My Mammy/Muskrat/My Gal/Grandfather’s Clock/Bully Of The Town/Chlo-E/Mention My Name In Sheboygan/Hi-Lili Hi-Lo/The Wayward Wind/Don’t Blame Me/Now Is The Hour/Little Old Lady/When I Grow To Old To Dream/Love Is Where You Find It
The loss of their usual songwriters, the Bryants, left the Everlys scouring the vaults for suitable songs to record. This resulting album of old time tunes, Both Sides Of An Evening, had limited appeal to their young fans and was a commercial flop. However, it did contain the US and UK top twenty double A side single Muskrat/Don’t Blame Me.
“Contractual problems had cut The Everlys adrift from the songwriting sources that had provided their classic hits and album tracks. Thus, finding original album material with which their teen fan base could identify with was a big problem. This release, which bombed in the market, did not solve the problem.”
“Not one original and no B-B songs. Very bizarre choice of material aimed at the over thirties.”
“Not wishing to return to their natural roots in country music (which, with hindsight, might have been a wiser choice), Don and Phil decided to record pop and jazz oldies instead, but to do them in their own style. The traditional Everly fans didn't like the new direction in which the boys were taking their music. So this album was a commercial failure, but I still love it.”
“The songs are true oldies from the 20s and 30s and the musicianship here is so perfect. The Everlys are of course awesome too and the production is huge, if a little campy at times.”
“Some pretty good songs surrounded by too many mediocre ones. The Everlys do the best they can with some less than great material.”
“The album is worth a listen but is a prime example of an artist moving in advance of their audience. To that extent it is a development of The Everly Brothers career as recording artists, but not necessarily in the right direction. Don't Blame Me did make the charts coupled with Muskrat as a single release, but the distance between The Everlys and their core fans was beginning to widen.”
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