Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - Under The Covers, Vol. 1 (2006)

Under The Covers, Volume 1 is the first of three such albums by Matthew Sweet and former Bangles singer and guitarist, Susanna Hoffs. This set covers fourteen songs from the 60s and one, "Run To Me," was an early 70s Bee Gees' single. The duo's next two collaborations featured songs they love from the 70s and 80s.

Both Sweet and Hoffs do a fine job on all three albums but my favorite is this one on which they recorded both big hits and more obscure fare that prevents the album from sounding like warmed up leftovers.

If you're a person who wants a complete reworking of someone else's original song perhaps you'll be disappointed because many of the tunes are quite faithful to the records we know well. A prime example is The Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing."

It's cool that Sweet and Hoffs chose a song by the Liverpool quartet that was never a single, so it's possible that not everyone is familiar with it. This John Lennon track is one of the examples where the duo stay devoted to the original release, but it's performed with so much gusto that you have to love it anyway.

Two early Neil Young songs, "Cinnamon Girl" and the title track from the LP it came from, "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere," rock hard.

Sweet and Hoffs sing together quite well on The Mamas & The Papas' "Monday Monday." There is a nicely done rock band arrangement of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" and a lesser known Brian Wilson hit from The Beach Boys, "The Warmth of the Sun." While not superior to the originals all three tracks pass the listening test.

There is more: Linda Ronstadt and The Stone Poneys' "Different Drum, The Who's "The Kids Are Alright," and "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" by Fairport Convention are also part of the program. 

The Zombies last album from 1968, Odessey and Oracle, opened with "Care of Cell 44." An unusual topic, it's about a man waiting for either his wife or girlfriend to come home to him from prison. It was released as a single but the Rod Argent composition never charted. Sweet and Hoffs arrangement is less classically influenced than the British Invasion band's original that has since become a cult favorite. 

Covers of other songs you may not know are Marmalade's "I See the Rain," "Alone Again Or" by Love, "Sunday Morning" by The Velvet Underground, and The Left Banke's "She May Call You Up Tonight."

Sidemen include Van Dyke Parks and guitarist Greg Leisz. The latter may have played on every record ever recorded. If you don't believe me just check the liner notes on your albums.

Sweet and Hoffs obviously love these songs and it shows on all fifteen tracks. If you're a fan of power pop, top notch vocals, and most of all a good time, this record is for you.

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