Cover Me...Again
For new readers of my column, this is a feature I do periodically. I go through the archives and search for some really good covers. I will confess, I have always liked cover bands. They may not sound like the real thing but they try very hard and you know they really appreciate the artist they are covering.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
For my dedicated subscribers, some of the songs will be be repeats and I am sorry for that but I think enough time has elapsed so that you can go back and dig up those songs again.
Never hurts to listen to something you liked in the past and rediscover now.
For this column, my rules are being stretched a bit. I generally don’t include live performances but today I will.
I am going to start with something I have never heard before this week and I am surprised I never explored what this band has to offer. We all know that there are probably 5,000 versions of Beatles songs out there and some of those covers are beyond excellent but at the end of the day, the Beatles version stands up better. Not this time. The Flaming Lips are not a typical band you would ever associate with the Beatles. They were a psychedelic rock band from the Midwest in the 80’s and 90’s. I can admit, I don’t recall anything they have ever done but I do know they had a pretty substantial following and I just missed it. Getting back to the Beatles cover, I think you need to give a listen to “It’s All Too Much” from the George Fest Tribute Album. It’s a psychedelic version of one of the bands minor songs. Its live and it may take you a few listens but I think you will really appreciate it.
Speaking of George Fest, maybe give Perry Farrel’s version “Here Comes The Sun”. Farrel, lead singer, weird person of Jane’s Addiction has the perfect voice for this song. Soft and sweet.
Jeez, I have Beatles on my mind it seems. My next selection is from one of the best cover albums of all time, Cheap Trick’s Sgt. Pepper Live. Hard to pick one song from this live album but I would go with “She’s Leaving Home”. The melancholy oozes from Robin Zander’s voice and the fact that they use a full orchestra to back up each song is amazing. I am biased because I think Cheap Trick is a great Rock and Roll band. I also think taking on Sgt Peppers was a huge risk and if you listen to this album you will see they were definitely up to the challenge.
I may or may not have listed this version before but “I heard it Through The Grapevine” is my next choice. Seems like everyone has covered this particular song. Its a Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong penned song. Written for Motown Records (Which is how things were done back then) and first recorded by Gladys Knight and The Pips, it has been covered by practically everyone at Motown and then Creedence Clearwater Revival got ahold of it. They stretched it it out to over 11 minutes and I am going to say it’s my favorite version. Again, there is a serious bias here since it was the closing song on the first album I ever purchased with my own money, Cosmo’s Factory. I wore that record down.
Typically I try to avoid going over Bruce Springsteen’s music. It is not because I don’t think he is great, I do. His first four albums might be the finest four consecutive albums released by any one artist ever. I love Greetings from Asbury Park and The Wild The Innocent and the East Street Shuffle no matter what critics thought. Born To Run, top five album of all time. Darkness another classic but from there? No thanks. Anyway, my issue is two fold. He is from South Jersey, why does he try to sound he is from South Carolina or South Oklahome? The second is more broad based, I am going to see you play, I don’t need to be lectured about politics or about the migrant crisis when you live in a 10 million dollar home in Holmdale New Jersey. Shut up and play. Ooops sorry. Ok, back to Bruce. Springsteen has made a career of doing covers in concert. He is an amazing performer and the respect he shows for the music is real so I respect him for that. He has one song in his set list that I originally thought was his song but it is apparently a cover of a Tom Waits song, “Jersey Girl”. What a tribute to those special girls from the Jersey Shore.
While David Bromberg is not really an obscure artist, you rarely hear any of his music on any form of terrestrial radio. It’s a shame because the guy is extremely talented and he is humble and self effacing. Songs about love lost and life’s harsh realities put to a banjo or acoustic guitar. Most of his music is original but he did an acoustic version of “Mr. Bojangles” that is exceptional. Another live version of a masterpiece by Jerry Jeff Walker, the whole version is worth listening to because it explain the genesis of the song and it is one of those rare performances that after listening, you feel a better understanding of where the pain and sadness of a song comes from.
I am going to repeat one here for sure. It’s the oddest cover of all time but if you listen to this song a few times, you will see what I mean. “Hurt” by Johnny Cash is a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song and while it almost seems as if Cash is playing it for the first time. It seems like he is reading it as he sings but put that aside and think about the lyrics and the pain that is written into that song. That was Cash at that point of his life. He died a year later.
To flip it over, Blondie’s live version of “Ring of Fire” is something to behold. Debra Harry gives a totally different take on the song and while it still a love song, she turns it into something a lot more fun.
I am going to go back to that ultimate cover album, When Pigs Fly, and dig up another gem. The Connell’s version of “Insane in the Brain” is so offbeat that you have to love it. Not much I can say here other than listen to it and decide for yourself.
Like every Rock and Roll column I write, there has to be the off the wall selection and here it is: Motorhead’s version of “Sympathy For the Devil” is unique. You would expect Motorhead to just shred this song and they do but it starts out with a heavy drum beat and then it just takes off. The vocals do soar as the song accelerates and their lead singer, Lemmy, is as scary a Bezzlebub as there is. If heavy metal and the Devil scare you, pass on this version.
Just a sampling of what I will be listening to today. If you have any covers I should explore, reach out to me.