The '60s were arguably
rock & roll's glory decade. The style had found its footing in the '50s, but the '60s were when all of its
pop,
R&B,
blues, and
country influences had blended into the perfect mix. You could hear all of these elements, but
rock & roll had come into its own before splitting off into precise subgenres as the '70s loomed. With 2007's
Wanna Go Back, no-frills rocker
Eddie Money pays loving tribute to the '60s music that he and his fellow baby-boomers grew up listening to and performing in their teenage garage bands. (The album title is based on his bittersweet, nostalgia-themed 1986 hit
"I Wanna Go Back.")
Money is a hard-working veteran whose albums were often inconsistent but always included at least a couple of stone-cold knockouts, sometimes with their big singles and sometimes with lesser-known cuts. In a way,
Wanna Go Back mirrors
Money's career in that its cover songs include iconic hits and a few less obvious gems.
Money and his daughter,
Jesse Money, kick off the proceedings with
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough." The father-daughter duo also team up on
Inez Foxx and
Charlie Foxx's
"Mockingbird" (later recorded by
Carly Simon and
James Taylor) and
Sam & Dave's
"Hold On! I'm Comin'." The Foundations earn two spots on
Wanna Go Back when
Money takes on
"Baby Now That I Found You" and
"Build Me Up Buttercup." Money tackles some
ballads including
"You Don't Know Me" (the highest charting version was by
Ray Charles) and the
James Brown medley
"Please Please Please/Baby Don't You Weep," but he's definitely more in his element when he dives into the rockers.
Money's enthusiasm for this project is reflected in
Jackie Wilson's
"Higher and Higher," the Rascals'
"Good Lovin'," Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels'
"Jenny Take a Ride," and
Chris Kenner's
"Land of a Thousand Dances" (although
Wilson Pickett recorded the best-known version).
Money could have pushed his voice harder at times, but he's clearly having a ball on
Wanna Go Back. ~ Bret Adams
