A classic rock act issuing an album's worth of cover tunes that influenced them early on -- sound familiar? It certainly should, as next to tribute and "unplugged" sets, albums comprised entirely of cover songs flooded the marketplace during the late '90s and early 21st century. Former
Damn Yankees bandmates
Tommy Shaw and
Jack Blades (and also veterans of
Styx and
Night Ranger, respectively) were the next in line in 2007, with the release of the aptly titled
Influence.
Shaw and
Blades always possessed great vocal harmonies together, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the majority of the tunes on
Influence are heavy on the harmonies, especially a fine reading of
Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze," as well as
Yes' "Your Move" and
the Mamas & the Papas' "California Dreamin'." Next only to
the Beatles and
the Beach Boys,
Simon & Garfunkel are often considered to be one of the first pop/rock acts to utilize vocal harmonies, and as a result, not one, but two
Simon & Garfunkel covers reside here -- a surprisingly hard rocking "I Am a Rock" and a more tranquil "The Sound of Silence." Impressively consistent from beginning to end,
Influence is certainly one of the better "all-covers" albums of recent times.