As someone who has known and enjoyed Mr. Steele’s work for 31 years now, it’s nevertheless hard to say what the point of this short, eight-song covers album is. Perhaps it’s that he gets the opportunity to croon at long last, showing off a pleasant ‘50s-esque voice he’s largely kept under wraps fronting New York punk rock institution The Undead . (Punk usually requires more of a shouted style.) We already knew he was an excellent guitarist (going back to his days in the “Horror Business” ‘n’ “Where Eagles Dare” –era Misfits , circa 1979-1980), although it’s interesting to hear him fingerpicking rather than riffing his way through Ahlert and Young ’s “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down (and Write Myself a Letter),” popularized in 1935 by the immortal Fats Waller . (Steele’s guitar parts are as involved and upbeat as Waller’s pumping piano, although he can’t come close to matching Waller’s clown-gone-sad, charismatic, affecting delivery.) And though we’ll always give a pass to someone who wants to sing favorite songs, as such heightened love for material is bound to show through, the New York punk legend’s selections are too on-the-beaten-path. With just his acoustic for accompaniment and simple self-production, they come off as positive paupers compared to the complex aural riches of the original versions. Besides, there are too many previous covers of all eight of these songs already. Shall we count some? The Small Faces already set fire to Del Shannon ’s all-time 1961 #1 incredi-classic “Runaway” back in 1967 (and we’ll try to forget the Traveling Wilburys and Bonnie Raitt stinkers, among others); everyone from Frank Sinatra , Bing Crosby , Nat King Cole , Billy Williams , Bill Haley, and Willie Nelson already did better versions of “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down” (and those are just the ones I know—there’s another dozen); in their semi-serious manner, even The Dickies had a good go at Gene Pickney ’s 1961 #13 “Town Without Pity” some years back; and is there anything that needs to be said about 1960 #2 “Only the Lonely” that Roy Orbison ’s booming operatic voice didn’t already say? (Well, at least Steele’s modest, un-dramatic take is better than the sad tries by Sonny James and Chris Isaak , and he also pulls off the mountain-high falsetto part near the end!) In the end, the only standard that hits home is “Travelin’ Man”; not that Ricky Nelson ’s 1961 #1 smash was bad, it’s just that it’s always seemed a little too “girl in every port” smarmy for him, compared to his more regular fare—such as that single’s 1961 #9 b-side version of Pickney’s “Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart),” also covered here! And on the better side, two folk-blues standards, “Sonny Boy” (from Al Jolson ’s early talkie film of 1928, The Singing Fool , hot on the heels of the inaugural The Jazz Singer ) and 1925’s “I’m Sitting on Top of the World” (another Jolson-associated tune, covered by 10-15 heavyweights since), prove better overall choices, because they feel more natural to this economical style, their straightforward presentation preserving longstanding affability. Why not a whole folk blues album next time? (myspace.com/54441044)
