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About Under The Covers, Vol. 1
Product Description What do alt-rock/power pop heroes like Susanna Hoffs (The Bangles) and Matthew Sweet do on their time off? They get together in Matthew's comfy home studio and record a stunning album of their favorite '60s pop hits and rarities, of course! The two first worked together in conjunction with Mike Myers as members of the band Ming Tea, appearing in all three Austin Powers movies and soundtracks. Now they've struck out on their own with Under The Covers Vol. 1, a tribute to their favorite '60s acts, including The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Neil Young,The Who, and cult favorites like The Velvet Underground,The Zombies,The Left Banke, and Love. Leaving the songwriting to others lets Matthew and Susanna focus on singing, and the results are breathtaking. For extra authenticity, they even asked Van Dyke Parks (most famous for his work with the Beach Boys)to play keyboards and write string arrangements. It all adds up to a rock fan's dream come true. Amazon.com Sid (Matthew Sweet, after his character's name in the Austin Powers band Ming Tea) and Susie (Susanna Hoffs, who joined him and Mike Myers in belting out "BBC" on the soundtrack) are in as fine voice as ever on Under the Covers, Vol. 1, a 15-song collection of tunes first made famous by the likes of the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Mamas and the Papas, and the Who. And man, were they born to sing this stuff. Both the Bangles and Sweet discographies are derivative--in the best possible sense--of late-'60s pop-rock, and who didn't love the Merry-Go-Round, Grass Roots, Simon & Garfunkel, and Big Star covers Hoffs and company scattered among their originals? Recorded at Sweet's home studio in the Hollywood Hills, the album opens strong with "I See the Rain," a Marmalade song from 1967 that Jimi Hendrix called the year's best British single but was a hit only in the Netherlands. Maybe Sweet's stinging, ringing fretwork (he plays most of the non-percussion instruments on this disc) and Hoffs's throwback vocals will rectify that, nearly 40 years later. The two proceed to nail the Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing," one of the high points on Revolver, and score similarly with Fairport Convention's "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" (Hoffs in full ballad mode), the Stone Poneys' "Different Drum," the Who's "The Kids Are Alright," Love's "Alone Again Or," and a pair of Neil Young numbers, "Cinnamon Girl" and "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere." Some of the selections do miss the mark--Hoffs's smoky-sweet backing vocals seem a little misplaced on Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," and "The Warmth of the Sun" was probably the wrong Beach Boys track for Sweet to attempt (Brian Wilson himself strains at those high notes nowadays). But by and large this is a delightful power-pop excursion. Van Dyke Parks's liner notes, keyboards, and string arrangements make it that much better, as do Sweet collaborator Ric Menck's drums, Ed Fotheringham's illustrations, and Henry Diltz's photographs (Hoffs looks as stunning today as she did when laying down All Over the Place). --Benjamin Lukoff More Sid & Susie Review An album busting with good vibes and gorgeous tunes. -- RollingStone.com,March 27,2006 Simply one of the best clutches of re-interpretations I think I've ever heard. -- IGN.com, April 7, 2006 There's surprising joy to be found in a couple of pros singing songs they love. -- Entertainment Weekly, April 14, 2006
