TDOS Tropical Island IPOD Cover Draft - Round 20
- Thread starter Jespher
- Start date
Some details for Dime Dropper's pick.
Released in 1970 "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" was the first post Beatles album Lennon put out (Sir Paul's widely panned eponymous album was released earlier with "Maybe I'm Amazed" as it's only saving grace) and it was well received, especially "Working Class Hero" that focused on class warfare.
Several artists have covered the song since. One of the more recent (and highly publicized versions) was from a John Lennon tribute album to benefit Darfur.
Released in 1970 "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" was the first post Beatles album Lennon put out (Sir Paul's widely panned eponymous album was released earlier with "Maybe I'm Amazed" as it's only saving grace) and it was well received, especially "Working Class Hero" that focused on class warfare.
Several artists have covered the song since. One of the more recent (and highly publicized versions) was from a John Lennon tribute album to benefit Darfur.
For my next pick, I will take a classic re-done by an absolute master:
Ben Folds - Tiny Dancer (originally by Elton John)
Click here for the "Ben Folds Live" version I am drafting... not available on most video services.
http://www.artistdirect.com/video/ben-folds-tiny-dancer/46943
Ben Folds - Tiny Dancer (originally by Elton John)
Click here for the "Ben Folds Live" version I am drafting... not available on most video services.
http://www.artistdirect.com/video/ben-folds-tiny-dancer/46943
NRBQ - I Got a Rocket in my Pocket (1988)
This is a fun one. It's a remake of a rockabilly song written and recorded by Jimmy Logsdon in 1958. NRBQ never got the recognition they deserved. They could play anything -- the quintessential bar band. Terry Adams is my favorite psycho piano player. I saw an interview where he said a piano is like having 88 little drums. Watch them careening between chaos and order:
Here's the original:
This is a fun one. It's a remake of a rockabilly song written and recorded by Jimmy Logsdon in 1958. NRBQ never got the recognition they deserved. They could play anything -- the quintessential bar band. Terry Adams is my favorite psycho piano player. I saw an interview where he said a piano is like having 88 little drums. Watch them careening between chaos and order:
Here's the original:
For my 7th round pick, I select:
Turn The Page - Metallica
Had my doubts on this pick because I love the original version just as much as the cover, but I just have to get a song from my favorite band on my island.
And the original:
Album: Garage Inc.
Released: 1998
Original Artist: Bob Seger
Original Released Date: 1973
"Night Time Is the Right Time" or "The Right Time" is a rhythm and blues song recorded by Nappy Brown in 1957
Ray Charles recorded his version, titled "(Night Time Is) The Right Time", in October 1958.
Ray Charles recorded his version, titled "(Night Time Is) The Right Time", in October 1958.
TV On the Radio - "Heroes" (David Bowie cover) [2008]:
here are some musical heroes of mine covering a musical hero of theirs; TV On the Radio warp Bowie's oft-covered classic into a stumble-drunk, post-punk barn burner. this cover skitters and soars in equal measure, providing just enough contrast with the original to make it an essential listen...
David Bowie - "Heroes" (1977):
here are some musical heroes of mine covering a musical hero of theirs; TV On the Radio warp Bowie's oft-covered classic into a stumble-drunk, post-punk barn burner. this cover skitters and soars in equal measure, providing just enough contrast with the original to make it an essential listen...
David Bowie - "Heroes" (1977):
I'm a big TV On the Radio fan and I didn't realize they'd done that cover. Nice pick.
Well, it's time for me to add some jazz to my island playlist. A bit of a cheat I suppose as there are countless examples of jazz artists blowing over the changes to a pop tune of their time but it's a well I won't dip into too often.
Still, I'm going to want some Coltrane. I could have pulled any track from Miles' "Porgy and Bess" but in reality I thought Trane's move to modal jazz was the more successful of the two and this track was chosen as a single and quickly became a signature tune for Coltrane.
Not to mention the group used for this album was phenomenal. I'm a huge fan of Elvin Jones (who would prove to be a huge influence on Mitch Mitchell and Ginger Baker) but to me it's McCoy Tyner's piano that serves as the perfect counterpoint to Coltrane's "sheets of sound" arpeggios. Tyner has such a melodic feel and a signature staccato right hand touch. Tyner's 1991 album "New York Reunion" is still one of my favorites.
Anyway, here's the original Rodgers and Hammerstein version from their 1959 musical "The Sound of Music"
And here is Coltrane's version from his 1961 album of the same title, "My Favorite Things"
Well, it's time for me to add some jazz to my island playlist. A bit of a cheat I suppose as there are countless examples of jazz artists blowing over the changes to a pop tune of their time but it's a well I won't dip into too often.
Still, I'm going to want some Coltrane. I could have pulled any track from Miles' "Porgy and Bess" but in reality I thought Trane's move to modal jazz was the more successful of the two and this track was chosen as a single and quickly became a signature tune for Coltrane.
Not to mention the group used for this album was phenomenal. I'm a huge fan of Elvin Jones (who would prove to be a huge influence on Mitch Mitchell and Ginger Baker) but to me it's McCoy Tyner's piano that serves as the perfect counterpoint to Coltrane's "sheets of sound" arpeggios. Tyner has such a melodic feel and a signature staccato right hand touch. Tyner's 1991 album "New York Reunion" is still one of my favorites.
Anyway, here's the original Rodgers and Hammerstein version from their 1959 musical "The Sound of Music"
And here is Coltrane's version from his 1961 album of the same title, "My Favorite Things"
My next pick is a cover of a song off of Radiohead's "OK Computer". This album was a seismic shift in many ways. The band's debut album "Pablo Honey" was buoyed by a surprise hit single in "Creep" which became fodder for a track ("My Iron Lung") on their second album "The Bends" which offered their refined take on Brit Pop but in no way signaled the magnum opus that was to be their third album. Dark, dense, layered, musically complex and with overarching themes of desolation, isolation and critical of modern life in general and consumerism in specific it was an unlikely hit album. And for me it was one where I remember putting the CD in as I started driving home from college only to pull over about 5 minutes in and listen intently to the entire thing before eventually restarting my Berkeley to Sacramento journey.
A song whose lyrics overtly serve as a microcosm of the album's overall mood is "Let Down" which deals with living in a world where we are bombarded with messaging and emotion as we shuffle along unable to really process it, let alone react to it.
Radiohead
"Let Down"
from 1997's "OK Computer"
The Easy Star All-Stars are a loose collective of reggae artists who have now done track by track renditions of a few landmark albums but perhaps the most head scratching one was "Radiodread" where they covered every song on "OK Computer". Complex arrangements and odd time signatures are not hallmarks of reggae or dub but then again, dub has always dealt with dark, atmospheric music and reggae has always tackled dark subject matter with the upbeat music and a glimmer of hope. Take a look back at how many Bob Marley songs are laments or calls to arms for Rastafarians yet buoyed by a joyful spirit that makes them accessible.
So the cover takes the same closing walls worldview and somehow provide the reassurance that things will be okay but it also allows me to give a tip of my cap to the man in my avatar. Toots Hibbert to me will always be placed in the same pantheon of soul singers as Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye or Al Green just for the sheer emotional weight that his voice can carry. And this song is absolutely no exception. Plus the intro has a melodica run through a delay. How cool is that?
Easy Star All-Stars
"Let Down"
From 2006's "Radiodread" featuring Toots and the Maytals:"
A song whose lyrics overtly serve as a microcosm of the album's overall mood is "Let Down" which deals with living in a world where we are bombarded with messaging and emotion as we shuffle along unable to really process it, let alone react to it.
Radiohead
"Let Down"
from 1997's "OK Computer"
The Easy Star All-Stars are a loose collective of reggae artists who have now done track by track renditions of a few landmark albums but perhaps the most head scratching one was "Radiodread" where they covered every song on "OK Computer". Complex arrangements and odd time signatures are not hallmarks of reggae or dub but then again, dub has always dealt with dark, atmospheric music and reggae has always tackled dark subject matter with the upbeat music and a glimmer of hope. Take a look back at how many Bob Marley songs are laments or calls to arms for Rastafarians yet buoyed by a joyful spirit that makes them accessible.
So the cover takes the same closing walls worldview and somehow provide the reassurance that things will be okay but it also allows me to give a tip of my cap to the man in my avatar. Toots Hibbert to me will always be placed in the same pantheon of soul singers as Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye or Al Green just for the sheer emotional weight that his voice can carry. And this song is absolutely no exception. Plus the intro has a melodica run through a delay. How cool is that?
Easy Star All-Stars
"Let Down"
From 2006's "Radiodread" featuring Toots and the Maytals:"
Chromatics - "Into the Black" (Neil Young cover) [2012]:
lo-fi Portland band Chromatics kicked off their 2012 album 'Kill for Love' in rather striking fashion. their take on Neil Young's "Into the Black" is a sexy little requiem that reconfigures the rock & roll classic around its most famous lyric: "It's better to burn out than fade away." this cover plays like the smoldering remnants left behind by the original's fiery send-off. where Neil Young was defiant, Chromatics sound resigned, like the last pull of a cigarette, a melancholic tithe to the night sky...
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" [1979]:
lo-fi Portland band Chromatics kicked off their 2012 album 'Kill for Love' in rather striking fashion. their take on Neil Young's "Into the Black" is a sexy little requiem that reconfigures the rock & roll classic around its most famous lyric: "It's better to burn out than fade away." this cover plays like the smoldering remnants left behind by the original's fiery send-off. where Neil Young was defiant, Chromatics sound resigned, like the last pull of a cigarette, a melancholic tithe to the night sky...
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" [1979]:
Soggy Bottom Boys - Man of Constant Sorrow - 2000
From Wiki - The Soggy Bottom Boys, the musical group that the main characters form, serve as accompaniment for the film. The name is a homage to the Foggy Mountain Boys, abluegrass band led by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.[39] In the film, the songs credited to the band are lip-synched by the actors. The actual musicians are Dan Tyminski(guitar and lead vocals), Harley Allen, and Pat Enright.[40] The band's hit single is Dick Burnett's "Man of Constant Sorrow," a song that had already enjoyed much success in real life.[41] After the film's release, the fictitious band became so popular that the country and folk musicians who were dubbed into the film, such as Ralph Stanley, John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Chris Sharp, and others, all got together and performed the music from the film in a Down from the Mountain concert tour which was filmed for TV and DVD
"Man of Constant Sorrow" (also known as "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow") is a traditional American folk song first recorded by Dick Burnett, a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. The song was originally recorded by Burnett as "Farewell Song" printed in a Richard Burnett songbook, about 1913. An early version was recorded by Emry Arthur in 1928 (Vocalion Vo 5208)
This is a funny choice for me, I pretty much loathe country music, but when I first watch O Brother Where Art Though, I instantly loved this song. I am actually very surprised this did not go much earlier with how popular it was for a couple years there when the movie came out.
Oh, and the Coen bothers are geniuses.
From Wiki - The Soggy Bottom Boys, the musical group that the main characters form, serve as accompaniment for the film. The name is a homage to the Foggy Mountain Boys, abluegrass band led by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs.[39] In the film, the songs credited to the band are lip-synched by the actors. The actual musicians are Dan Tyminski(guitar and lead vocals), Harley Allen, and Pat Enright.[40] The band's hit single is Dick Burnett's "Man of Constant Sorrow," a song that had already enjoyed much success in real life.[41] After the film's release, the fictitious band became so popular that the country and folk musicians who were dubbed into the film, such as Ralph Stanley, John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Chris Sharp, and others, all got together and performed the music from the film in a Down from the Mountain concert tour which was filmed for TV and DVD
"Man of Constant Sorrow" (also known as "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow") is a traditional American folk song first recorded by Dick Burnett, a partially blind fiddler from Kentucky. The song was originally recorded by Burnett as "Farewell Song" printed in a Richard Burnett songbook, about 1913. An early version was recorded by Emry Arthur in 1928 (Vocalion Vo 5208)
This is a funny choice for me, I pretty much loathe country music, but when I first watch O Brother Where Art Though, I instantly loved this song. I am actually very surprised this did not go much earlier with how popular it was for a couple years there when the movie came out.
Oh, and the Coen bothers are geniuses.
The Blind Boys of Alabama - Way Down In The Hole [2001]
Original version: Tom Waits [1987]
Great version of a song I already loved, even though this kind of blues isn't really my cup of tea. Part of the reasons why I'll bring it with me to the Island is that it marks the beginning and the end of one of my favourite TV shows.
Original version: Tom Waits [1987]
Great version of a song I already loved, even though this kind of blues isn't really my cup of tea. Part of the reasons why I'll bring it with me to the Island is that it marks the beginning and the end of one of my favourite TV shows.
Great choice. JJ Cale died last summer, and "Eric Clapton and Friends" just released a tribute album called The Breeze -- An Appreciation of JJ Cale. I just bought it and it's excellent (despite the fact that there isn't a cover of Cocaine). The friends include Mark Knopfler, John Mayer, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty and Don White.
Linda Ronstadt -- It's So Easy (1977)
Linda Ronstadt made a career out of doing cover songs. It's So Easy is a Buddy Holly song that was on her 1977 album Simple Dreams. She had an extraordinary voice, and was one of the first artists to be called a country rocker. Among other things, the Eagles got their start as her backup band. It's sad that she was unable to attend her recent induction into the Rock Hall of Fame due to health problems (Parkinson's). No date listed on this video, I assume it's around '77:
Here's Buddy Holly's original (1958 I think):
Linda Ronstadt made a career out of doing cover songs. It's So Easy is a Buddy Holly song that was on her 1977 album Simple Dreams. She had an extraordinary voice, and was one of the first artists to be called a country rocker. Among other things, the Eagles got their start as her backup band. It's sad that she was unable to attend her recent induction into the Rock Hall of Fame due to health problems (Parkinson's). No date listed on this video, I assume it's around '77:
Here's Buddy Holly's original (1958 I think):
I AM NOBONUS!
Wih his 8th selection, NoBonus chooses:
Always on My Mind - Pet Shop Boys (1987)
Original: Gwen McCrae and Brenda Lee (1972)
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Always_on_My_Mind
Wih his 8th selection, NoBonus chooses:
Always on My Mind - Pet Shop Boys (1987)
Original: Gwen McCrae and Brenda Lee (1972)
More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Always_on_My_Mind