The Everly Brothers
Here's one gratifying answer to the eternal—okay, frequently asked—question of what happens to rock 'n' rollers who grow up. The Everlys have not forgotten about the concept of chasing women, but they do address romance from a perspective be fitting their relatively advanced years (Don is 49, Phil, 47). Produced by rockabilly buff Dave Edmunds, this album includes a shrewd mix of songs, from Mark Knopfler's Why Worry to Don's Born Yesterday to Larry Raspberry's Always Drive a Cadillac, a paean to a high school sweetheart from the class of '63. The Everlys strike a philosophical pose without losing their sense of humor. In These Shoes, they sing, "I need to buy me some new shoes/ 'cause I've been walkin' off the blues/My soles are comin' all apart/They're lookin' just like my old heart." Vocally, the brothers sound solid and bright, and they're backed by a small, deft group of musicians headed by guitarist Albert Lee, whose ringing tone on Why Worry out-Knopflers Knopfler. The album has changes of pace, yet none of the material seems out of character. It's such a pleasure it makes you wish Hall of Famers in other fields could have this kind of longevity. Imagine Henry Aaron coming up again in the bottom of the ninth with two out and the tying run on base...(Mercury)
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