Licking the mud off his wellies? Oh come on, that’s both silly and childish, to begin with. Hero-worship is not something I suffer from, particularly, but then you were just trying to be insulting weren’t you, not trying to actually make a point of any sort, so never mind.

This is a review of this record only in the sense that it represents my personal relationship with the album itself. That is the same for every review on this site – I don’t make any pretence at dealing in objective absolutes, because I am not all that convinced that’s possible when discussing music, never mind arrogant enough to believe that I am the man to dispense this kind of ultimate truth.

Basically, though, if you want my honest opinion, I find this record kind of boring. It’s the tenth song before you get much variation in the arrangements, which might be why, and most people won’t show that much patience with an album if they are not engaged by the tenth song. And before you get your back up about that statement, that is just my personal opinion, and I never pretended otherwise.

So given that, I tried to come up with reasons why I find it boring, so that my readers might get a bit of context and therefore know whether or not to pay any attention to my opinon. Generally speaking, I tend not to like cover songs, so maybe the reason I don’t like this album is nothing to do with the quality of the album itself, and down to the fact that I don’t usually like covers. I don’t know that for a fact – maybe it’s just down to the arrangements and the fact that I only like a handful of the actual songs themselves, but I do accept that it could be down to some weird and completely unintentional reaction I have to covers.

Incidentally, I don’t hate them on principle – just the opposite in fact. Generally I would say that covers tell us something about the artist, give us a picture of their musical and emotional history and the chance to understand their relationship with music we probably also know and love, amongst other things. In theory, I’d go so far as to say that I think they are good things, but in practise I rarely ever like them that much. Believe me that’s not on purpose, and not due to me being intentionally narrow-minded.

So there you go, I could have been more detailed in why I don’t like most of the songs, but I think that might, if anything, have been less informative for people because the reason I don’t like it might be more to do with me than with the album. This is the point I was making when I talked about rarely liking covers, and it is also why I talked more about that than I usually do with album reviews.

So that was my reasoning. I hope it answers some of your questions.

Your assertion about all music being covers, by the way, is just plain silly, however, but that’s a whole different discussion. Do you really think there’s no difference between starting a piece of music with a pre-defined melody and lyric, and starting a piece of music with nothing; irrespective of how many influences you then end up mashing into the work you finally create.

If the review lacks insight into Hinson’s rationale for producing the album, its perhaps because he’s not the sort of scale of artist that features on the average blogger’s speedial button and Brits, for all their odd affectations, have yet to develop ESP.

covers albums are not narcissistic, they are an opportunity to share with the world songs that have influenced you. they are not to be sung exactly like they were originally intended or in the voice originally sung or the instrumentation in which you already know the coverer sings his own personal music with. it is a chance to expose your fans to people you’re fans of and hope to give them a chance of more decent music in the world.

by the way, i agree with the “all songs are covers” because all songs, including micah p. hinson’s, if you listen closely, are influenced by those whose music came before. the beatles original records were all covers. you wouldn’t know the beatles if they hadn’t covered other people’s music. jimi hendrix: all covers. janis joplin: covers, the rolling stones: covers (shocker!: they even cover the same song that the beatles cover too, neither band’s original song), nirvana: covers, every band you have ever heard in the world: one of your favorite songs by them is a cover, guarantee it.

if you think this is an educated review of a well-made covers album, my sympathies to you and your patheticness.

maybe you should write a follow up to this that includes some real thought and a real review of each of the songs as well as the man who chose them and why.

I know the album isn’t perfect, and a few tracks don’t really work, but overall I enjoyed the highlights as his voice can do things that other artists cannot. He makes these songs sound new without sticking two fingers up to the original artists. Although, I have yet to hear how George Harrison felt. Apparently he has been slow to react…

Matthew: I have a nice collection of Girls Aloud nip-slips and upskirts which I would be happy to lend you.

I didn’t know Girls Aloud had covered arguably her best-known song.

God I’m old.

I’m in a snit, you’re throwing your toys out the pram in another room, where I’m not setting foot in. I feel we’re unevenly even, darling xoxo good luck!