Customer Reviews

Both Sides of an Evening

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The Everly brothers should have been on a roll when they recorded these albums in 1961 but they weren't. For reasons explained in the liner notes in the accompanying booklet, they weren't allowed to record any songs by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and it would even have been difficult for them to record self-penned songs. Without the Everly Brothers, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant didn't write many more notable songs thereafter (though they later wrote Rocky top, which the Everly Brothers eventually covered in 1973) so I don't suppose they were pleased at the turn of events.

Not wishing to return to their natural roots in country music (which, with hindsight, might have been a wiser choice), Don and Phil decided to record pop and jazz oldies instead, but to do them in their own style. Frank Sinatra and others were able to sustain successful careers recording such music but the people who enjoyed that kind of music weren't interested in the Everlys, while the traditional Everly fans didn't like the new direction in which the boys were taking their music. So these two albums were a commercial failure, but I love them.

Since the dawn of the new millennium, I've come to appreciate the old songs from the first half of the twentieth century. Some of them have stood the test of time well but others haven't. One double-A side single was taken from the album, featuring Don't blame me (originally an American top ten hit for Ethel Waters in 1933) and Muskrat. Although it charted in Britain and America, it didn't do as well as the brothers hoped in either country. Other songs that might be familiar, though not necessarily via the hit versions that I'm going to list, include My Mammy (an American number two hit for Al Jolson in 1928), My gal Sal (an American number one for Byron G Harlan in 1907), Grandfather's clock (an American top five hit for the Haydn Quartet in 1905), Hi-lili hi-lo (from the soundtrack of Lili), Now is the hour (five different versions became American top ten hits in 1948), Wayward wind (an American number one in the fifties for Gogi Grant and a British number one in the sixties for Frank Ifield), When I grow too old to dream (an American number one for Glen Gray in 1935), True love (first recorded by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly), Bye bye blackbird (an American number one hit for Gene Austin in 1926), Oh my papa (an American number one for Eddie Fisher in 1954) and Autumn leaves (a translation of the French song Les Feuilles Mortes, which was first recorded in English in 1955).

Among the other songs, there is one piece of nonsense (When it's night time in Italy it's Wednesday over here), which provided Lew Holtz with his solitary hit in 1922. Even allowing that it's not meant to be taken seriously, I've never even been able to figure out what point the songwriters were supposed to be making. Please post a comment on my review if you can come up with a credible answer.

The bonus tracks on this CD include Crying in the rain (a top ten hit in Britain and America) and That's old fashioned (an American top ten hit) as well as some other fine songs including a cover of Hernando's hideaway.

My entusiasm for music of all ages enables me to appreciate all the great music here, but I can understand why some people don't like it. It certainly doesn't fit the image of Don and Phil that most people have. Maybe you should try to hear samples before buying if you're not sure.

Just after they had recorded their best albums ("everly time" and "date with" in 1960) a very bad event happened to Everlys they split from their agent Wesley Rose.It came through the recording of temptation which Don loved and Wesley found too risky.They would stop recording in Nashville very soon, This had also a main consequence: Everlys lost the Bryant songs.Mainly for legual reasons.Consequence: the next two albums included lower quality songs.But this does not mean at all it's a bad cd as their voices were still at the top,some songs are treasures, instead of all songs (as before). you will never find these songs again anywhere else : just to mention a few, "autumn leaves" is pure gold, "mamy" is close the bests,"when I grow too old to dream" has one of the best plaintive solo by Don. It will take you some time to fully share my view but if you love Everly SLOW SONGS : buy this CD. If you prefer rock n roll songs, rush to buy the upcoming "beat and soul" album reedition, recorded with dynimite pickers (Burton is one of them) and fantastic new drummer (young Jim Gordon) all recorded at LA ...(the joined album called rock n soul is not as good)Everly yours.Thierry

First the good news: 78 minutes of music on one CD. Clean sound from original tapes. Nice booklet giving a history and background to the recordings. And yes, the purity and nuance of the vocal harmonies that make the Everlys so wonderful. It is the lousy choice of most of the songs and hokey arrangements that sink this CD. I am sure that Don and Phil lament the circumstances that resulted in these recordings. I listened to the CD a second time to confirm my embarassment for the Everlys and the disc now sits in a used CD bin. Want a really special Everly's compilation ? Check out Devoted To You/Love Songs on Varese Sarabande.

I've had this album for about two years and keeping coming back to it - the songs are true oldies from the 20's and 30's and the musicianship here is so perfect - Hank Garland, Buddy Harmon, Chet Atkins. The recording quality of Bill Porter is awesome, the Everly's are of course awesome too. I think that if you like "Songs Our Daddy Taught Us" this might be along the same lines, as far as reaching into some unusual material - but of course the production here is huge, a little campy at times. But musicians will love it...put on the head phones and listen to all those great, twangy licks.

Not for those seeking the hits, but even though this was a commercial dud, I think it's worth a listen. The songs are great, the arrangements truly funky, and played with spirit and zest - very soon you'll be singing along. True, some of the songs - maybe only two or three of the 25 plus, are borderline annoying, but all the other ones can be achingly beautiful and well written - keep in mind, a lot of these were hits way back when.

These albums deserve a listen with the persepective we have on them now - if the Everly's see this as a failure, as they were very hit oriented, that's a shame. Listening now, the pressure of hit-making removed, it's really two fine records with some great performances by all involved.

Two early 1960's studio albums plus some bonus tracks, and several hit singles. They were both "concept" albums, featuring hits of earlier generations, including ragtime and "show tunes". The brothers may have chosen songs that their parents would have been listening to on the radio when Don and Phil were children?

Some of the Everly versions, such as My gal sal, and Chloe, are really great performances, among my favorites. Others performances are too much of a reach - "Love is where you find it", or very pedestrian - "Oh mein Papa".

One highlight is a previously unreleased Hernando's Hideaway. As Everly mentor Archie Bleyer had the first hit with this classic, I'm glad to say the Everly version is a respectable R&R pop song.

Good value for the money, allowing even for the dull songs.

There are supposed to be more of these twofers coming, and the mid 60's R&R albums will probably be more enjoyable, because they feature music that Don & Phil were much more comfortable with.

Some pretty good songs surrounded by too many mediocre songs. Sound quality is very good and the Everlys do the best they can with some less than great material. Buy it to get hold of some really good tracks ( Jezebel, My Gal Sal, Chloe ) that just don't show up anywhere else. Tracks like "Mention My Name In Sheboygan" , well, they could have done a lot better.