"In the real world, Sid 'n Susie are Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs - two navigators in the pop musical current, current tense vocally and as tunesmiths with prime craft of their own write. They've bagged the best of the '60s with uncanny insight. I know. I was there but can remember," asserted Van Dyke Parks in his introduction to 2006's Under the Covers Vol. 1. On that volume, Sid 'n Susie revisited some of their favorite songs of the 1960s, largely staying faithful to the original productions while bringing their own energy and perspective. They followed the first volume up with two more covering the 1970s and 1980s, respectively, and in 2015, Demon's Edsel label brought together these delightful releases with numerous bonus tracks as Completely Under the Covers. One year later, all three original albums were reissued on 180-gram colored vinyl as limited editions for Record Store Day. Now, the trio is back on vinyl (featuring new colors) from Demon alongside a new collection, Under the Covers: The Best of Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, on two CDs or 180-gram colored LPs.

The individual vinyl reissues for each of the three original titles are beautifully designed in the style of the original CD release. Pressed here on two silver vinyl platters, Under the Covers Vol. 1 found Sweet and Hoffs tackling the boldface names of '60s rock and pop including The Beatles ("And Your Bird Can Sing"), The Beach Boys ("The Warmth of the Sun"), The Who ("I Can See For Miles"), The Mamas and The Papas ("Monday, Monday"), Bob Dylan ("It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"), The Bee Gees ("Run to Me"), and The Velvet Underground ("Sunday Morning") as well as treats from The Marmalade ("I See the Rain"), The Left Banke ("She May Call You Up Tonight"), Love ("Alone Again Or"), Fairport Convention ("Who Knows Where the Time Goes"), The Stone Poneys ("Different Drum") and others. Neil Young got two selections, "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" and "Cinnamon Girl," on this lively, sparkling tribute set that's all but impossible not to love. In addition to Ric Menck on drums/percussion and Greg Leisz on guitars, guests included Van Dyke Parks and Richard Lloyd. Two bonus tracks originally released on a retailer exclusive are included, The Kinks' "Village Green Preservation Society" and The Who's "I Can See for Miles."

The 2009 Under the Covers Vol. 2 jumped ahead to the 1970s. This volume, pressed on two green LPs, is arguably even more diverse than its predecessor. On the original 16-song CD, Sweet and Hoffs took in power pop (The Raspberries' "Go All the Way," Big Star's "Back of a Car"), glam (Mott the Hoople/David Bowie's "All the Young Dudes"), prog (Yes' "I've Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People"), country-rock (Grateful Dead's "Sugar Magnolia," Little Feat's "Willin'"), singer-songwriter balladry (James Taylor's "You Can Close Your Eyes"), pure pop (Todd Rundgren's "Hello, It's Me" and "Couldn't I Just Tell You," Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," Bread's "Everything I Own," and Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News" featuring Lindsey Buckingham on lead guitar), and the solo Beatles (George Harrison's "Beware of Darkness" featuring Dhani Harrison on guitars, John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth"). The 2-LP set here boasts 26 tracks, collating the ten bonus songs originally issued in Japan and/or on a digital exclusive. Sweet and Hoffs went deep on this additional material, bringing their same devotion and fidelity to new wave (Blondie's "Dreaming"), punk (Buzzcocks' "You Say You Don't Love Me," Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated," Television's epic "Marquee Moon"), pub rock (Nick Lowe/Brinsley Schwarz's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding"), and beyond. It's an edgier set than Vol. 1 but with the same crisp, clean sound and shimmering harmonies.

Vol. 3 (2013) naturally moved onto the 1980s, the decade that saw Hoffs rise to prominence as a member of The Bangles and Sweet make his debut album. (Both artists were on Columbia.) Here, they drew a straight line from the melodic '60s pop to the cool, steely sounds of the "me" decade. Some of the selections are clear throwbacks (XTC's Beatle-esque "Towers of London," The Go-Go's' amped up girl group rock of "Our Lips Are Sealed," the classic balladry of Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne's "Free Fallin'") but most are transformative as Sweet and Hoffs largely eschewed keyboards - perhaps the defining instrument of the 1980s - in favor of jangly guitars and a timeless rock sound. Hence, there are fresh and effervescent takes on songs both mainstream and indie, with an emphasis on the latter including classic cuts from The dB's ("Big Brown Eyes"), The Bongos ("The Bulrushes"), and Echo and The Bunnymen ("Killing Moon"). Lindsey Buckingham reappears with his solo "Trouble," though he doesn't play on this version. Sweet and Hoffs wear their influences on their sleeves, largely avoiding pop and the hit-making likes of Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Madonna, or Daryl Hall and John Oates. This 2-LP blue vinyl edition adds three bonus tracks to the original 14-song album: The Clash's "Train in Vain," Marshall Crenshaw's "You're My Favorite Waste of Time," and most interesting, Prince's "I Would Die 4 U."

All three titles have each LP in an individual sleeve, with Sweet and Hoffs' original track-by-track liner notes for the core album cuts plus credits and photography. The new collection, The Best of Under the Covers, presents 28 songs on two 180-gram translucent cherry vinyl disks or 30 songs on two CDs. Note that this anthology has two exclusive covers: Buffalo Springfield's "On the Way Home" and The Easybeats' "Sorry," both outtakes from the 1960s volume. (The former appeared on a promotional CD single while the latter was an Australia-only bonus track.) Neither of these songs appear on the Completely Under the Covers box, making them most welcome additions here. The three decades are addressed almost equally and this enjoyable set is representative of Sweet and Hoffs' output even if some personal favorites might be missing. There are no new liner notes. (Completists might wish to add two more titles to their Sid 'n Susie collection. Hoffs and Lindsey Buckingham both joined Sweet on his 1998 cover of Walter Egan's "Magnet and Steel" included on the Sabrina the Teenage Witch soundtrack; Buckingham played and co-produced the original track. In 2009, Hoffs and Sweet's "Got to Get You Into My Life" appeared on the soundtrack to the Eddie Murphy film Imagine That.)

So far, Sid 'n Susie haven't given any indication that they'll be returning to the studio to celebrate the 1990s. But these three volumes remain a fun mini-musical history of rock from the 1960s through the 1980s. Demon's reissues feature top notch packaging and sound alike, making these a delightful trip Under the Covers one won't regret. All four titles are available now at the links below.

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, Under the Covers Vol. 1 (Shout! Factory DK 97654, 2006 - reissued Demon LP DEMREC703, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side A

1. I See the Rain
2. And Your Bird Can Sing
3. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
4. Who Knows Where the Time Goes?
5. Cinnamon Girl

Side B

1. Alone Again Or
2. The Warmth of the Sun
3. Different Drum
4. The Kids Are Alright

Side C

1. Sunday Morning
2. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
3. Care of Cell 44
4. Monday, Monday

Side D

1. She May Call You Up Tonight
2. Run to Me
3. Village Green Preservation Society
4. I Can See for Miles

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, Under the Covers Vol. 2 (Shout! Factory 826663-11306, 2009 - reissued Demon LP DEMREC704, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side A

1. Sugar Magnolia
2. Go All the Way
3. Second Hand News
4. All the Young Dudes
5. You Can Close Your Eyes
6. Marquee Moon

Side B

1. Here Comes My Girl
2. I've Seen All Good People: Your Move/All Good People
3. Hello It's Me
4. Willin'
5. Back of a Car
6. Couldn't I Just Tell You

Side C

1. Gimme Some Truth
2. Maggie May
3. Beware of Darkness
4. Dreaming
5. Bell Bottom Blues
6. You're So Vain

Side D

1. I Wanna Be Sedated
2. Baby Blue
3. You Say You Don't Love Me
4. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding
5. Everything I Own
6. Melissa
7. Killer Queen
8. A Song for You

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs, Under the Covers Vol. 3 (Shout! Factory 826663-13579, 2013 - reissued Demon LP DEMREC705, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Side A

1. Sitting Still
2. Girls Talk
3. Big Brown Eyes
4. Kid
5. Free Fallin'

Side B

1. Save It for Later
2. They Don't Know
3. The Bulrushes
4. Our Lips Are Sealed

Side C

1. How Soon Is Now
2. More Than This
3. Towers of London
4. Killing Moon

Side D

1. Trouble
2. Train in Vain
3. You're My Favorite Waste of Time
4. I Would Die 4 U

Under the Covers: The Best of Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs (Demon DEMREC643/Edsel EDSL0060, 2020)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD/LP 1

1. And Your Bird Can Sing
2. Second Hand News
3. You're My Favorite Waste of Time
4. They Don't Know
5. You're So Vain
6. Sunday Morning
7. Maggie May
8. On the Way Home
9. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding (*)
10. Dreaming
11. Train in Vain
12. Sorry
13. Different Drum
14. Trouble
15. Killing Moon
16. I Would Die 4 U
17. Beware of Darkness

CD/LP 2

1. Cinnamon Girl
2. Sitting Still
3. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
4. Melissa
5. Bell Bottom Blues
6. Care of Cell 44
7. Gimme Some Truth
8. I Wanna Be Sedated (*)
9. I Can See for Miles
10. How Soon Is Now
11. Marquee Moon
12. Free Fallin'
13. All the Young Dudes

(*) CD-only track