Nearly 20 years ago, back when I received new music from my sister and brother-in-law rather than the other way around, I was gifted two CDs as a high school graduation present. One was Elvis Costello’s King of America. The other was Michael Penn’s March.
The Costello album triggered an appreciation bordering on obsession that continues to this day. In light of that, it’s easy to dismiss the Michael Penn album as the less important or meaningful gift. But on the contrary, it too sparked an ongoing admiration for one of music’s most underrated artists.
My second Beatles cover of the week comes courtesy of the I Am Sam soundtrack. I never saw that film but apparently the whole thing was scored with Beatles songs performed by other artists, including Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, The Wallflowers, Sarah McLachlan and plenty more.
I feel bad for Michael Penn. Here’s a guy with great songwriting chops and a nice voice who can’t seem to buy a hit. And to top it off, his brother is one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors and his wife (Aimee Mann), while not a big star by any means, has massive critical respect and indie cred.
Meet Me In Montauk 