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The line from an old Holly Cole press release read something like this: "She doesn't cover songs. She uncovers them." It's a fitting description of Cole's uncanny ability to confidently interpret or "uncover" a wide range of contemporary popular material by some of the finest songwriters of our generation (from around the last fifty years or so) including Elvis Costello, Lennon, and McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, Prince, Paul Simon, and of course Tom Waits. Temptation, her masterful tribute album to Waits may be her greatest achievement.
On her earlier LP, Blame It on My Youth she covered "Purple Avenue." It would be the first of several Waits' covers followed by the Temptation LP and renditions of "Down, Down, Down," "Walk Away," and "Whistlin' Past the Graveyard" that would appear on later records. This album begins with a warm and intimate version of "Take Me Home," a song originally sung by Crystal Gayle in the Francis Ford Coppola film, One from the Heart. Gayle's version is a bit too maudlin in my opinion, but Cole really gets underneath the skin of the song's lyrics and brings out something far more poignant and revealing. When she sings "I'm so sorry/That I broke your heart/Please don't leave my side," it's simply heartbreaking because she sounds so believable, natural, and sincere as if she's whispering every regretful word quietly in your ear.
Other highlights here include Cole's catchy and coy version of "Jersey Girl" with the tender "Sha la la" refrain which was issued as a single, as well as her beautiful, delicate rendition of "I Don't Wanna Grow Up." Cole's distinctive phrasing and amazing, starkly original voice brings a lot of emotional depth to these classic songs. Also, the minimalist arrangements, superb production work by Craig Street, and significant contributions by bassist David Piltch and pianist Aaron Davis can't be understated. Incidentally, if you can find the Japanese version of this album, it's well worth tracking down since it adds three bonus tracks including "Shiver Me Timbers," "The Last Rose of Summer," and an alternate take of "(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night."
