Click here to subscribe today or Login.
For their second go-round at dipping into the treasure chest of classic hits, alt-rock wizard Matthew Sweet and Bangles hottie Susanna Hoffs have taken aim at the ’70s with “Under the Covers, Vol. 2.” As with the first volume of their covers experiment, the pair never strays too far from the original blueprint, but they provide just enough new blood to remind us of how great some of these songs are.
While some of their selections may end up sounding like nothing more than professional-grade karaoke, there are also numerous highpoints nestled in among the more popular fare. The duo excels on the lesser-known tracks like John Lennon’s “Gimmie Some Truth” or George Harrison’s “Beware of Darkness,” but even the odd choice of Mott The Hoople’s “All The Young Dudes” is a successful interpretation.
At times, it’s hard to understand why some of the grittier material was performed with Hoffs providing the vocals. While she does a passable job on “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Maggie May,” it would have made more sense to have Sweet at the mic for these songs. He absolutely shines on The Raspberries’ “Go All The Way.”
Over the course of 16 tracks, the pair pays homage to Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac and the Grateful Dead, but it also visits the vault for songs by Big Star (“Back of a Car”) and Little Feat (“Willin’”). Todd Rudgren hits the menu twice with “Hello, It’s Me” and the lesser-known “Couldn’t I Just tell You.”
Perhaps the biggest surprise on “Vol. 2” is the inclusion of the prog-rock staple “Your Move/I’ve Seen All Good People” by Yes, complete with the lengthy guitar fadeout. To include a complex song like this alongside sticky-sweet pop chestnuts like “Everything I Own” by Bread and Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” is a bold move.
What’s interesting here is the diversity of the material attempted by Sweet and Hoffs (or Sid and Susie, as they refer to themselves). They obviously stay close to their comfort zones, which can be both a plus and a minus. There’s nothing earth-shattering about “Under the Covers, Vol. 2,” but it does provide for an hour of reasonably enjoyable music.
Rating: W W W