Album: Various Artists

Total Lee! The Songs Of Lee Hazlewood, City Slang

Despite having discovered Duane Eddy and taught Phil Spector a few production strategies, the cult figure Lee Hazlewood remains best known for his work with Sinatra's Rat Pack, especially the hits written and produced for Nancy Sinatra, such as "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and the divorce duet "Jackson", on which he played the part of her disaffected lover. Through the Nineties, Hazlewood's reputation has grown steadily, particularly among MOR-pop classicists who regard him as a downmarket Scott Walker, and alt.country aficionados drawn to his proto-bohemian cowboy ballads. Hence the appearance on this tribute album of the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Tindersticks, St Etienne, Calexico, Johnny Dowd, The Webb Brothers and Lambchop (whose inclusion on all tribute albums is apparently now mandatory). The collection bears out the view that his songs are generally best served by others' covers: Calexico use strings and mariachi trumpet to bring an "Alone Again Or" mood to "Sundown, Sundown", the Webbs employ an early Pink Floyd sinister-fairytale feel on "Some Velvet Morning", and Kathryn Williams treats "Easy and Me" as if it were a Kris Kristofferson road ballad. Elsewhere, the Brits play to their individual strengths: the domestic melodrama of "The Cheat" is familiar territory for Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley, Steven (Baby Bird) Jones brings a lovely, childlike grace to "We All Make the Little Flowers Grow", and Tindersticks wallow happily in the orgy of midlife sentiment that is "My Autumn's Done Come" – written, apparently, when Hazlewood was just 28. Recommended.