The cuddly, sepia-warm tones of the hit
Fox
TV series spill over into this soundtrack, which is redolent with memories of childhood summers, walking in the park, barbecues out back, and all the other good stuff that the show waxed nostalgic about. Of the 13 tracks here, a full seven are covers. These include
pop-gospel
act
Judson Spence
's take on
Dobie Gray
's
"Drift Away,"
Joe Cocker
's soulman exertions on
the Beatles
'
"With a Little Help (From My Friends),"
and two peace-and-love chestnuts --
the Indigo Girls
' version of
Dino Valente
"Get Together"
and
Richie Havens
doing
Cat Stevens
"Peace Train."
There's also
Julian Lennon
, sounding rather like
David Bowie
on
"Ruby Tuesday."
Most of the covers are faithful, if unremarkable; the oddest of the lot is little-known Brit
dance-pop
the Escape Club
's funked-up version of
the Doors
"Twentieth Century Fox"
(would that be a plug for the studio, now?). Speaking of
, there are two tracks by '80s teen queen
Debbie Gibson
. Schmaltz is represented by
Crosby Stills, Nash & Young
"Teach Your Children"
Carole King
"Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow."
And there's
Van Morrison
"Brown Eyed Girl,"
as well. All things considered, this record may have a fair bit of MOR hokum and not an especially inspired selection of songs. And the 1994 release
The Wonder Years
may be a more comprehensive document of the era capsuled in the show. Still, if you're in the mood for some quick-fix nostalgia, it fits the bill. ~ Leslie Mathew