1970 did rock on occasion...
3 Out of 5 Stars
Marc Cohn, a singer of better than average talent and one I've been a fan of since his first album, and whose last album, "Join The Parade," I really enjoyed, has dipped into the covers album set with "Listening Booth 1970." It's made up of songs during a year Marc feels was crucial in his musical development, and includes artists like Eric Clapton, Smokey Robinson, Paul McCartney, The Grateful Dead, Badfinger and...Bread?!? Yes, it's eclectic. It's also a little flat.
Once things start with a promising cover of Cat Stevens' "Wild World," and a following of John Lennon's "Look at Me," he hits Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed." As that one fades and Marc enters into Bread's "Make it With You, " you're struck by the fact that everything so far has been played in a slow or mid-tempo blues or folk style. Even though you'd guess that The Box Tops' "The Letter" or Badfinger's "No Matter What" would up the ante a bit, you soon discover that Marc has reined in the speed in those, as well.
James Taylor, whom Marc emulates often, took the covers route awhile back and chose to make sure that his own laidbackedness occasionally was levelled out by a couple uptempo songs. As did Rosanne Cash, on her superb "The List." Marc's "Listening Booth 1970" musically on a par with both of these other artists' CD's, but what it lacks is the variety to lift it above the average.
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