convention)
- Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young)
- Alone Again Or (Love)
- Warmth of the Sun (The Beach Boys)
- Different Drum (The Stone Poneys feat. Linda Ronstadt)
- The Kids Are Alright (The Who)
- Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground)
- Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (Neil Young and Crazy Horse)
- Care of Cell #44 (The Zombies)
- Monday Monday (The Mamas and The Papas)
- She May Call You Up Tonight (The Left Banke)
- Run to Me (The Bee Gees)
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Two favorite songs are on here side by side. Love's "Alone Again Or"--and The Beach Boys' "Warmth of the Sun" is absolutely beautiful (written after JFK's assasination). Good to see a couple obscurities from Left Banke and Zombies.
2 - Vern Halen
Susie still makes great 60's flavored music when she wants to ("ie "Get the Girl"' from one of those Austin Powers soundtracks), so I'm OK with her doing a 60's cover album. And she's still cute, which is more than you can say for most bonaifde 60's artists, the ones that are still around anyways.
3 - DJRadiohead
"Alone Again Or" was more enjoyable to me than "Warmth of the Sun" on this package.
4 - DJRadiohead
I have never been a big fan of Susanna Hoffs' voice. It grew on me a little here. It's a perfectly adequate record... just not a great one.
5 - Vern Halen
In this day & age, sometimes a perfectly adequate record is as good as it gets, you know.
6 - DJRadiohead
Vern, you are right. I like the album. I don't love it. I like it. The same can be said for a lot of records in my collection.