Two Yanks In England
The Everly Brothers

(Collectors' Choice)

Wherein the legendary vocal duo heads to the homeland of the countless English 1960s beat groups their harmonies inspired, not necessarily to show the groups how it's done, but probably more so to grab a piece of Swinging London (as the "Look, we're in London! See? See?" cover photos of Phil and Don visiting Parliament, Carnaby Street, etc. suggest) and also to pay their fond respects to a country that had proven in recent years to be much warmer towards recent Everlys records than America.

Collectors' Choice now makes available once more this long admired LP. Produced with help from The Hollies (one of the Brothers having befriended Graham Nash a few months earlier, sowing the seeds for this collaboration), Two Yanks In England, released August 1966, makes for very enjoyable listening. With the Manchester band providing much of the backing (plus Jimmy Page supposedly...the new liner notes rather cautiously dance around making a definite statement on the matter), the brothers tackle eight Hollies tunes, two recent hits of other Britbeaters, one Sonny Curtis song and one original, and almost all delight. None of the Hollies songs chosen were the group's hit singles, but several of the picks ranked among their best deeper cuts and flips, like the rocking "Don't Run And Hide" and lighter but strong "So Lonely," both splendidly handled by the Kentucky twosome. "Signs That Will Never Change" (which the Hollies themselves didn't commit to vinyl until the following year) ends up with a Chad and Jeremy feel, while "Like Everytime Before" sounds nothing like what The Hollies made of it in 1968 (Here it sounds more like their "Tell Me To My Face",) even starting with a verse instead of the chorus, as the authors did. "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" isn't bad, but falls in third place behind The Hollies' own subsequent take and The Searchers' definitive cover. Only the ever-lame "Fifi The Flea" really falters, despite, bizarrely, being picked for one of this album's singles.

The Everlys' sole original, "Kiss Your Man Goodbye," shows their Kentucky blood didn't get revoked at Heathrow customs. Mixed with rock, it easily would have made a credible Byrds or Buffalo Springfield album cut. "The Collector," by Sonny Curtis, is pleasant, but doesn't quite fit in.

Some tracks show genuine enthusiasm (they were clearly having a ball on The Spencer Davis Group's "Somebody Help Me," resulting in perhaps the best track of the album, and the perfect choice for the first single) while some sound like two singers just doing what they were told (Manfred Mann's "Pretty Flamingo" could have used a few more rehearsals...not only do the vocalists sound apprehensive, but some of Bobby Elliot's drum bits sound awkward). But throughout, their harmonies are, as always, superb and a joy to listen to.

A treat for Everlys and Hollies fans alike.

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