Put Your Head on My Shoulder sounds like a 1960s AM radio signal channeled through a harmonizer.
The Lettermen take a crazy assortment of cover songs --
the Doors,
Jeannie C. Riley,
Paul Anka -- and whip them into a creamy nougat that is not as sweet as
Ray Conniff but is definitely heading in that direction. For a twist, and to break up the onslaught of peppy choral remakes, each
Letterman is spotlighted during a solo turn:
Jim Pike sings "Hey Jude,"
Tony Butala takes the lead on "Harper Valley P.T.A.," and
Gary Pike solos on "Gentle on My Mind" for the first time since he joined the Lettermen. Going by the track listing, it would seem that
Put Your Head on My Shoulder is purely an album effort, a
Lettermen-sing-the-hits sort of package, but in reality the group's singles from around this time were mostly covers of well-known hits, and the title track almost made the Top 40. If you pay attention to it, the album is unintentionally funny in spots because of its repertoire; if you tune it out, as it practically begs you to do,
Put Your Head on My Shoulder percolates pleasantly in the background as if ready to accompany you on your next trip down the supermarket aisle.