Out now on vinyl for the first time ever, Kurt Baker's Got It Covered was one of the most important power pop releases of the 2010s. It was Baker's first solo record, released at a time when his band The Leftovers were coming to an end. The choice of songs made the mission completely clear. Baker set out to cover a bunch of his favorite new wave and power pop songs from the late '70s and early '80s. This was his way of paying tribute to the songs and artists that would ultimately shape his own direction as a lead artist. This is where it all started. Before there was Brand New Beat, Play It Cool, and After Party, there was Got It Covered. The track list ("Let Me Out" by The Knack, "Hanging on the Telephone" by The Nerves, "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello, "I've Done Everything for You" by Sammy Hagar {and reinterpreted by Rick Springfield)}, "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" by Joe Jackson, "Cruel to Be Kind" by Nick Lowe, and "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors) is absolutely bulletproof. Those are some of my favorite songs ever! Any place with those songs on a jukebox would be my idea of a slice of heaven. In marrying those influences with '90s/2000s pop-punk, Baker would write a new chapter in the history of power pop. 16 years later, I can really appreciate the way he injected these classic tunes with new energy. For this release, Justin Perkins has remastered the original recordings. And there's new cover art that definitely nails the vibe Baker was going for on this release. Got It Covered will be an essential addition to your vinyl collection if you're a Baker fan or a fan of power pop in general. The first 90 copies were personally signed by Baker. Get it from Oglio Records!
No comments:
Post a Comment