The Everly Brothers - Two Yanks In England (1966)

In 1966, the American duo Everly Brothers recorded a 12-song album in London, eight of whose songs were written by members of the British group The Hollies. The Hollies themselves released their own versions of many of these compositions. The program also includes covers of hits by The Spencer Davis Group and Manfred Mann, so the record looks like an attempt to cash in on the British Invasion.

Yet the duo's interpretations are worth hearing in their own right. The guitar sound is harder than on the brothers' earlier recordings, but not overdone. The vocal harmonies are superb. Several The Hollies songs gain noticeably in the Everly Brothers' hands: "So Lonely" and "Hard Hard Year" take on far more force, turning from solid album tracks into standout numbers.

Because so much of the material is not original, the album does not belong in the top tier of their discography. Still, it shows that almost ten years after the hit "Bye Bye Love," the duo remains at the peak of its form and committed to rock & roll. This set them sharply apart from most white 1950s rock & rollers with country roots, who by the mid-1960s had retreated to tamer country sounds.

Tracklist:
1. The Everly Brothers - Somebody Help Me (2003 Remaster)
2. The Everly Brothers - So Lonely (2007 Remaster)
3. The Everly Brothers - Kiss Your Man Goodbye (2003 Remaster)
4. The Everly Brothers - Signs That Will Never Change (2007 Remaster)
5. The Everly Brothers - Like Everytime Before
6. The Everly Brothers - Pretty Flamingo
7. The Everly Brothers - I've Been Wrong Before (2007 Remaster)
8. The Everly Brothers - Have You Ever Loved Somebody (2007 Remaster)
9. The Everly Brothers - The Collector (2003 Remaster)
10. The Everly Brothers - Don't Run and Hide (2007 Remaster)
11. The Everly Brothers - Fifi the Flea
12. The Everly Brothers - Hard Hard Year