UNDER
THE COVERS VOL 1 - Sid 'n' Susie/Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs
(Shout! Factory/Shock)
They call themselves "Sid 'n' Susie", but if the duo that's silver-voiced
popsmith, Matthew Sweet, and the dishiest of the Bangles, Susanna Hoffs,
thought a record label would let them play this one low-key, they obviously
hadn't read the course notes for 
Marketing In Music 101. It's all '60s covers
- some hits and many near misses - and in a music world built more than ever
on nostalgia, it's probably going to be a monster.
The idea of two popsters undertaking a record project that had its origins in an Austin Powers movie (Sid 'n' Susie being the house band) will sound a flimsy notion to some and a travesty to others, but the output might surprise. It's delivered straight but playfully so, and somehow possesses an integrity that similarly intentioned projects have lacked.
Sid 'n' Susie don't do anything more but hang their own interpretations on Neil Young ("Everybody Knows This is Nowhere", Cinnanom Girl"), Bob Dylan ("It's All Over Now Baby Blue"), the Mop Tops ("And Your Bird Can Sing"), the Beach Boys ("The Warmth of the Sun") and the Freaking Velvets for chrissake ("Monday, Monday") and others, all with an effortless charm. The Sonny and Cher tag is redundant because the male half the partnership can actually sing.
And they bring some heavyweight friends to the party including Richard Lloyd, Ivan Julian and Van Dyke Parks on keys. The latter was the King of Arrangements in the L.A. scene of the late '60s and as such is someone that we all owe a large debt. Lloyd and Julian were erstwhile guitar gods of the late '70s downtown NY punk scene and two of the best things about Sweet's early records. There's some rave-up work from both of them.
"Under the Covers" is equally about songs and voices. On the issue of the latter, Hoffs and Sweet have two of pop's best. You might re-christen them Mrs Sultry and Mr Keening and when they duet on tunes like the Who's "The Kids Are Alright", "The Warmth of the Sun" (Brian Wilson would probably approve) or Love's "Alone Again Or", there are some choice moments.
This must be the special Australian edition because there's a bonus track, the Easybeats' "Sorry" with some great uncredited guitar that probably belongs to Richard Lloyd (he's the one who puts the explosive Telecaster into Television).
Disposable pop to attract baby boomers' disposable income? Maybe there's a little truth in the second part of that equation. There's some whimsical liner notes and photos that prove Matthew Sweet has been grazing in a nice paddock while Susanna Hoffs was being preserved in aspic.
Call me soft,
but although "Under the Covers" could
have been so wrong, it sounds pretty right. Even a crusty old punk can't
but have fun listening to this–
The Barman
1/3