Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs must have a great record collection. The kind I would have cherished as a teen growing up in the 1970s. The kind I would have gratefully borrowed from with maybe more than a few forgotten returns.
Thankfully, they again give us a peak into their stacks of hot wax with Under the Covers, Vol 2.
With 2006's Under the Covers, Vol. 1, Hoffs and Sweet took a deep dive into 1960s pop, rock, and folk, covering songs by the Beatles, Neil Young, The Who, Beach Boys, Stone Poney's and The Mamas and the Papas.
Under The Covers, Vol. 1
Under the Covers, Vol 2's time machine transports us to some of the best and most interesting songs of the 1970s, including two covers from my favorite album of the period and the first I ever purchased with my own money, Todd Rundgren's Something/Anything ("Couldn't I Just Tell You" and "Hello It's Me").
And where else are you going to find Big Star ("Back of the Car") and Bread ("Everything I Own") on the same release?
Hoffs and Sweet aren't timid either. Along with two covers from the seminal Something/Anything, they feature cuts from some of the most iconic artists and releases of the period, including Derek and the Dominos' "Bell Bottom Blues," and Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News" from the big footprint album of the decade, Rumours.
I enjoy listening to Hoffs sing just about any song. She's a standout on "Maggie May" and "You're So Vain" (with Sweet providing the Mick Jagger harmonies). And I've been a major fan of Sweet's guitar and vocals since "Girlfriend." They have a great feel for the material and a nice chemistry to their performance. Must have something to do with all that mojo they garnered playing in the Austin Powers' band.
Even more than Vol 1, this is great party-on-the-patio or driving-with-the-top-down music. And if you can, find the Deluxe Edition, with double the number of cuts including a spirited rave up of the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" and Matthew Sweet's extra crunchy guitar and vocals on Television's "Marquee Moon."
And that's probably my favorite thing about this collection: The covers are endlessly enjoyable, but Sweet and Hoffs also got me to seek out some songs I've neglected for too long -- like Television and Big Star's originals. And I've been staging mini Rundgren listening parties throughout the week.
That's the highest praise for a cover performance -- you enjoy the homage and at the same time renew an appetite for the original recipe.
Looking forward to Hoffs' and Sweet's take on 1980s musical history. But if they decide to stay in the 1970s a little longer, that's OK with me.
Favorite cuts (from the Deluxe Edition): "Back of the Car," "Marquee Moon," "Sugar Magnolia," "Killer Queen," and I have to confess, I can't get their cover of Eric Carmen's "Go All the Way" out of the jukebox in my brain.
