Under the Covers

Cover albums from the sublime to the ridiculous

By Michael Shilling
Special to MSN Music

Against a pop landscape dominated by musicians who write their own songs, cover albums often loom as wild cards. Sets devoted to material from other artists can reveal sides to our favorite stars that we never knew existed, sometimes exciting but as often flat-out embarrassing. In between, the adventurous listener can find projects that pursue their own idiosyncratic logic to achieve a singular impact.

For evidence, consider this array of cover projects that spans diverse styles and intentions but shares a colorful determination to simply go for it -- whatever "it" might be in the ears of the interpreter.

Shelby Lynne, "Just a Little Lovin'" (2008)
Arguably the most interesting female country singer of her generation, Lynne shows her smoother side with this collection of Dusty Springfield tunes. The result is shimmering and restrained, with intense renditions of tracks such as "I Only Want to Be With You," and "Breakfast in Bed." By avoiding the obvious choices like "Son of a Preacher Man" and "Spooky," Lynne captures a version of Springfield both faithful yet all her own, while also stepping further beyond the presumed frontiers of country. (Editor's note: Coincidentally, Lynne's younger sister, Allison Moorer, has also turned to outside writers for the smartly chosen songs on "Mockingbird," ranging from Johnny Cash to Nina Simone, released within weeks of Lynne's "... Lovin'.")

Bob Dylan, "Self Portrait" (1970)
In which Saint Bob reveals himself to be capable of laying an egg, giving fans a series of poorly performed, badly produced tracks that took the country singing style of the previous year's "Nashville Skyline" and rendered it almost incomprehensible. Though Dylan has since released several strange records -- "Slow Train Coming," anyone? -- "Self Portrait" stands as an impressive example of an artist happily lighting his reputation on fire. And it's a double album. (Editor's note: As noted below, Dylan's music has spawned thousands of worthwhile covers, which might suggest reparations for the jaw-dropping experiments of "Self Portrait.")

Cat Power, "Jukebox" (2008)
For her second set of covers -- the first being 2000's austere and distant "The Covers Record" -- Cat Power leans heavily in the opposite direction, with a sultry vibe that shows a newfound confidence in herself as a performer. Listening to tracks such as Joni Mitchell's "Blue," and the Sinatra standard "New York, New York," one is hard-pressed to imagine that Power (born Chan Marshall) used to suffer from bouts of stage fright. "Jukebox" is a bold, even cocky, set of tributes.

John Lennon, "Rock 'n' Roll" (1975)
Reaching back into his youth for a little comfort, Lennon teamed up with Phil Spector for this set of bruising, melancholy tunes from the late '50s and early '60s, the most well-known of which is his mournful take of Ben E. King's classic "Stand By Me." The chaos surrounding the project's sessions would enter the realm of legend, with legal woes, production hurdles and even the "disappearance" of the master tapes, spirited away by Spector and only later returned to Lennon. Though rough around the edges, "Rock 'n' Roll" is a fascinating look at an artist in a woeful state -- Lennon was separated from Yoko Ono and drinking heavily -- as he tries to find a little solace in the music that first captured his art-school heart.

Pat Boone, "In a Metal Mood" (1997)
One has to wonder what inspired Pat Boone, once the pop establishment's wholesome antidote to rock 'n' roll, to cover a bunch of heavy metal tunes in a big-band style.

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