by William Ruhlmann
I Can Remember Everything, the debut album by 21-year-old Jennifer (as she is billed) is a product of the eclectic pop trend of the late '60s, fostered by
the Beatles
' dabblings in music-hall whimsy and classical music on albums like
Revolver
and
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
. Producer
Martin Cooper
favors arrangements beginning with isolated acoustic instruments -- a bass or a conga drum or a harpsichord -- to underlie Jennifer's alto, with strings or other instruments joining in as the song goes on. The selections include one each from
the Bee Gees
,
Joni Mitchell
,
the Beatles
, and
the Rolling Stones
, along with a clutch of mediocrities written by
Cooper
or published by Martin Cooper Music. Actually, though, Jennifer is less interesting on familiar tunes like &Chelsea Morning& and &Here, There and Everywhere,& which she tends to over-sing in an affected way. On the forgettable stuff, she is more at ease, and the album demonstrates that she can be an effective, emotive interpreter, sometimes suggesting
Janis Ian
, sometimes
Petula Clark
.