Jeff Healey Cover To Cover CD

"Shapes Of Things" was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

Jeff Healey's collection of cover songs is fitfully entertaining, but his choice of material is predictable and when he does take a chance, such as on Stealer's Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You," he spends too much time trying to make it fit into his trademark stomping blues-rock style. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

One likes the covers concept espoused by blues-rockers The Jeff Healey Band in a kind of backhanded way: as much as one admires the chops displayed by Toronto's blind guitarist whiz-kid, the group's songwriting is somewhat lyric-challenged. Cover to Cover works to circumvent the combo's main limitations. The disc kicks off in grand style with a dramatic, original instrumental reading of The Yardbird's "Shapes of Things." A pair of Hendrix numbers ("Freedom," "Angel") chalks up to unfortunate typecasting for Healey. Some inclusions (try the Stealer's Wheel chestnut "Stuck in the Middle with You") are bland vanilla throwaways. Still others, namely Spirit's "I Got a Line on You," sends one running back to the original versions. Mind you, if any of these point new listeners in the direction of the original, then a valuable public service has been performed. ~ Roch Parisien

COVER TO COVER is an album of cover songs.

Recorded at Forte Studio and Sounds Interchange, Toronto, Canada; A&M Recording Studio, Hollywood, California; The Hit Factory, New York, New York.

The Jeff Healey Band: Jeff Healey (guitar, vocals, 6-string bass); Joe Rockman (bass); Tom Stephen (drums).

Additional personnel: Pat Rush (guitar); Jerome Godboo, John Popper (harmonica); Roy Bittan, Denis Keldi, Paul Shaffer (keyboards); Art Avalos (percussion); Amanda Marshall, Mischke, Stevie Vain (background vocals).