New Susanna Hoffs cover album, Bright Lights

Was worried the material was too obvious but a few songs in now thinking it’s just right. Some of the usual suspect sensitive songwriters: Richard Thompson along with that maudit trio of Emitt Rhodes, Nick Drake and Chris Bell.

Swap in Pete Ham for Emitt Rhodes to make it more maudit.

I guess it is of a piece with her Sid n Susie collabos with Matthew Sweet: straightforward but completely convincing renditions of old favorites.

Hmm. Not really familiar with this Terry Melcher Wrecking Crew number, “Him or Me, What’s It Gonna Be?,” Paul Revere and the Raiders penultimate Top Ten hit, it seems.

I guess I didn’t really listen to Side Two of the Greatest Hits too much.

Oh wait, that wasn’t on the old vinyl version.

She seems to be doing the Big Star version of “Femme Fatale.”

And then she moves into Susannah Melvoin territory with a cover of “Take Me with U.”

Not really familiar with this Terry Melcher Wrecking Crew number, “Him or Me, What’s It Gonna Be?,” Paul Revere and the Raiders penultimate Top Ten hit, it seems.

Great song and just sitting there for someone to cover it. I always thought that Spiritualized could have done good one. Hal Blaine, Ry Cooder, and Glen Campbell are playing on the original.

My favourite Paul Revere single.

Great selection, she has such good taste. Has she ever had a radio show or anything? She needs to. And as usual she doesn't really reinterpret the songs, but she's such a good singer that she doesn't need to to put a stamp on them.

Yes, exactly.

Original vinyl version of Paul Revere & the Raiders Greatest Hits also seemed to be missing “I’m Not Your Stepping Stone.”

Found a pretty good Wedding Present cover of “Him or Me – What’s It Gonna Be?”

Also found this thread: Are there more songs like "Him Or Me (What's It Gonna Be)," "Your Auntie Grizelda," and "My Uncle Used To Love Me But She Died?" And if so, what are they?

Not sure if y'all can all see this but, #OneThread:
https://fb.watch/9iFxE0b-uk/

Godard meets the Monkees, at last!

Delete ILX now, I guess

Blasting "My Side of the Bed" now.

I really like the Aimee Mann duet on this and it makes me think they should enlist Belinda Carlisle and do their own Trio-type album.

heh

get Vicki Peterson back in there, with her Continental Drifters colleague Susan Cowsill. Also Marianne Faithful, for, for instance, another round of the already-MF-covered "Something Tells Me I'm Into Something Good" (but not with Billy Corgan this tyme)

Yeah, that whole Continental Drifters connection always makes me have to take a step back and recompute.

So Susan was married to one of the other band members at one point, Peter Holsapple, and is still related as an in-law to one of the other members, Vicki, who is married to baby brother John Cowsill. Furthermore, both the Continental Drifters and Billy Cowsill's band The Blue Shadows played at SXSW in 1994.
https://www.bapresley.com/silverthreads/fans/fanclub/fourthclubconnection/4_4.html

And here's another #onethread/James Redd implosion. In Season One of Love American Style, the theme song was sung by The Cowsills, whilst in Season Two it was done by The Ron Hicklin Singers, who also sang the theme song for The Partridge Family, among many other TV themes. DO U SEE?

I think so

Impossible to listen to her version of Bright Lights without hearing the brass parts in your head

Hoffs Holds Forth
https://www.vulture.com/2021/11/interview-susanna-hoffs-on-the-bangles-and-prince.html?utm_medium=s1&utm_campaign=vulture&utm_source=tw

I remember"Him or me" from the version by The Banned

Susanna Hoffs
@SusannaHoffs
·
Dec 11
Michael Nesmith's music was such a gift. I heard the wonderful Linda Ronstadt singing his song Different Drum in 1967 (the year this photo was taken) and never stopped singing it...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FGV1JSrVEAINxo1?format=jpg&name=medium

Nice pic, of course. If it goes away, see her orig tweet.

That's a big-neck guitar for a child---don't think I could play it even now.

Um, she’s probably not actually playing it per se at that point.

https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=313037234071749
Be still my beating heart.

Her new covers album is quite nice. A more eclectic selection of songs than the last one, including Ed Sheeran and Holly Humberstone. Not all classics, but all pleasant. "You Don't Own Me" feels sort of gratuitous, we have so many versions of it, but it's not like I mind it.