Published on Jun 13, 2001
Depending on when you really discovered music, the name Richard
Lloyd means something different to you. If you grew up on a steady
diet of the “new wave” and proto-punk bands of the mid-’70s, then
Lloyd is most familiar to you as a founding member of Television.
If you’re younger than that, then Lloyd is best known to you for
his distinct guitar sound which provided a big part of Matthew
Sweet’s charm. (Listen to the solo on “Sick Of Myself” to
understand what I mean.)
However you remember Lloyd, you probably don’t think of him as a
solo artist – fair enough, since it’s been 14 years since Lloyd
released a studio solo album. So while calling
The Cover Doesn’t Matter an album of re-discovery or
re-awakening might be correct if you’re looking at a timeline, it
really isn’t an accurate statement to describe Lloyd the musician
and songwriter.
Lloyd proudly takes the spotlight as an artist who keeps his
sound in the ’70s – and it works well for his style of singing and
playing. If anything, Lloyd’s sound brings back memories of guitar
rock – tracks powered by a solid rhythm section (which Lloyd has
assembled on this album) and songs you can actually tap your foot
to while playing a mean air guitar.
Lloyd might not have one of the most powerful vocal styles in
the world, but they fit his songs well. Tracks like “She Loves To
Fly,” “Strangestrange” and “Torn Shirt” (the last track featuring a
killer bass groove from Peter Stuart) fit Lloyd like a glove,
keeping the listener riveted on what’s blaring from their speakers.
“I Thought,” a track originally covered by Chris Stamey, almost
sounds like Lloyd snatched it from a session with Sweet, but it has
his own signature permanently stamped on the melody (thanks to the
“stair-step” guitar playing in the chorus).
Surprisingly, the most powerful track on the album isn’t the
hardest rocker. “Cortege” is a moving tribute to those our hero has
lost along the way, taking a certain amount of child-like innocence
with them to the next world. Lloyd leaves this track open to much
interpretation, or even adaptation to our own lives, but he’s
created a masterpiece with this one.
Oh, sure, there’s an occasional mis-step along the way on
The Cover Doesn’t Matter. “Raising The Serpent” is almost
too filled with double entendres (even if that wasn’t
Lloyd’s intention) that it’s almost Spinal Tap-like. (Melody-wise,
it’s a decent enough track.) But for the most part,
The Cover Doesn’t Matter is the kind of album that will make
the listener wonder why Lloyd has been absent from the solo scene
for as long as he has. (One look at Lloyd’s web site proves he’s
been busy throughout the “down time”.)
No matter how you remember Lloyd, whether as Sweet’s side man or
as a core member of Television,
The Cover Doesn’t Matter offers you the chance to discover
Lloyd in his own light… and it’s a trip well worth taking.