TDOS Tropical Island IPOD Cover Draft - Round 20

The Twilight Sad - "Climbing Up the Walls" (Radiohead cover) [2007]:


Scottish shoegazers the Twilight Sad take a standout downtempo number from one of the most influential albums of the 90's and imbue it with their namesake; this is sad bastard music of the highest order, a cover that manages to come across as even more beautifully pained than the original...

Radiohead - "Climbing Up the Walls" (1997):

 
Here's my make-up pick, finally:

Birdy - People Help The People (2011)
Original by Cherry Ghost (2007)

Wasn't planning on taking another Birdy song but this is a great cover of a great song.
 
Also, while I'm at it, here's my previous pick. I hadn't posted the video for it so here it is:

Ed Sheeran - Wayfaring Stranger (2011)
Original - unknown.

From wikipedia:
"The Wayfaring Stranger" (aka "Poor Wayfaring Stranger" or "I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger"), Roud 3339, is a well-known American folk song likely originating in the early 19th century about a plaintive soul on the journey through life.

I like Ed's take on this song as well as him playing all the backing music himself. Think his tone is very soothing. Funny, he's actually in a bar close to my house right now. If I wasn't working early tomorrow I may have seen him sing this live.
 
macadocious said:
I'm not sure how others are, but I am grasping at straws here even trying to find cover songs.
Click to expand...

I'm running into the opposite problem - trying to figure out which last four songs to pick. Here goes:

As a bass player I'd say my biggest influence on the electric side (definitely Ron Carter and Paul Chambers on the upright side) is probably Pino Palladino. I struggle to think of anyone who has been a first call session musician for such vastly different styles from his iconic 80's fretless work with Paul Young, Gary Numan, Don Henley, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins etc to work with early 90's pop on albums with Eric Clapton, Melissa Ethridge, Elton John and many others he was a complete chameleon. In the last few years he's played in John Mayer's Trio, The Who (filling in for the late great John Entwistle) and Nine Inch Nails in addition to his jazz fusion project PSP with heavyweights Philippe Saisse and Simon Phillips.

But it was his turn to ne0-soul with D'Angelo was what blew my mind and had me relearning how to play my instrument. Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Common, Anthony Hamilton, Leela James etc. all had Pino playing bass on their tracks. But it all started with D'Angelo's second album, the amazing "Voodoo". The whole album is fantastic with ?uestlove and Pino setting a deep and laid back pocket for D'Angelo to combine soul, funk, hip-hop, gospel, even jazz into an eclectic mix. You can feel the influence of Parliament/Funkadelic, Prince, Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone, even Miles Davis but with a much more hip-hop like production and embeded with time shifting beats and fits and starts courtesy of the genius of J Dilla. It's a touchstone album for neo-soul but it's also much more than that. Every track is great but only one of them is a cover.

"Feel Like Makin' Love"
from the 2000 D'Angelo album "Voodoo"

and the original
"Feel Like Makin' Love"
from the 1974 Robert Flack album of the same name
 
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This next one is a song I that means a lot to me.

My grandmother always loved the song "Wichita Lineman", written by Jimmy Webb and performed by Glen Campbell. And I agree with her - it's a fantastically written song both musically and lyrically. The chord changes modulate keys starting in F Major with the tonic chord that is never again revisited as the song shifts into both D Major (parallel modulation since D minor is the relative scale of F major) and G major and thus using simple chords but in an unexpected progression to give the song a signature sound. And the lyrics play between thoughts of the job and thoughts far beyond. As Billy Joel said, " ‘Wichita Lineman’ is ‘a simple song about an ordinary man thinking extraordinary thoughts." The idea being that you could see a guy working alone up on a pole and know what he was doing but not know at all what was going on in his head and heart.

But to me, this pick is more about having a connection to my grandmother who passed away this year. The fact that one of my favorite bands does a great cover of it makes it that much more special for me to take to my island.

"Wichita Lineman"
Performed live by R.E.M. in 1996

and the original
"Wichita Lineman"
from the 1968 Glen Campbell album of the same name
 
Failure - "Enjoy the Silence" (Depeche Mode cover) [1997]:


not long before disbanding, influential alt-metallers Failure hopped onto a tribute album for influential goth rock titans Depeche Mode with their transformative space-rock version of "Enjoy the Silence." i love the simple act of replacing the song's bouncy synths with interlocking clean and heavily-distorted guitars. it transports Depeche Mode's instant classic to a more anxious and unknowable place. in fact, Depeche Mode was so pleased with Failure's work that founding keyboardist Andrew Fletcher claimed to enjoy the cover more than his band's original...

Depeche Mode - "Enjoy the Silence" (1990):

 
Padrino said:
Failure - "Enjoy the Silence" (Depeche Mode cover) [1997]:

not long before disbanding, influential alt-metallers Failure hopped onto a tribute album for influential goth rock titans Depeche Mode with their transformative space-rock version of "Enjoy the Silence." i love the simple act of replacing the song's bouncy synths with interlocking clean and heavily-distorted guitars. it transports Depeche Mode's instant classic to a more anxious and unknowable place.
Click to expand...

Wow, they did some great stuff with that song. If it weren't for the over-crunched guitar on the chorus, it would be darn near perfect.
 
Capt. Factorial said:
Wow, they did some great stuff with that song. If it weren't for the over-crunched guitar on the chorus, it would be darn near perfect.
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haha, that's one of the things i love best about Failure's cover; the gorgeous clean guitar line that plays during the bridge cuts through the heavy distortion to create a really dynamic element that the original simply doesn't have. different strokes, and all that...

;)
 
Padrino said:
not long before disbanding, influential alt-metallers Failure hopped onto a tribute album for influential goth rock titans Depeche Mode with their transformative space-rock version of "Enjoy the Silence."
Click to expand...

Not sure if you know this or not, but Failure reunited this year and started playing gigs. I saw them open for Tool at Bill Graham in March and then they did a smaller headlining tour and were back in SF in May but I didn't go to that show.

Apparently they'll have a new album out next year. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out since (1) their last album was nearly two decades ago and (2) that album "Fantastic Planet" was really, really good.
 
Padrino said:
haha, that's one of the things i love best about Failure's cover; the gorgeous clean guitar line that plays during the bridge cuts through the heavy distortion to create a really dynamic element that the original simply doesn't have. different strokes, and all that...

;)
Click to expand...

I've noticed you like your music heavier than I do!
 
funkykingston said:
Not sure if you know this or not, but Failure reunited this year and started playing gigs. I saw them open for Tool at Bill Graham in March and then they did a smaller headlining tour and were back in SF in May but I didn't go to that show.

Apparently they'll have a new album out next year. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out since (1) their last album was nearly two decades ago and (2) that album "Fantastic Planet" was really, really good.
Click to expand...

i didn't know that!! exciting news!! Fantastic Planet was, indeed, really good, and it'll be a helluva thing if Failure can shake off decades' worth of rust to put out something memorable. thanks for relaying that information.

:)
 
For my next pick, i'm going to select something that's totally different from the current crop of songs on my list. I have always liked Dia Frampton ever since I watched her on the first season of the voice. I like her voice, and I like watching her covers on youtube. My favourite cover of hers though was her performance of this song on the show's quarterfinal round.

Heartless - Dia Frampton


The original from Kanye West:


Album: The Voice (Digital Release)
Released: 2011
Original Artist: Kanye West
Original Released Date: 2008
 
My Favorite Things -- John Coltrane (1965)

I want some jazz on the island, and if I'm only going to have one song, I want one that has great playing. This one definitely qualifies. John Coltrane is amazing on soprano sax, and McCoy Tyner is equally amazing on piano. They take the familiar melody, twist it around, turn it inside out, and take off from there.


This song is from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music, which debuted in 1959. The video is from the blockbuster movie version (1965) starring Julie Andrews.

 
For my next pick,

I will take a sentimental favorite:

We've Only Just Begun - The Carpenters (originally a Crocker Bank commercial by "Freddie Allen")

 
63royals said:
My Favorite Things -- John Coltrane (1965)

I want some jazz on the island, and if I'm only going to have one song, I want one that has great playing. This one definitely qualifies. John Coltrane is amazing on soprano sax, and McCoy Tyner is equally amazing on piano. They take the familiar melody, twist it around, turn it inside out, and take off from there.

This song is from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music, which debuted in 1959. The video is from the blockbuster movie version (1965) starring Julie Andrews.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately I already took this one back in round 7.
 
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Oops, maybe I won't have some jazz on the island after all. :) Let's go with ...

One Way Out -- Allman Brothers Band (1972)

This is from their At Fillmore East album, which I think I've listened to more than any other album. The guitar work from Duane Allman and Dickey Betts is excellent throughout. The Allman Brothers played several blues classics, and this is my favorite of those.


According to the Wikipedia article, the origin of the song is muddled. It seems to have been originally recorded by Elmore James in 1960 or 1961, but was also recorded by Sonny Boy Williamson in 1961. Here is Elmore James' version.

 
I always think of that one as an Elmore James song but of course so many blues songs were played for decades before being recorded. But the whole "Dust My Broom" album is an often overlooked gem especially the trademark title track. I don't think James ever really gets his full due as a legend of the blues. The Allman Brothers definitely do a great rendition.
 
Yeah, NoBonus made his pick. It's sandwiched between 63 Royals first pick (Coltrane's "My Favorite Things" which was already taken and his makeup pick of the Allman Brothers "One Way Out")
 
Things did get a bit mixed up there. Somehow, the draft got turned around (William Blake went out of order) but it looks like everything is back to normal now. NoBonus did pick (Jespher hasn't yet updated the draft board on the front page to reflect this) and Entity has been on the clock as of last night.
 
Dime Dropper said:
So when does Entity time out? I can make a pick in the next hour or so, after that, I'll be gone for about 16 hours, at least!
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Not for another 7 hours. You can PM me your pick and I'll step in for you if you like. (There's really little chance of anybody overlapping at this point in the draft. Honestly, I would be surprised if there were any overlap at this point if we all just said "here are my last three songs" and laid them out, but...)
 
Capt. Factorial said:
Not for another 7 hours. You can PM me your pick and I'll step in for you if you like. (There's really little chance of anybody overlapping at this point in the draft. Honestly, I would be surprised if there were any overlap at this point if we all just said "here are my last three songs" and laid them out, but...)
Click to expand...

Thanks, Capt. I'll PM you my choice now.
 
I am Dime Dropper!

Since Entity has now timed out, and Dime Dropper is incapacitated (or, more likely, sleeping) he has sent me his pick in the interests of getting this draft on the road!

Dime Dropper selects:

Lauryn Hill - Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

 
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I am Capt. Factorial!

For my 18th pick I select:


Don't Explain by Cat Power (2008, on Jukebox)

Originally written and recorded by Billie Holiday (1946)

Chan Marshall, who records under the name of Cat Power, is an interesting singer. She does a ton of covers, but she basically never does a straight one - many of the songs are hardly recognizable. Don't Explain, a Billie Holiday standard, is one of these. Marshall not only sets Holiday's song to a new and haunting piano refrain, but she turns the song on its head as well. Billie Holiday's song is sung from a woman to a cheating lover: "I'm glad you're back, don't explain" but Marshall changes it up: "I'm going to skip out, don't explain" - in effect the song's message has shifted from "Don't explain, just come back" to "Don't explain, just get out", which is a 180 which seems appropriate for modern times.
 
Let's take a completely different route

This was the dramatic rendition of Carl Orff's most famous piece of music, how he wanted it to look but seldom performed as such nowadays. It was finally filmed by West German TV in 1975 with the close co-operation of Orff in honour of his 80th birthday. The various stories of young lust and gluttony are playfully and skillfully brought to life. This version of Orff's masterpiece of the sacred and profane was hard to find in Germany. Not so strange, it was banned there for decades, most likely because of its almost literal interpretation of the texts Orff put music to.

Carmina Burana

-- is a scenic cantata composed by Carl Orff in 1935 and 1936, based on 24 poems from the medieval collection Carmina Burana. (Wiki) Its full Latin title is Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanæ cantoribus et choris cantandæ comitantibus instrumentis atque imaginibus magicis (Songs of Beuern: Secular songs for singers and choruses to be sung together with instruments and magic images). (Wiki) (Imdb)
 
Ray Lamontagne- Crazy (2006)


Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (2006)


"Crazy" is the debut single by Gnarls Barkley, a musical collaboration between Danger Mouse and CeeLo Green, taken from their 2006 debut album St. Elsewhere.

Musically, "Crazy" was inspired by film scores of Spaghetti Westerns, in particular by the works of Ennio Morricone, who is best known as the composer of Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy, but more specifically the song "Last Man Standing" by Gian Piero Reverberi and Gianfranco Reverberi from the 1968 spaghetti Western Viva! Django (Italian: Preparati la bara), a sequel to the better-known Django.

"Crazy" not only samples the song, but utilizes the parts of the main melody and chord structure. The original songwriters for "Last Man Standing" are credited by Gnarls Barkley for this song alongside their own credits.

The lyrics for the song developed out of a conversation between Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo. According to Danger Mouse, "I somehow got off on this tangent about how people won't take an artist seriously unless they're insane... So we started jokingly discussing ways in which we could make people think we were crazy... Cee-Lo took that conversation and made it into 'Crazy,' which we recorded in one take."
 
I grew up listening to a lot of 70s folk music, and it continues to bring back nostalgic memories of my childhood. This is a great song, and the cover gives it a fresh take on the vocals and guitar solo. Simple, personal, poignant, and it continues to be enjoyable with multiple playings. With my 18th selection, I choose:

Landslide - Smashing Pumpkins (1994) Disarm


Original: Fleetwood Mac (1975) Album = Fleetwood Mac


More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landslide_(song)
 
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