Cover MegaMix for Samara (Part One)
Aug. 27th, 2007 11:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thehefnerSo a very happy birthday to my very own "Girlfriend* in Canada (TM)", the fabulous ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
little_dinosaur. As I am poor, I did the "boyfriend" thing and made her a mix CD. Specifically, a 3-disc extravaganza of my favorite cover songs!
Unfortunately, I made this mix forspacechild a year or two ago, and I should have updated it before burning it again. The most glaring omission is that there's not a single Johnny Cash cover here. All I can say in defense is that, uh, you should just go ahead and buy Johnny Cash's actual albums, because he's the goddamn man, damn it.
But otherwise, I dare say my mix is pretty damn cool. So I'm gonna list off the tracks here, along with commentary, and (where applicable) YouTube videos.
So behind the cut is Disc 1: Rolling Stones, Beatles, Peter Gabriel, Tom Waits, Yaz, Depeche Mode, and more, covered by Devo, Primus, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, and... Jim Carrey?
1.) Start Me Up (Rolling Stones), The Folksmen
--Because A MIGHTY WIND is awesome. I am very, very disappointed in the internet for not having a video of them performing it on Conan O'Brien. For shame, internet. For shame.
2.) Pour Some Sugar On Me (Def Leppard), Emm Gryner
--The first of several Emm Gryner covers on this list, and perhaps her most inspired. One of the prime gems of this entire collection.
Here's a fan video of the song, set to Alan Rickman clips. Win-win, I dare say.
3.) I Am The Walrus (The Beatles), Jim Carrey
--When legendary Beatles producer George Martin assembled a bunch of celebrities to do Beatles covers, the results were mostly forgettable. Jim Carrey's rendition of "I Am The Walrus"... well, if it's too presumptuous of me to say that it matches the original for quality, at least I can say it blows Oingo Boingo's cover out of the water. Yes, I said it, and I don't say so lightly. The video below is terribly edited, so just close your eyes and enjoy.
4.) Careless Whisper (George Michael) Ben Folds & Rufus Wainwright
--Recorded here at Wolf Trap, this cover simultaneously makes me smile (in a goofy, half-ironic sort of way) and gives me chills. Ben Folds is good, but vocally, he's not match for Rufus, and ends up playing the musical straight (har-har) man.
5.) Blaphemous Rumours (Depeche Mode), Gregorian Chant
--I... I... look, man, I got nothin'.
6.) Winter Kills (Yaz), Dune
--Even with the singer's weak voice, I find this track rather haunting, particularly the ending.
7.) In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel), Aaron Lewis
--Now this is a perfect example of what a cover should be. Same lyrics, same basic tune, but it has a completely different tone and works wonderfully.
8.) The Briar and the Rose (Tom Waits), The Cottars
--The Cottars were a little-known Nova Scotian band of teenage folkies who did pleasant enough music, lots of Celtic flavored stuff, before breaking up. The idea of them covering a Tom Waits tearjerker should be questionable, at best. Instead, it's utterly angelic.
9.) Llorando (Crying) (Roy Orbison), Rebekka Del Rio
--MULHOLLAND DRIVE. Nuff said. (also, Orbison doesn't get enough respect)
10.) My Girl (The Temptations), Loudon Wainwright III & John Hiatt
--Tender, and somehow a little heartbreaking too.
11.) Glory Box (Portishead), John Martyn
--I think I prefer it to the original.
12.) The Family and the Fishing Net (Peter Gabriel), Primus
--A great cover of an already awesome and disturbing song from my favorite Peter Gabriel album, "Security," which if more people heard, they'd finally give Peeg the respect he also deserves.
13.) Dead Man's Party (Oingo Boingo), Clear Static
--NOT better than the original, but pretty darn great, as far as covers go.
14.) Head Like a Hole (NIN), Devo
--Need I say anything more?
15.) The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone), Metallica
--I remember being dragged off to Metallica concerts by my best friend in middle school (Justin was my first Guy Bender), and while they'd never play "Unforgiven," they would open every concert by playing something that everyone in the crowd thought was going to be "Unforgiven," but never was, much to our confusion. Anyway, the years went by, and I got into Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone and THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, which became my all-time favorite movie for many years, and then I listened to Metallica's live "S & M" album, only to go "HOLY SHIT!" as everything clicked. Recently, they did a studio version of "The Ecstasy of Gold," but the live better captures the essence of the original... but no way in hell could it ever substitute il maestro Enno motherfuckin' Morricone.
16.) One (Metallica), Apocalyptica
--Honestly, while I still like this a hell of a lot, the novelty has worn off as I've increasingly come to realize that these guys aren't the world's best cello players. And while that's probably obvious and understood, it just makes me pine for what excellent cello players would sound like performing Metallica. The video sadly isn't the best quality either.
17.) She Cried (Jay and the Americans), Lords of Altamont
--I first heard this on Little Steven (as in "Van Zandt, of the E Street Band)'s Underground Garage, never having heard the original. Pretty damn great song, but really, I should have put a Johnny Cash cover here instead.
Next time, Disc 2 will feature Local H and Ben Gibbard redeeming Britney Spears and Avril Lavinge, plus a five-song Leonard Cohen cover mini-extravaganza from the Pixies, Tori Amos, Rufus Wainwright, Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, and Peter Gabriel.
Who, I feel it's worth mentioning again, doesn't get enough respect. I don't know why the hell that is. It's like people think he's interchangable with Phil frickin' Collins, or something.
*Some people are already confused, which is understandable, as I suppose most people haven't seen AVENUE Q. Including me. But no, the fact is, I'm still a swingin' bachelor. Now who wants to come to my joint for martinis and ping-pong?!
little_dinosaur. As I am poor, I did the "boyfriend" thing and made her a mix CD. Specifically, a 3-disc extravaganza of my favorite cover songs!Unfortunately, I made this mix for
spacechild a year or two ago, and I should have updated it before burning it again. The most glaring omission is that there's not a single Johnny Cash cover here. All I can say in defense is that, uh, you should just go ahead and buy Johnny Cash's actual albums, because he's the goddamn man, damn it.But otherwise, I dare say my mix is pretty damn cool. So I'm gonna list off the tracks here, along with commentary, and (where applicable) YouTube videos.
So behind the cut is Disc 1: Rolling Stones, Beatles, Peter Gabriel, Tom Waits, Yaz, Depeche Mode, and more, covered by Devo, Primus, Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, and... Jim Carrey?
1.) Start Me Up (Rolling Stones), The Folksmen
--Because A MIGHTY WIND is awesome. I am very, very disappointed in the internet for not having a video of them performing it on Conan O'Brien. For shame, internet. For shame.
2.) Pour Some Sugar On Me (Def Leppard), Emm Gryner
--The first of several Emm Gryner covers on this list, and perhaps her most inspired. One of the prime gems of this entire collection.
Here's a fan video of the song, set to Alan Rickman clips. Win-win, I dare say.
3.) I Am The Walrus (The Beatles), Jim Carrey
--When legendary Beatles producer George Martin assembled a bunch of celebrities to do Beatles covers, the results were mostly forgettable. Jim Carrey's rendition of "I Am The Walrus"... well, if it's too presumptuous of me to say that it matches the original for quality, at least I can say it blows Oingo Boingo's cover out of the water. Yes, I said it, and I don't say so lightly. The video below is terribly edited, so just close your eyes and enjoy.
4.) Careless Whisper (George Michael) Ben Folds & Rufus Wainwright
--Recorded here at Wolf Trap, this cover simultaneously makes me smile (in a goofy, half-ironic sort of way) and gives me chills. Ben Folds is good, but vocally, he's not match for Rufus, and ends up playing the musical straight (har-har) man.
5.) Blaphemous Rumours (Depeche Mode), Gregorian Chant
--I... I... look, man, I got nothin'.
6.) Winter Kills (Yaz), Dune
--Even with the singer's weak voice, I find this track rather haunting, particularly the ending.
7.) In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel), Aaron Lewis
--Now this is a perfect example of what a cover should be. Same lyrics, same basic tune, but it has a completely different tone and works wonderfully.
8.) The Briar and the Rose (Tom Waits), The Cottars
--The Cottars were a little-known Nova Scotian band of teenage folkies who did pleasant enough music, lots of Celtic flavored stuff, before breaking up. The idea of them covering a Tom Waits tearjerker should be questionable, at best. Instead, it's utterly angelic.
9.) Llorando (Crying) (Roy Orbison), Rebekka Del Rio
--MULHOLLAND DRIVE. Nuff said. (also, Orbison doesn't get enough respect)
10.) My Girl (The Temptations), Loudon Wainwright III & John Hiatt
--Tender, and somehow a little heartbreaking too.
11.) Glory Box (Portishead), John Martyn
--I think I prefer it to the original.
12.) The Family and the Fishing Net (Peter Gabriel), Primus
--A great cover of an already awesome and disturbing song from my favorite Peter Gabriel album, "Security," which if more people heard, they'd finally give Peeg the respect he also deserves.
13.) Dead Man's Party (Oingo Boingo), Clear Static
--NOT better than the original, but pretty darn great, as far as covers go.
14.) Head Like a Hole (NIN), Devo
--Need I say anything more?
15.) The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone), Metallica
--I remember being dragged off to Metallica concerts by my best friend in middle school (Justin was my first Guy Bender), and while they'd never play "Unforgiven," they would open every concert by playing something that everyone in the crowd thought was going to be "Unforgiven," but never was, much to our confusion. Anyway, the years went by, and I got into Sergio Leone and Ennio Morricone and THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, which became my all-time favorite movie for many years, and then I listened to Metallica's live "S & M" album, only to go "HOLY SHIT!" as everything clicked. Recently, they did a studio version of "The Ecstasy of Gold," but the live better captures the essence of the original... but no way in hell could it ever substitute il maestro Enno motherfuckin' Morricone.
16.) One (Metallica), Apocalyptica
--Honestly, while I still like this a hell of a lot, the novelty has worn off as I've increasingly come to realize that these guys aren't the world's best cello players. And while that's probably obvious and understood, it just makes me pine for what excellent cello players would sound like performing Metallica. The video sadly isn't the best quality either.
17.) She Cried (Jay and the Americans), Lords of Altamont
--I first heard this on Little Steven (as in "Van Zandt, of the E Street Band)'s Underground Garage, never having heard the original. Pretty damn great song, but really, I should have put a Johnny Cash cover here instead.
Next time, Disc 2 will feature Local H and Ben Gibbard redeeming Britney Spears and Avril Lavinge, plus a five-song Leonard Cohen cover mini-extravaganza from the Pixies, Tori Amos, Rufus Wainwright, Martin Gore of Depeche Mode, and Peter Gabriel.
Who, I feel it's worth mentioning again, doesn't get enough respect. I don't know why the hell that is. It's like people think he's interchangable with Phil frickin' Collins, or something.
*Some people are already confused, which is understandable, as I suppose most people haven't seen AVENUE Q. Including me. But no, the fact is, I'm still a swingin' bachelor. Now who wants to come to my joint for martinis and ping-pong?!
