Robert Forster
's entry in the line of albums consisting of covers by other artists, along the lines of
David Bowie
's
Pin-Ups
, makes for an interesting and at times defiantly anti-hip visit through a surprising, entertaining selection of songs. The lineup of the backing band varies from track to track, but a variety of old friends sit in, the one constant being
Nick Cave
regular
Conway Savage
on keyboards, with fellow
Bad Seed
Mick Harvey
appearing on almost everything himself. Other fellow Aussie friends and musical fellow travelers --
Dirty Three
Warren Ellis
,
the Blackeyed Susans
'
Rob Snarski
, and more -- pop up here and there as well, lending the album a feeling of a casual, fun get-together. Nothing's sloppy about the performances, though.
Forster
country & western
jones is again clear, and everyone turns in at least competent and at best really noteworthy turns, whether it's
Graham Lee
's pedal steel on
Guy Clark
"Broken Hearted People"
or
Charlie Owen
's dobro on the
Bill Anderson
-penned
"3 AM."
himself salutes a range of worthy folks in his selection of remakes -- choosing names like
Bob Dylan
and
Mickey Newbury
might almost seem too obvious, but
and company do them proud. Some of the song choices are really inspired, selecting some unexpected contemporaries of
to pay tribute to.
New wave
icons
Martha and the Muffins
get the nod with a brisk, quietly passionate take on
"Echo Beach,"
Ellis
adding some sharp violin to the proceedings, while a take on
Husker Du
drummer
Grant Hart
's solo debut single,
"2541,"
makes for another gently energetic highlight. The real surprise -- and almost as a result, the album's top winner -- is the piano/vocal-only take on
"Alone,"
Heart
AOR
mid-'80s power ballad hit, turned into a effective, stripped-down meditation on romantic solitude. ~ Ned Raggett