One of the Great Untold Stories of the 1970s
A. Sky | Virginia | 08/01/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Clover was a band out of San Francisco that ended up in London, courtesy of Nick Lowe. They provided backup to Elvis Costello on "My Aim is True." The band was filled with members who would go on to become major players in popular music: John McFee to the Doobie Brothers, Alex Call, best known as the songwriter of Tommy Tutone's 867-5309 (Jenny), and Huey Lewis and Sean Hopper of Huey Lewis & the News. Clover's sound was characterized by what was then known as the California Sound - uptempo, strong songwriting with a bit of country influence - something like a cross between Little Feat and the Eagles.
"Unavailable" was one of two albums recorded by the group in London, the other being "Love on a Wire." The two albums have rather divergent sounds, with "Unavailable" boasting lots of harmonies and McFee's steel guitar, while "Love on a Wire" has more of a power rock sound featuring lead guitar (McFee) and Lewis's harmonica. Both albums are excellent examples of late-1970s pop rock and display a refined sensibility and lots of musical talent.
With music that is as good as the best of the genre, it's fascinating to listen to these albums and think about what might have been had Clover managed to make it big. Perhaps there's a parallel universe somewhere where Clover dominated the airwaves in 1978 and 79, no one has heard of Huey Lewis & the News and "Child of the Streets" and "Santa Fe" are as overplayed on the radio as "I Want a New Drug" and "Do You Believe in Love" are in ours. Ah, well, what could have been!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1
