Country

Rock & roll never knew a better harmony group than the Everly Brothers. The Kentucky-born siblings Don and Phil Everly grew up listening to the close harmonies of country acts like the Louvin Brothers and the Delmore Brothers, and they learned to fuse their expert vocals to upbeat arrangements of country-accented pop and rock tunes (as well as lovelorn ballads), and along the way they became one of the biggest acts of the '50s and '60s, scoring dozens of hits and influencing the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel. While this collection is called Country, in fact it features live recordings of many of the Everly Brothers' greatest hits from the '50s and early '60s (some taken from the duo's celebrated 1983 reunion shows in London), and while the feel is a bit different from the classic studio takes, the Everly Brothers are in fine voice and the arrangements honor the style and attitude of the originals. Selections include "Bye Bye Love," "Cathy's Clown," "Claudette," "Wake Up Little Susie," "When Will I Be Loved," and many more. ~ Mark Deming