MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: DAYS OF THE LOOKING GLASS - AL TUCK SINGS GENE MACLELLAN

Tuck has always been a devotee of his fellow Island songwriter, and here he presents a nuanced look at MacLellan's rich catalog. With quiet instrumentation and slower tempos, we all lean in for a closer study of the lyrics, Tuck's wavering vocals highlighting both the beauty and the sadness. Drops of pedal steel, along with surprising touches of penny whistle and clarinet highlight the laid-back, clubhouse feel of the recordings.

Wisely Tuck leaves "Snowbird" off the setlist, that song's fame too much for this nuanced collection. But "Put Your Hand In The Hand" is here, a reminder of the great quality of that Christian anthem, presented here with a shuffle beat, as catchy as always. "Street Corner Preacher" is successfully turned into a much bluesier number, losing the dated arrangement of MacLellan's early '70's recording. Even "Days Of The Looking Glass" (along the same theme as "Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife" by Glen Campbell) loses its sentimentality, and becomes a wise look at how life slips by. And that's the real success of the album, bringing the songs out of their decade into this one. Tuck has added an edge, and more of a roots feel to these gems. If any Canadian songwriter needs that, it's MacLellan, whose own fine recordings are long out-of-print.