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Hart ot the Cowsills' talent lies in their ability to imitate other artists
when they sing songs that are the trademarks of other artists. On THE
COWSILLS IN CONCERT, their newest album on the M-G-M label, the
family group from Rhode Island does a truly spectacular job of
sounding like several other groups while singing a dozen well-known
tunes. Their version of "Hair" by Galt McDermott and friends sounds
really great. Unfortunately, part of the song was cut, but it's still more
than worth hearing. They sound more like the Mamas and Papas on
"Monday, Monday" than the Mamas and Papas do. Bob Cowsill also
does a good job with The Left Bank's "Walk Away Renee." If you like
Claudine Longet's version of "Hello, Hello," you'll enjoy little Susan
Cowsill s rendition, too. The final song on the first side of this Val
Valentin-engineered lp is Peter, Paul, and Mary's "The Cruel War" with
big mama Cowsill, Paula, handling the lead. She doesn't look like Mary
Travers, but the sound is the same.
Side two opens with the Beach Boys "Good Vibrations," which the
Cowsills really turn on. The organ and drum-beat are almost identical to
the original hit by those XKE Californians. The Cream sings "The
Sunshine of Your Love" better than the Cowsills do, but I still can't
complain about the way it's done on this album. Lennon and
McCartney's "Paperback Writer" was also revived for the occasion,
along with "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" by the fabulous Four Tops. The
album closes out with Mitch Ryder's "Good Golly Miss Molly/Devil
with a Blue Dress." The Cowsills do as good as Milch did, and they
sound like him.
The other songs on this album, which Frank Gorshin must truly
covet, are "Please Mr. Postman" and "Act Naturally." 'Versatility is just
another trait of the fabulous Cowsills, and it makes this record one that
will be on the top charts for quite a while; it has something for everybody.
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