EVOLVER

THE BIG LIST

My take on Revolver was that it was McCartney at his best and the others at below theirs. This isn't quite so obvious on Evolver, though it basically remains true that the Macca tunes sound better.

Taxman - Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings

Possibly the best song ever written about tax legislation is given a funky workout by Bill Wyman and his hangers on.

Eleanor Rigby - Al Kooper

Slow bluesy feel to a surprisingly effective rehashing of this famous standard.

I’m Only Sleeping – The Vines

Feel good jive to this happy cover which will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

Love You To – Steven King

You can’t quite do this on a solo guitar, can you Steve ? Well done for giving it a go, though.

Here, There & Everywhere – Emmylou Harris

Is anyone actually called Emmylou ? Not Ms Harris, for her real name is Gladys Corncrake and she was born in Newcastle, England. Well, all right, that’s all untrue but it’s a hick name anyway. Good song, though, all done in an authentic country style.

Yellow Submarine – The Charles River Valley Boys

If anyone could conjure up something from Yellow Submarine, it is those River Valley Boys. They play it fast and for laughs, and pronounce it Yeller. Great pickin’ there, boys !

She Said She Said – The Driscolls

Drug induced psychedelic ramblings from The Driscolls with lots of electric guitars and bits of Strawberry Fields and Day Tripper to boot.

Good Day Sunshine – Connie Evingson

Connie just oozes class with this mellow interpretation of the McCartney classic. But there’s a lot of interpretation in there and sometimes you begin to wonder whether she knows how the tune actually went.

And Your Bird Can Sing – The Jam

The guitar part on this must have been terribly difficult because everyone seems to make a bit of a hash of it, even The Jam. And what are they doing covering this singalong tune anyway ? Weren’t they meant to be punk or mod or something ?

For No One – Bobby Eagelsham

Another McCartney classic which, if my memory serves me well, was once rumoured to have been recorded in frogmen suits. There is no such rumour about the Bobby Eagelsham version, which is mellow and rather beautiful.

Doctor Robert – Steven King

The finger-popping Steven King turns up once more with a guitar version of a rarely covered Beatles’ number. Good effort, too, and I don’t know why no-one else has tried the song. Maybe the overtones of drug abuse put people off.

I Want To Tell You – The Lambrettas

Most of the covers of this sound pretty similar and I plumped for this because it is slightly faster than the others ! This is one of those songs which sounds much better when covered, I suspect because George’s voice sounded rather drab on the original.

Got To Get You Into My Life – Ella Fitzgerald

This was a truly magnificent McCartney number, played very well by the Beatles, and any copy is going to have to work hard to match up. Having said that, Ella has a fine voice and this is a good energetic effort.

Tomorrow Never Knows – Five O’Clock Shadow

They say this is occapella but you would never guess to listen to it. The group incorporate the 1, 2, 3, cough, 4 opening of Taxman and then end with a clever montage of Glass Onion, I Am The Walrus, Revolution 9, Yellow Submarine, I Want You (She’s so heavy) and Bungalow Bill.

Home