SWEETHEARTS RETURN TO HOME TURF

The commercial success and industry awards racked up by the Judds in the last couple of years force every country female duo that arrives these days into comparisons with that mother-daughter team.

That must be a little frustrating to sisters Janis Gill and Kristine Arnold, who were fronting the Sweethearts of the Rodeo in Los Angeles clubs for years before the Judds became the darlings of Nashville.

The Sweethearts returned to their home turf Tuesday at the Palomino with the vindication of their first country hit--”Hey Doll Baby,” the old Everly Brothers song--and two subsequent Top 10 singles from their debut LP.

Backed by a muscular four-man band, the Sweethearts rocked harder than the Judds and with their New Wave hairdos, L.A. natives Gill and Arnold certainly look hipper than their Kentucky-born peers.

But more important than who came first is the question of who does the job better. On that account, the Sweethearts rank a clear second to the earthy, down-home charmers the Judds, much less to stellar harmonizers like the Everlys, to whom they’ve also been compared. Even though the Sweethearts name is a nod to country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons, their music lacks his risk-taking, barrier-breaking ambition.

The sisters’ singing was crisp and pleasant, though not particularly distinctive, and their harmonies rarely achieved the masterful interplay of the Louvins or the duets Emmylou Harris has turned in with various partners.

A far more compelling opening set was given by Rosie Flores, who was reviewed here recently.