Product Details
Snapshot

Snapshot
From Flare Records, USA

Price: $4.45

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Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #269920 in Digital Music Album
  • Released on: 2006-11-24
  • Running time: 943 seconds

Customer Reviews

Great "covers" EP from former Avengers lead singer5
The word "legendary" gets tossed around a lot these days; more often than not it's a misnomer. With Ms. Penelope Houston, however, it's truly fitting. Penelope was a true pioneer as lead vocalist of The Avengers (called San Francisco's best punk band by Greil Marcus). After the band split in 1979, she went on to record 8 LP's and counting, abandoning the full-tilt punk of the Avengers for a folk-rock sound. The All Music Guide has called her "one of the most shocking reincarnations from the original punk era".

On Snapshot, Penelope gets the chance to cover some of her favorite artists and some unusual songs. Mining choice nuggets from the late 60s/early 70s, there is nothing from the charts here, and her versions are sometimes radically different. She is backed by Flare recording artists The Maydays (featuring her longtime collaborator Pat Johnson), and 16-track vintage analog equipment was utilized, recorded to 2" tape. Alec Palao (Ace Records archivist and bassman extraordinaire) produced the sessions.

The opener, "Maybe We've Been Loving Too Long" was the original flip side to the smash hit "Smile a Little Smile For Me" by the Flying Machine. Bubblegum through and through, it gets a straight-ahead workout with backing vocals by The Moore Brothers.

"I've Got a Feeling" by Brit folk-rockers the Pentangle gets a radical makeover that swings much harder and features some Roxy Music inspired Moog blurts.

The Band's "It Makes No Difference" is a bittersweet masterpiece with the incredible backing harmonies of Willow Willow and some lovely understated piano work by Pat Johnson. A heartbreaker.

Penelope rewrites the lyrics to "Love Machine" by the Shocking Blue and has a particular snarl in her voice. Another interpretation that veers far from the original - but who remembers the original?

The closer, "Though You Are Far Away", is by former Zombies vocal god Colin Blunstone. Just Penelope and Pat Johnson on guitar, it's a melancholic stunner.

That's it in a nutshell, 5 songs that very well may haunt you and leave you wanting more; and that's a good thing.