1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: 28. The Everly Brothers – A Date With the Everly Brothers (1960)


Here’s another time when I don’t quite understand Dimery’s choice of album, one of the perils of doing this without reading the associated blurb. I think, perhaps, it’s as a part of musical progression. The Everly’s musically form a bridge, in style, between The Crickets and The Beatles (sidestepping having an insect-based name).  And oddly enough the Spotify auto-play decided to take me to Buddy Holly next, so I feel vindicated by The Algorithm (All Hail). 

There are a couple of their famous songs – Love Hurts and Cathy’s Clown, the rest haven’t found traction but are all pretty good (there’s a cover of Little Richard’s Lucille). The Everlys are a mix of rock ‘n’ roll with close harmony and more poppy overtones – apparently this is noted as a seminal stage of country rock, which, I suppose I can see that. The close harmony singing is reminiscent of the Louvin Brothers and there’s some twangy steel guitar stuff going on – I'd call them more pop than rock, and not tremendously country, but, you know, let’s not get too hung up on labels – the best music defies easy categorisation, and this is fine for what it does.

And it’s surprising how short a song Cathy’s Clown actually is. It barely gets started when it’s finished.  Another cover observation again - the Everlys (I assume that is them in the illustration) look like they are somewhere in a crossover between 1960 and 1985. Hey, maybe they went back in time with Marty McFly?

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