Then I charged your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him.
I have a feeling posts like this are getting a little tiresome, but I wanted to get this one over with because it’s been sitting on my chest like a pointless cadaver for too long now.
A little while ago, back around when I was starting up Judges again (maybe April-ish), I started doing posts where I tracked cover songs & included the originals & their cover versions. I only did two of these posts before I realized the task was taking up my webspace & they weren’t all too interesting. But I still have a load of amazing covers that redefine the idea of a cover itself, & I might as well share them all with you in one big Youtube-laden post & just get it done. This music is all some of my favorite, but I understand if it does not appeal to everyone (that would be pointless & ridiculous, I think. [But secretly awesome]).
& before I begin, I wanted to write a little about the cover song, which I think is incredibly fascinating taking into account the discussion sparked by J. Groom’s post on the film Prom Night. If one thinks about the way music (& art in general) moves in an odd never-ending reciprocation of one or two very basic ideas or formats, then the cover song is an equally odd meta-musical moment, isn’t it? When an artist covers a song by another artist, it is almost as if they have recognized the inescapable way that a song is like a synonym, & have decided to take that idea & go beyond it all at once. (A sidenote: a song is like a synonym in the way it is only another way of sounding like something else, much as a synonym is just another way for one word to sound like another. In this way, the rootless history of music is just a thesaurus.) In this case, a cover song is perhaps the same as the film Scream, no matter what form it takes, as it recognizes its influences & uses the basic strands of these same influences (the strands being the same lyrics, or something resembling them, usually) to create something new. Yes, a cover song is a new song. But is it? (You see! No song is a new song!)
So, now that that’s done with, let’s let the music play.
“Dead Leaves & the Dirty Ground,” a White Stripes tune that is good on its own, if you’re into the blues-punk revival sort of thing. I was in 9th grade, & listening to it again, the song still holds up.
Having said that, Chris Thile‘s bluegrass-ified version is twenty times more rawkus. Less pigeonholed, more soulful. If you only listen to one song on this post, make it Thile’s “Dead Leaves” cover.
A song that was never officially released, but was recorded & written for Bob Dylan‘s Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid album/soundtrack, “Rock Me Mama” mostly consists of a brilliant chorus & mumbled half-lyrics for the verses.
In 2004, the song was covered & released by Old Crow Medicine Show as “Wagon Wheel,” with newly written verses & a bigger sound. I can’t get enough of this song, & I bought a guit-jo a couple days pretty much for the sole purpose of learning to play it.
“Roses of Picardy” was penned in 1916 & has been recorded by dozens upon dozens (maybe hundreds — okay, maybe not) of artists. I believe it was a post-World War I song, though I cannot say for sure. Regardless, here is how the original goes, or something close to it, as sung by Richard Tauber.
& the version I prefer, as performed by Dreamland Faces, an accordion/musical saw duo who make music for silent films.
Oh gosh, & another one I just remembered is “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” which is my favorite hymn of all time. It was written in 1757 by a 22-year old, & is absolutely rapturous. I don’t know which direction to point you to for an “original” version, other than your local church. As for my absolute favorite popularly recorded version of it, however, I turn to Sufjan Stevens. This banjo-&-chorus-laden style is one I adore beyond adoration. Just ignore the cheesy pictures of animals:
On their album Loaded, the Velvet Underground have a song called “I Found a Reason.” It is slow & reverbed, a classic Lou Reed sleeper that I never grew accustomed to or liked much.
Cat Power‘s version, which I have mentioned a couple times before on this blog space, is one of my favorite songs of all time. Okay, I will admit that it is probably my favorite song ever, flat & simple. If it does not break your heart, you might be a future-man/robot.
Yes, that’s a House fan video, no I didn’t make it. Never even seen that show. Just don’t watch the screen, let the music play. (I love using Youtube to share music! How strange of a method!)
I turn you now to a hit by the Rolling Stones: “Start Me Up.” You have got to recognize this song, it is classic early 80’s banter.
But this version by A Mighty Wind‘s The Folksmen (a fake band that plays real music, & plays it very well) is much more to my liking. Warning: lyrics.
Okay, only one more, I promise. & I have saved the best for last. In fact, the original version needs no introduction.
But the cover — oh my, this cover version is out of control. ODB & british accents? & saxophones all over the place. Did I mention ODB?? ODB! Warning: lyrics (Duh!! ODB!) — ignore the video, just listen to the music.
That pretty much spent me for the evening, I believe. But there is some amazing music in there, if you can sift through it all. Once more, a big head nod to Youtube. & a big head nod to anyone out there who’s jamming out to their own versions of their favorite songs (I think I might just play some “Wagon Wheel” on my banjo right now!).