In Our Image

The Everly Brothers were still in the game in 1966, and still capable of producing good tracks that didn't sound like anachronistic 1950s throwbacks. At the same time they were erratic, and their material wasn't nearly as consistent as what they procured in their heyday. This album very much reflects the Everlys' strengths and problems in the era. Overall, it's decent, yet it lacks anything on the killer level of their best vintage hits, with the arguable exception of "The Price of Love" (which was a big hit in Britain). The production is for the most part good, managing to incorporate the jangly full electric guitars coming to the forefront all over rock in the mid-'60s without diluting the Everlys' strongest assets: their harmonies. There was also access to some fine outside songwriters, such as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, who as a team contributed one of the best tracks, "Glitter and Gold." Still, the songs were just kinda good, not excellent, and occasionally they were below average or inappropriately cute, as in "Lovey Kravezit" especially. Still, all things considered, it's one of their better 1960s LPs, one worth finding by Everly Brothers fans, especially as most of the tracks have not been reissued on CD. Incidentally, Don Everly's ballad "It's All Over" would be covered for a Top Ten British hit the following year by Cliff Richard.