"Tribute To The Left Banke" Shadows Breaking Over Our Heads (1999)

The Left Banke were something of an American equivalent to the Zombiesso it was not entirely surprising to see this tribute album appear near the end of a 1960s pop-obsessive decade. On the other hand, for a band that had only two albums worth of songs (and perhaps only one-and-a-half worth of stellar songs), the discography is spread a bit thin, to say the least, by a 22-track homage.It has been duly noted that no one in the '60s was able to imitate The Left Banke's sound with nearly the same effectiveness, and no artist has managed to do so in the ensuing decades either -- until, that is, Falkner got his hands on "Pretty Ballerina." His one-man-band version, although perhaps a bit busier than the original, has the same lonesome vulnerability, and his wisp of a vocal sounds as if you could snatch it up and put it in your pocket for that next blue day. Jigsaw Seen's "Desiree" is as brilliantly baroque as the original, but replaces its rustic luster with wonderful psychedelic flourishes. Myrah toughens "Starbelly" with a beefed-up rhythmic lope, while the Birdwatchers imagine "My Friend Today" as a Beach Boys song, transforming it into a gorgeous dream. Some of the artists completely inject their own personalities into the tunes, as with the Sun Sawed In 1/2's buoyant, '70s-ish "And Suddenly" and MiNsTeR HiLL's new wave zydeco on "Evening Gown."
Although a few of the covers fail to ignite much excitement or pale considerably next to the originals, the album as a whole works exceedingly well. This is one of the few tribute albums that actually seems to avoid any sense of kitsch and does not overdo the reverence to the point of actually tarnishing the subject's reputation. It is, above all, a fine and deserving testament to one of the more under-recognized bands from the '60s, whose music, on occasion, even gives the greats from the era a run for their money. (Allmusic)trax:
1. Desiree - The Jigsaw Seen 2. Let Go Of You Girl - Admiral 3. Goodbye Holly - Frank Bango 4. Pretty Ballerina - Jason Falkner 5. I Haven't Got The Nerve - Shane Faubert 6. Myrah - Starbelly 7. And Suddenly - The Sun Sawed In 1/2 8. Shadows Breaking Over My Head - Blue Cartoon 9. Give The Man A Hand - The Andersons 10. My Friend Today - The BIRDWATCHERS 11. Evening Gown - MiNsTeR HiLL 12. Sing Little Bird Sing - Flamingo 13. Lazy Day - The Gripweeds 14. Nice To See You - Mark Johnson 15. Walk Away Renee - Angie Heaton 16. She May Call You Up Tonight - Ken Stringfellow 17. I've Got Something On My Mind - The Phenomenal Cats 18. Dark Is The Bark - Jeremy 19. Barterers And Their Wives - The Idea 20. There's Gonna Be A Storm - The Christines 21. Run Jenny Run - Ed James 22. Brother Louie - Jim Basnight
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