There is a line in this song that goes “There’s gonna come a time when the true scene leaders forget where they differ and get big picture ‘cause the kids at the shows, they’ll have kids of their own and the sing-along songs will be our scriptures.” I’m old enough that this is happening now.
In light of that, I’m going to spend the rest of the year highlighting our scriptures.
Originally by Jimmy Cliff
All posts in the month of August will be covers.
This one is actually a cover of a cover and probably requires some backstory.
The song is originally by Jimmy Cliff and was released in 1969. In 1974, Harry Nilsson and John Lennon recorded an album called Pussy Cats, in which they covered Jimmy Cliff, as well as several others, like Bob Dylan and Jimmy DeKnight. Wikipedia tells me this was Lennon’s “Lost Weekend period,” which explains the rowdy feeling the album has.
Turns out, The Walkmen are huge fans of the Pussy Cats album and joked about covering it. Then, as all good jokes do, it went way too far, and they actually recorded a song-for-song cover of the album. Releasing it only 5 months after their last “proper” full-length album.
So, cover of a cover.
There are several decent songs on the album, but for me Many Rivers To Cross, is hands down the best.
God I love this album.
Originally by The Rolling Stones
All posts in the month of August will be covers.
There is a collection of bands that I appreciate what they did, but would be thrilled if I never heard them again. The Beatles, The Velvet Underground (or any Lou Reed for that matter), and The Rolling Stones, among others.
I completely understand why these bands are important. I do, I swear, but I’ve moved on.
Originally by Bruce Springsteen
All posts in the month of August will be covers.
Atlantic City is easily one of my favorite songs of all time, if not the favorite. Hell, it was the first song posted here. So it's no easy task to make a version of this song I’m going to like, but The Hold Steady did.
The piano intro is a great melancholy intro, exactly what you would expect for this song, then the balls kick in. It's such a perfect ape of the “big Springsteen” sound.
Easily one of the best performances I saw at Fest 9.
Originally by Oasis
All posts in the month of August will be covers.
I know this was a HUGE hit for Oasis, but this cover is so perfect that, at least for me, it has completely crushed the original out of existence.
