Given their relative proximity to the A.V. Club’s Chicago offices, the Hold Steady always seemed like a perfect choice for A.V. Undercover. Believe it or not, though, they were only the fallback choice for this song. Marnie Stern originally covered Huey Lewis and the News’ “The Power of Love,” but technical difficulties apparently ruined the recording. So in steps the Hold Steady to save the day with another cover.
In the pre-show interview, the band earnestly tries to find the value in Huey Lewis, with mixed results. Singer Craig Finn points out that “The Power of Love” came out after he was already into punk rock, so it wasn’t exactly his high school jam. He compares the dated production to Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days,” saying, “It might be a good song, but you can’t tell.” See if you can tell now in the video below.
The Hold Steady – The Power of Love (Huey Lewis and the News cover)
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Wow, they mangled that song. And after a “too cool for the room” judgement of the original.
You know when you’re trying to dance to a song you hate? Yea. I love The Hold Steady, the good lord knows, but this cover feels like work. It’s not a bad cover, but it doesn’t make me embrace the original. I do love the take Craig has for “Yea, you don’t care” but I wish they’d given them a track the band connected with.