Various Artists
Listen To Me: Buddy Holly
Shock
There is a great Buddy Holly tribute album on the market – and this is not it. This album is a classic reminder that if the original music is in circulation and you can’t improve on it in any way then there really is no point in simply honouring it with cover versions; that in fact the earnest covers are taking more away than they are giving.
It’s a good set-list but you’d be wise to make (or find) a compilation that treated you to Buddy’s versions of Not Fade Away and Everyday and True Love Ways. Here, Stevie Nicks’ bleat opens proceedings, Jackson Browne, Ringo Starr and Brian Wilson all phone in horrible renditions of songs that still sound fine when you listen to Buddy and Zooey Deschanel tries to cute-up It’s So Easy to a vomit-inducing level.
Add Linda Ronstadt, Jeff Lynne and Chris Isaak, all aimlessly mugging, and you have to wonder why this was allowed off the mixing console. A really horrible tribute album – one of the worst I’ve heard.