Songs that should NEVER be covered


sorabji.com: What are you listening to?: Songs that should NEVER be covered
THIS IS A READ-ONLY ARCHIVE FROM THE SORABJI.COM MESSAGE BOARDS (1995-2016).
By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Thursday, May 21, 1998 - 07:50 am:
    Ok. Let's face it folks, there are just certain songs, for various reasons, that should NEVER, EVER be covered. Not even in "Tribute" fashion.

    The one song that immediately springs to mind is Prince's "Purple Rain." How absolutely stupifying is it that LeAnn Rimes has recorded a cover of a Prince song? I love LeAnn to pieces and think she has an awesome voice, but hey, some songs are just off bounds. Just as ludicrous, say, if Prince (or whatever he thinks of himself as these days) recorded "On The Road Again."

    Anyone have any other songs to add to the list?

By Pet on Thursday, May 21, 1998 - 12:42 pm:
    Judy Garland "owns" Over The Rainbow.

    Frank Sinatra "owns" My Way and New York, New York (or whateverthehell that song is called)

    Barbra Streisand "owns" Evergreen (and she's welcome to it. Sorry CarrieAnn!)

    WARNING: ATTEMPT NO COVERS. FAILURE TO HEED THIS WARNING MAY RESULT IN THE LOSS OF LAUNDRY ROOM PRIVILEDGES!!!

By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Thursday, May 21, 1998 - 05:20 pm:
    LOL... and Pete, not to be picky, but The Chairman of the board co-owns NY,NY with Liza Minelli. She originated it.

By Pete on Thursday, May 21, 1998 - 09:14 pm:
    Yeah, but who ever heard HER version? Not me. Not most people I'll bet....

By R.C. on Thursday, May 21, 1998 - 10:14 pm:
    She did it in her one woman show on Broadway years ago (which was probably the last time I went to the theatre). But it's available on CD -- "Liza with a Z" I believe it was called.

    I truly do not think "Embracebale You" shd be covered by anyone now that Sarah Vaughn has passed on. Ditto for her version of "Lush Life". And NOBODY better go near "Strange Fruit". Billie Holliday wrote it/but for me/Nina Simone owns it. Last but not least/no one/& I mean No One/better mess with Marvin Gay's "Trouble Man" or they shall be dragged out back & shot!

By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Friday, May 22, 1998 - 12:08 am:
    I've discussed this particular thread with several friends, and all agree Liza gets equal billing for NY,NY.

    One more...

    Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole

By R.C. on Friday, May 22, 1998 - 12:36 am:
    And his rendition of "Nature Boy" -- if that's the title. ["There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy..." That always sends me.] Altho' I think Sinatra covered that one somewhere. But I haven't heard it.

    I am strangely but deeply saddened by his death. The 2 performers I will always kick myself for never seeing live are Sarah & Sinatra. I wasn't a huge Sinatra fan. But noboby cd touch his phrasing... And it's a shame that no one's ever tried to imitate his style/so that it wdn't have died with him.

By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Friday, May 22, 1998 - 09:38 am:
    Harry Connick, Jr (THAT STUD!!! GRowlllll!), when he sings in the big band style, sings in the Sinatra vain. Check out the "When Harry Met Sally" soundtrack, if you don't already have it, R.C.

    I'm embarrassed to say, I don't think I've heard a whole lot of Sarah Vaughn recordings. I can tell you though, that one of my favorite possessions is the two CD set, "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook." Oh man!!! Talk about phrasing! *swoon* Her rendition of "Begin the Beguine" brings me to tears every time. And I love her "Miss Otis Regrets!!!"

    Yes, Nat, sang "Nature Boy." I LOVE the melody to that. And his rendition is faboo. Daughter Natalie is one fine singer herself, and I know you'll probably shudder R.C., but she does a MEAN "Lush Life" on the "Unforgettable" album. She kicks major ass on "Swingin' Shepperd Blues" on the "Take a Look" album.

    Ah, music, ROCKS!!!

By PetRock on Friday, May 22, 1998 - 01:41 pm:
    One of the ex-singers of Manhattan Transfer, Janis Siegel, covered Trouble Man on an album. Actually I kinda enjoyed that. I would say that some songs are just so good, that anyone can cover them and it still won't make you forget the original. Tears of a Clown by English Beat....a great song but I still love the Smokey Robinson & The Miracles version more. The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole....maybe the best version I've ever heard, even though, for example, Karen Carpenter does a fine version of her own....

    And who hasn't covered Yesterday? Does it make you forget the Beatles version? No matter how much you enjoy the cover? Probably not.....

    (And I still prefer Sinatra's version of NY, NY, even though I am unfamiliar with Liza's....and Sid Vicious did get some good mileage out of My Way. My fave Sinatra tune would have to be Summer Wind)

By Nate on Friday, May 22, 1998 - 02:17 pm:
    There was a cover done of "Embraceable You" called "Embraceable Ewe". I forget who did it, though.

    It had a country vien to it.


By PR on Saturday, May 23, 1998 - 01:47 am:
    A little bit of sheep lovin going on here?

    Baaaaaaaah....

By Nelly on Saturday, May 23, 1998 - 03:07 am:
    Speaking of covers that should never have been done, i saw, at the end of an old, bad B movie, Frank Sinatra covering "Ol' Man River"... it was one of those TV moments when you want to crawl under the sofa...

By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Monday, May 25, 1998 - 11:58 pm:
    I have more....

    Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain - Willie Nelson

    What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong



By Hello on Wednesday, August 19, 1998 - 07:57 pm:

    Isn't Satchmo's What A Wounderful World a cover? I know there are already at least a few different versions of the song; but I definitley agree that Armstrong made the best of the crop.


By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Wednesday, August 19, 1998 - 10:58 pm:

    Howdy hello. You are correct. Willie's "Blue Eyes..." is a cover too.

    But both are quintesential recordings.


By Rhiannon on Monday, September 13, 1999 - 07:50 pm:

    Miss Ella owns a whole bunch of 'em.

    "Angel Eyes" (ugh, how can anyone bear Frank Sinatra's version after hearing hers? Or "The Lady Is a Tramp" for that matter?), "Body and Soul," "Why Was I Born?" "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," and "Love for Sale." Hers. You can't take them away from her.


    Chet Baker -- now say what you will about him -- in my very humble opinion does the best "My Funny Valentine" I've ever heard. Very simple and smooth. All good.


By Waffles on Monday, September 13, 1999 - 07:57 pm:

    Let's Get Lost is another one of Baker's that no one should ever ever touch.....but knowing what i know, I suspect someone like Chris Isaacs, being asimilar looking pretty boy would probably do one if he hasn't already


By Droopy on Monday, September 13, 1999 - 09:38 pm:

    i first got turned on to chet baker when i heard him doing "almost blue" from the "let's get lost" soundtrack.

    e.c. himself said that chet baker was his favorite singer. that's gotta count for something.


By Friendly on Monday, September 13, 1999 - 10:05 pm:

    no one should ever cover this


By Rhiannon on Monday, September 13, 1999 - 10:43 pm:

    How could they?

    ~~~~~~
    Who's E.C.? Eddie Cantor?


By Musicman on Monday, September 13, 1999 - 10:46 pm:

    elvis costello


By Rhiannon on Monday, September 13, 1999 - 10:54 pm:

    ohhh. wow, that *is* saying something.


By Droop on Monday, September 13, 1999 - 11:11 pm:

    you do realize elvis costello wrote "almost blue", right? it's off "imperial bedroom". chet baker covered it for the movie made about him in '89 (i think).

    by the way, i have no knowledge of ella doing "motherless child", but i've heard sarah vaughn sing it. i've also heard memphis slim do a version.


By Friendly on Monday, September 13, 1999 - 11:29 pm:

    this one, however, should be on every damn karaoke playlist everywhere. shawn smith is the best singer ever. sound quality has been sacrificed for file size.


By Waffles on Tuesday, September 14, 1999 - 11:40 am:

    i want to understnad your links...all i see is weird mumbo jumbo being thwon on a wide screen


By JusMiceElf on Wednesday, September 15, 1999 - 02:00 pm:

    Personally, I have a soft spot for unusual covers.

    The Austin Lounge Lizards doing an uptempo sendup of "Brain Damage" by Pink Floyd

    The Dixie Chicks, in their original, pre-pop incarnation, singing "You Send Me."

    The Oysterband with Nick Lowe's "Rose of England," and New Order's "Love Vigilantes." Both done spectacularly.

    Boiled in Lead with Springsteen's "Mr. State Trooper," and Boney M's "Rasputin." effin brilliant, what.

    And then there's Boney M, singing "King of the Road," a song that's meant to be covered, but as disco??? It's a hoot!

    And everyone should check out Kermit Ruffins doing "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead."


By Droop on Wednesday, September 15, 1999 - 02:26 pm:

    A.L.L's "brain damage" is a favorite of mine, too.

    So is Switchblade Kitten's version of "My Heart Will Go On (theme from Titanic)".


By Friendly on Wednesday, September 15, 1999 - 02:57 pm:

    i dunno, waffles. try right clicking and saving it that way. are you maybe on a mac? webTV? you're not missing much so don't sweat it.


By J on Wednesday, September 15, 1999 - 03:23 pm:

    I,m telling you all you NEED to hear the Recliners,you would thank me if you did,and Mike Flowers,tripping music.


By Jinafishes on Thursday, September 16, 1999 - 01:20 pm:

    I really don't think Gold Dust Woman should have been covered by Courtney Love. She's far from a gold dust woman. More like Trailor Trash Woman.


By J on Thursday, September 16, 1999 - 02:11 pm:

    She is a hole huh?


By Jinafishes on Thursday, September 16, 1999 - 04:02 pm:

    Oh she definately is.


By J on Thursday, September 16, 1999 - 04:37 pm:

    I,d wouldn,t throw the first punch,but if you called her a ho and she throws the first punch,then you wouldn,t go to jail for wiping the streets with her,I think she killed him.


By MapleLeaf on Thursday, September 16, 1999 - 04:40 pm:

    *thinking J is becoming my heroine*.....go girl!!!







    and YES she did


By J on Thursday, September 16, 1999 - 05:10 pm:

    You can give the bitch money,but you can,t buy class.


By Semillama on Thursday, September 16, 1999 - 07:38 pm:

    another reson why it's called detroit ROCK city:

    Back when Cobain was still moping about the face of the planet, Love and Hole were playing in detroit. Hole shows up at the club underneath St. Andrew's Hall, The Shelter, drunk as all mighty fuck and making a scne, threatening to kick all the girls' asses, and gets kicked out by a bouncer, shaking and yelling obscenities. When he was informed of her identity, the bouncer replies, "Oh, I thought she was one of the whores from Woodward Avenue."


By Jinafishes on Monday, September 20, 1999 - 07:42 pm:

    Hole sucked up until they put Melissa Auf Der Maur in as bassist. She's awesome I love her, and her voice is beautiful so maybe Courtney will learn a thing or two.


By J on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 10:01 am:

    Don,t count on it.


By Waffles on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 01:37 pm:

    maybe courtney will just die. grunge to gucci unfuckin believable. Didn't whats his face...uh...um...Billy Corgin write half the album for them.......? melissa though.....hubba hubba


By J on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 02:18 pm:

    I don,t want Courtney to die,I want her to get in MAJOR trouble that she can,t buy her way out of,andend up in prison for life,with no parole.


By Perfidy on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 02:27 pm:

    She might at least take a bath and put some underwear on now and then...


By J on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 02:30 pm:

    She could also get a broomstick shoved up her!


By MapleLeaf on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 02:43 pm:

    Whoa....it seems J has strong feelings re: Courtney.

    Now...how do you REALLY feel about her?


By Waffles on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 02:52 pm:

    perhaps kurt would still be alive if it wasn't for that whiny naggin, BUTT UGLY gold diggin no talent bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbitch


By J on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 03:00 pm:

    She killed Kurt I tell you,I hate the cheap bitch!!


By Perfidy on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 03:11 pm:

    Didn't mean to start a hate fest. Really it's just that whole underpants thing that bugs me. I don't know why...


By Waffles on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 03:43 pm:

    grunge to gucci she makes me sick and she looks like an even more repulsive version of Nancy (sid and nancy)


By Rhiannon on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 05:08 pm:

    The great David Yow was once asked if he liked Courtney Love (she allegedly had a fling with his guitar player, Duane Denison). He said no. Point blank. He did say Melissa was a very nice person, though. I trust his judgment.


By Perfidy on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 05:46 pm:

    So it's agreed. Courtney is a no talent. Also the fact that anybody knows who she is points to bathos of mankind as thinking life form.

    Did someone re-make Free Bird into a soft disco tune?


By Rhiannon on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 05:57 pm:

    Ooh, how could I forget? My Fleetwood Mac song! Even *they* didn't do too well with it on that last live album.


By Waffles on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 06:18 pm:

    no but they should just to irritate people like me





    much like nelson's impeccable timing, where is the long hair who sits up and screams "play some skinnard man!!!"


By Simon on Tuesday, September 21, 1999 - 09:35 pm:

    I think if I had to look forward to waking up next to her every morning I'd suck on a Remington too.

    It was obviously more pain than heroin alone could alleviate.


By friendly on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:13 am:

    the fact that so many people are thinking about her when they don't even know her is what irritates me the most. who cares about courtney love?


By Gee on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:48 am:

    goddamn you all.

    I am leaving this thread. I am not coming back to it. The fact that a man killed himself, abandoning his wife and baby, and you're all blaming his wife is making me sick.

    Think about how you would feel if someone you loved killed themselves, and people kept telling you it was because of You. I hope you never have to go through that. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.


By Swine on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 01:02 am:

    pass the beer nuts.


By friendly on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 01:45 am:

    here ya go, pass the beer.


By Wwaffles on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 11:05 am:

    your so sensitive Gee


By Swine on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 11:18 am:

    maybe she's guilty.


    beer's in the fridge. help yourself.


By J on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 11:30 am:

    She killed him Gee,and had his ashes stuffed in a teddy bear,and she,s a fucking piss poor mother,wasn,t she doing heroine when that baby born,didn,t they almost take the baby away?


By Waffles on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 11:39 am:

    ............mmmmmmbeer for breakfast


By Droop on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 11:44 am:

    aren't martinis the breakfast of champions?


By J on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 11:47 am:

    A joint and a Bloody Mary that,s my breakfast,tomatoe juice is good for you.


By Waffles on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:04 pm:

    thats brunch Droop...it's not quite breaksfast its not quite lunch but its served with a slice of cantelope


By Swine on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:15 pm:

    martinis are one of the most foul drinks ever concocted.

    second only to the manhattan.


By J on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:17 pm:

    I can,t handle scotch.


By Swine on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:34 pm:

    i change my mind. the martini *is* the most foul drink ever concocted.

    at least manhattans don't have onions and olives in them.


By Rhiannon on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:48 pm:

    I second the attack on martinis. They just taste...diseased.

    A sidecar, on the other hand, is zestifully good. So is mead.


By Waffles on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:53 pm:

    a sidecar is a trendy drink........scotch on the rocks with a zip of coke works like a charm.


By Rhiannon on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:55 pm:

    Trend or not...them things are good. Kinda strong, but good.


By Droop on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 12:55 pm:

    i was referring to the vonnegut book "breakfast of champions". a waitress in a bar would serve a martini (i'm pretty sure) and say "breakfast of champions!" the martini as a sort of symbol for american capitalism, the drive to succeed, and all its attendant problems.

    everybody knows that coffee with a shot of whiskey is the breakfast of champions.


By J on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 01:11 pm:

    Then why do I feel like a champion on some Bloody Marys??


By Droop on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 01:43 pm:

    hell, i feel like a champion on martinis and manhattans.

    as you will.


By Swine on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 02:01 pm:

    i feel like a champion after huffing a can of roach spray while hanging from my gravity boots, but ya don't hear me braggin' about it.


By J on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 03:06 pm:

    God this reminds me of a Queen song(not one of the better ones either)after 2 joints and 2 Bloody Mary,s,we are the champions of the world.


By Fetidbeaver on Wednesday, September 22, 1999 - 10:35 pm:

    Hmmmm.....add roach spray to shopping list along with 100.000 ephedrine tabs, anhydrous amonia, coleman camping fluid, red phosphorus, get out of jail free card......


By JusMiceElf on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 01:25 am:

    Goddam, Rhia! Sidecar's been my drink of choice for the past six years. Made right, they're right yummy.


    As for mead.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....especially spiced. My housemate's got some mead in the basement, ready to be bottled.

    'course a pint of old speckled hen'll do me just fine too.


By Rhiannon on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 09:12 am:

    Can you get mead in the States?? The only time I've ever had it was when my Lithuanian piano teacher offered it to me, and she had had it specially imported from her homeland.

    Damn, that's some fine stuff. One sip and you know why it was the beverage of the gods.




By J on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 09:26 am:

    Chaucer,s Mead,I get it at Cost Plus,I love it too.I use to have a boyfriend who made his own.


By Rhiannon on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 09:56 am:

    It's made from honey, right?


By J on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 10:31 am:


By Waffles on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 11:01 am:

    mead? somebody help me out here.


By JusMiceElf on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 11:58 am:

    there are a couple of brands out there, Chaucer's being one, and I think that's the one that comes with the little spice pack that you're supposed to put in the pan when you mull your mead. Mmmmmmm tasty warmed spiced mead on a cold winter's night. Me, I just plop the two spice packs (they look like teabags) right into the bottle as soon as I uncork it. It's your typical mulling spices, cinnamon, allspice,cloves, etc, and it gives the mead a nice flavor. I tried a couple of other brands too, but I can't recall what they are offhand.

    Waffles, Mead is a fermented honey drink. Technically, it's different from honeywine, but don't ask me how.

    When you homebrew it, you're basically supposed to put it down in the cellar for about a year or so, and forget about it, then bottle it when you stumble across it while looking for your snowshoes.


By J on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 11:58 am:

    Just imagine you are Zues getting high at Mount Olympus,just kicking back at home,drinking your mead,then getting all tingly and go off looking for a nymph.


By JusMiceElf on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 12:01 pm:

    Mmmmmmmmm......J, you summed it up right there.

    All tingly and off to find me a nymph.


By Semillama on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 06:23 pm:

    To veer suddenly back onto a previous part of the thread, Kurt was a chicken shit bastard who got rich by ripping off the Pixies and spawned shit bands like The Offspring and Green Day by making the suits realize they could re-package punk and sell it to snotty teenagers who wouldn't know real punk rock even after I shoved my size ten jungle boot up their rooty-poo candy asses.


    Although NEvermind is a very good album, one of the best the Pixies or Sugar never did.


By Waffles on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 06:54 pm:

    well, i hardly see similarities between the Pixies and Nirvana......and I regard Pixies as one of the most creative, unique bands of the 80s and 90s. I think Nirvana was very represenative of people like me, a new wave of angst filled teenagers who were being labeled and classified (gen x) before we were even outta high school. Forget the baby boom, they had us pegged and locked since the mid 80s. Stereotuped and classified. That to me is what Kurt and therefore Nirvana represented. And the sucky fuck bands like Offspring, Rancid etc owe a tremendous amount to the likes of Nirvana. Green Day were just sell outs period. They had some good music but that break through album was just too pussy, I mean emo core was always pussy, but that was it. If you look at their first lp on Lookout records, they printed, at least the first pressing of it anyway, a letter from a major record label asking them to sign and they show their polite and cordial "fuck you" in response. this was in 89 or early 90 I beleiev. A good 2-3 years before they went big. And one day, they just sold out period.

    And I fully admit that when the "punk" thing appealed to the suits and middle america I was nonetheless pissed too. Like i have said before, slamming and moshing became a weekend sport for fuckin fratboys. they had no idea of the roots of it or why it became such a thing. I worked at record store around those times and i was the biggest dick to ever Letter Jacket wearing fucker who came and scored a $35 Nirvana bootleg or some stupid fucked up "punk" band like rancid or the Offspring. The did in fact homgenize punk. ANd yes your could argue Nirvana were sell outs, but at least there were good at what they doing long before they were sell outs, and well after.....and before Nevermind I recommend Bleach, this was before David Grohl, also there is a rare 10" record with Burroughs reciting the Junkie Priest with Kurt wailing on guitar. The only disapointment with that is it was recorded seperately.


By Waffles on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 07:14 pm:

    furthermore, i found it amusing that those moshing frat boys and cheerleaders never bothered to read or listen to Kurts lyrics, overall he despised most of his audience, based on his lyrics anyway.


By Simon on Thursday, September 23, 1999 - 08:23 pm:

    Zeus drinks Anchor Steam. He told me.


By Swine on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 01:00 am:

    blah blah blah blah blah.


    and blah.


By Droop on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 01:36 am:

    you know, i liked toots and the maytals' version of "take me home, country roads."


By Gee on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 03:17 am:

    I just spent a good deal of the day looking at pictures of naked God's, and I was shocked by the fact that they weren't very well endowed.


By Gee on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 03:18 am:

    Oh wait...this was the thread I left, wasn't it? Darn!! I can't remember anything! Well, I still think you all suck.


By Swine on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 03:58 am:

    guilty.


    guilty of bitchery.


By Rhiannon on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 10:51 am:

    Isn't that a line from Faulkner?


By Semillama on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 02:33 pm:

    Droop -reggae band's cover tunes are always awesome. Check out Jimmy Cliff's "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" or Toots' "Louie, Louie". I also have a thumpin' version of "I wanna KNow what Love Is" on a compilation.


    Nirvana: Bleach was very good, I will agree, but Nevermind was better. I remember first hearing Bleach sitting in my friend's dormroom back in early 91, and my other friend Dan telling me that this band would be the next big thing. Since then, I have always trusted him on what bands are worth listening to, and he hasn't been wrong by me (Kitchens of Distinction, Love Spit Love and Joe jackson are some of the acts he's turned me onto).

    And the quiet verse -loud chorus is totally a Pixies thing, and Cobain admitted that they ripped off the Pixies for "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

    by odd coincidence, I am listening to one of Cobnain's favorite bands, the Meat Puppets.


By Waffles on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 02:52 pm:

    don't forget the Vaselines...and yeah Pixies could have been an influence...i didn't see it that way........i see Nirvana as a little less controlled with their angst and nihilism. Where as Pixies seemed a little more refined and even romantic.........


By Rhiannon on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 03:13 pm:

    Speaking of ripping off the Pixies...has anyone heard Modest Mouse? It's just shameful.

    Have you heard Tori Amos' cover of "Teen Spirit"? Whatever you may think of her, she really does a good job of capturing the secret sadness of that song.


By Droop on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 03:17 pm:

    i've heard all of those, semillama. there's a local radio station that has jamaican/carribean/african music shows five nights a week where i live. the dj's are all local guys from africa or the west indies who bring in their own record collections - you get to hear a lot of different and obscure stuff.

    one of the most amazing covers i've ever heard is by a nigerian reggae band called mandator - "coat of many colors" by dolly parton.

    reggae artists seem strangely attracted to country music.


By J on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 03:27 pm:


By friendly on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 04:47 pm:

    although i think their singer/guitarist is an asswipe, modest mouse are much more than merely pixie rip-offs. everyone's ripping off someone. the art is in the delivery. three-note riffs are ubiquitous but three-note riffs that ROCK are precious and few. nirvana could make three, even two notes rock. that's their talent. kyuss do the same thing. melvins can make one note rock at 6 beats per minute. it's a lot harder to pull that off than it might sound. it takes the soul of an artist and it's so obvious when it's there and even more obvious when it isn't.


By Rhiannon on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 04:56 pm:

    It's true...Modest Mouse is not without talent. I like that "Dramamine" a lot. But that singer sounds so much like Black Francis, it's beyond a coincidence. At least be subtle about your influences.


By Waffles on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 05:11 pm:

    i believe there is nothing new anymore.....it's all been done...we all have our influences (as musicians) it's just a matter of how you regurgitate those influences and how interesting the final outcome is.

    Example

    Stereolab "ripped off" VU, Can, Faust, Silver Apples and Pink Floyd. And nowdays they have had a samba influence as well.

    HOWEVER, they do it well. Their songs are indeed unique and original, the sounds and maybe the techniques may not be "new" per sey but their songs are indeed their own.

    In my photography, i don't deny the few influences I have, and my aesthetics certainly have been done before, however, my images are indeed MY images, they may be similar to others by coincidence and maybe not, BUT it's MY eye, and MY craft.

    I think the same can apply to music. Not to mention hwo many Stereolab rip offs there are out there, and most of them, if not all suck at it.....


By friendly on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 05:30 pm:

    yeah, i haven't heard much stereolab. that kind of music holds my interest for about a minute. i think, "this is pretty cool, who is this and where can i get it?" then after a minute, i've had enough and start looking for exit signs. undoubtedly, stuff i like has that effect on others.

    rhiannon, you could also say they sound like the fall and sometimes even bob dylan, not so much in sound but in delivery. "styrofoam boots" has strong hints of both.


By Waffles on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 05:44 pm:

    yeah....tHE fALL......thats it....good one..


    remember the wedding present?


By Rhiannon on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 05:55 pm:

    My beef with Modest Mouse is that they *complain* when people compare them to the Pixies. That's like you, Waffles, taking a close up picture of your wife's eye with 2 water drops on her eyelids and tons of mascara on, and then getting all huffy when someone says it reminds them of a Man Ray photo. Ummm...duh.

    Paul Valery also said (about poetry) that there's no use in trying to be original, because it's all been said. I believe that, too. Sort of.

    Same with the quiet verse-loud chorus business. Sure, some people are writing songs like that to cash in on the guaranteed-successful formula. Others just happen to write songs with that structure, and it sounds really good when they do it, and they would have done it even if Nirvana hadn't existed.



    Ahhh, I just don't like Modest Mouse.


By Rhiannon on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 06:00 pm:

    The people, that is. There music is nice.


By friendly on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 06:27 pm:

    i don't think i've heard the wedding present. i used to have every fall album except dragnet. i never could find that one. i think the album that defines them the best is the 10" "slags, slates, etc." mark e. smith is a trip.


By Waffles on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 06:33 pm:

    similar english new wave/pop rock, however the wedding present was overall more happy...the fall were a little more punk


By Jinafishes on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 07:10 pm:

    I saw Modest Mouse in Seattle at RKCNDY with Built to Spill and boy did they suck. That was the way beginning, I don't know how they are now. Pedro the Lion sucks too. Peter Parker is really good.


By Rhiannon on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 07:22 pm:

    Built to Spill...my brother refers to that band as "the band that sounds like Modest Mouse"...interesting. I like Built to Spill, but only one song at a time. His voice is too much for me to take for very long. THough that song "I Would Hurt a Fly" is incredible, IMO.


By Waffles on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 07:25 pm:

    Built to Spill is just an all round good indie band, they have good riffs and tunes, ya think?


By Jinafishes on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 07:33 pm:

    Yeah, I think so, I really like the riffs, I don't know what cd it's from, I think the one before the newest one has the song "Kicked it in the Sun" good song. I turned it into the cd store though, I kinda feel bad about that, but I never listened to it. Turned it in with Sebadoh, I just do not like them. Built to spill though is good, Ben Folds Five does a cover of Twin Falls Idaho and it's really good.


By Semillama on Friday, September 24, 1999 - 10:17 pm:

    I think I can explain some of the affinity between reggae and country music: Besides the obviuos roots in Caribbean folk and African rhthyms, a lot of early reggae artists (including Toots) were influenced by what they could catch of American radio, which included early rock and roll and early country. I think the connection lies the emphasis on the "2" and "4" beats that comes across in early country. The vocals seem to take more from the early R'N'R, tho, like "Miss Jamaica" and "shotgun". Other tunes don't seem to have asmuch a connection though, like one of my all-time favorites, "Carry Go Bring Home".


    I would've talked about The Wedding Present and Modest Mouse, but I know absolutely nothing about them.


By friendly on Saturday, September 25, 1999 - 12:49 am:

    well, i don't have any wedding present but here's a few modest mouse songs. i don't necessarily love them but they're all right. i like built to spill a lot more. actually, there's no comparison between the two except maybe for indie status.

    take your pick, my dsl (shut up, swine) is working better now. these links should be good for a while.


By Waffles on Sunday, September 26, 1999 - 04:35 pm:

    anyone heard jessamine? Seattle band, possibly defunct now, on Kranky label outta chicago.....good stuff...


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