The second track, Tim Hardin's It’ll Never Happen Again is a reasonably straight reading, but if you're expecting a funky workout on Curtis Mayfield's Superfly, think again. The version here would sit fairly comfortably on a Stephen Cummings acoustic album, but that's not surprising given the presence of long-time Cummings associate Shane O'Mara in the producer's chair and on guitar duties. Ryan Adams' He Wants To Play Hearts explores similar territory while Ruby Johnson's deep soul I’ll Run Your Hurt Away gets a heftier reading without straying too far into R&B territory.
Neil Young's Ambulance Blues and the Bert Jansch track (Needle Of Death) that Neil pinched the tune from get side-by-side predictably moody readings, before we're back into jauntier territory for The Cake's You Can Have Him, which doesn't come across as a major slice of heartache.
There's nothing in the title of La Maison oú j’ai Grandi (the Françoise Hardy version) that makes you think of Verdelle Smith's classic Tar and Cement, but on this evidence I think I'll go for the version francaise, thanks very much. A very classy reading. The final couple of tracks, Traction In The Rain and Moonraker (yes, the Shirley Bassey/John Barry James Bond theme) wrap things up rather nicely.
A very classy collection of impressive covers that had me setting off towards the iTunes Store for Car Tape. If I was still doing the community radio thing the two albums would be providing a substantial chunk of Aussie content for Hughesy’s playlists.
Try it. You won’t be disappointed.