Wary that my defenses are being gradually numbed and eroded by the sheer onslaught of "tribute" albums in recent years, I find myself cautiously supporting a pair of the latest horde. Of course, there's no lack of base traitors to be hauled before the firing squad for summary execution. From the same folks who gave us the entertaining Melody Fair Bee-Gees tribute, Sing Hollies In Reverse (EggBERT) sets its sights on one of the U.K.'s great (and often overlooked) pop craftsmen/harmonizers. The fact that the 21-track lineup represents the current cream of contemporary power-pop is no guarantee in itself of satisfying results. Fortunately, led by such sublime contributions as Mitch Easter's "Pay You Back With Interest," Bill Lloyd's "Step Inside," and The Wondermints'"You Need Love" the cream rises to The Hollies challenge. Some of the performers motor down a straight-a-way interpretation (Tommy Keene, Continental Drifters, Material Issue) while others tinker furiously with the engines (E, Steve Wynn, The Loud Family, Canada's perky cub), but everyone is prepared to get their hands dirty and take to the task with fervor. Sing Hollies In Reverse should send any novice running to his local disc emporium in search of an actual Hollies compilation (I personally know of a documented case), surely the ultimate tribute that any "tribute" album could perform.

Copyright 1996 Rocon Communications
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