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Topical Section - The Tributes & Covers Desk:

 
    • Cylob said...
    • User
    • 27 Jan 2007, 11:12

    Topical Section - The Tributes & Covers Desk:

    Welcome to the Tributes & Covers Desk:



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    Edited by Cylob on 28 Apr 2008, 10:30
  • My Recent Obsession


    Don't know if I am playing this repeatedly because its the first album in seven years from one of my favorite bands, or because The Beatles songs they are covering are so great. Probably some of both. I was excited before it came out, and am even more excited now that I've listened to it 30 to 40 times.

    There's lots of good essays in the liner notes, both about this Smithereens cover of Meet the Beatles, about the original album that introduced many people in the USA to the Beatles only to be later "downgraded" in favor of the less-original-material UK release With the Beatles, and about the Beatles first Ed Sullivan appearance and Carnegie Hall show.

    Track picks:
    I Want To Hold Your Hand
    I Saw Her Standing There (Where the Ramones got their 1,2,3,4 count)
    This Boy
    I Wanna Be Your Man (vocals by drummer Dennis Diken, in tribute to Ringo)

    "Just like I knew what I was doing" -- Foe
  • On Smiths tributes and the like

    There are few bands out there with a fanbase as obsessed as The Smiths; a circumstance due to which there are innumerable tribute albums to the band, ninety percent of which (of those that I have heard) are ninety percent rubbish, not so much for tainting a gently beautiful song with their hardcoreness (you wouldn't believe the amount of hardcore punk emo lordknowswhat tributes to the Smiths out there, e.g. The World Still Won't Listen, which is entirely hideous, or How Soon Is Now, which actually has its listenable points and, with the inclusion of Cursive, Hundred Reasons, YOURCODENAMEIS:MILO and Million Dead, isn't even a couple of no names trying to sell something) or whatnot but for doing very, very little to it at all, which in most cases has to result in something not entirely unlike a bad karaoke rendition. For this reason and others (some of which I myself don't understand yet), bands that I love and adore have failed to record satisfying (to me) versions of the songs I love and adore - such as There Is a Light That Never Goes Out. The Lucksmiths do it marginally better on one of the few tributes I can listen to from beginning to end painlessly, Matinée's Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware. There is nothing innovative on there, nor any carbon copy of the original, but none of the tracks really sounds mortifyingly awful, either, and since indie pop/twee is a style I'm very fond of in general I use it more as a compilation for that than as a Smiths tribute. I might not know Pipas yet if it weren't for this collection and I'd certainly regret that.
    There is also a bizarre little gemstone called Pizni is The Smiths, which I only came across when I looked up The Ukrainians after hearing The Wedding Present's Ukrainian sessions (their ex-guitarist Peter Solowka formed the band). Of course it's of interest mainly due to its novelty character - the Smiths covered in Ukrainian of all languages! (I believe there are Spanish and Italian covers as well, and the odd reference in other languages*, but they don't seem half as interesting, somehow ...) My favourite out of these songs is probably Batyar, otherwise known as Bigmouth Strikes Again. I've no clue if what they're singing is in any way related to what the original lyrics said, but it sounds fun. The Weddoes connection brings us to London. I've never liked Cinerama as much as TWP and I probably never will - they made "London", one of the fastest tracks ever to involve Morrissey, an exceedingly slow affair, but without making it dark or heavy or any such things, it's just another nice indie pop song. I should probably give them points for daring to turn the song into its opposite tempo-wise, but frankly I would have preferred hearing it done same-old same-old by The Wedding Present (see also: their cover of Getting Nowhere Fast).
    I mentioned The Divine Comedy's "There Is ..." - it's to be found on (amongst other places, I suppose) The Smiths Is Dead, which I noticed over time comprises more 'big' names than I was aware of upon first listening to it. Frankly, Mr Shankly is charming in a similar way as David Bowie's very first recordings for Deram, "Love You 'Til Tuesday" et cetera, soft, quietly smirking sixties pop. I've never heard or read Morrissey's opinion on this, but I like to assume he'd like it. Never Had No-one Ever is quite close to the original, similarly depressing, similarly dull (I'm no fan of the big Depressing In Both Lyrics And Music Smiths songs, not at all - see also: "I Know It's Over", done here by The Trash Can Sinatras, who, despite being a band of my liking in general, manage to turn it from the plainly tenacious into something sickly annoying vaguely resembling your best mate's little brother's two-week-old Radiohead tribute band). The standout for me is the opener (the album is track-by-track cover of The Queen Is Dead, in case you didn't notice), The Queen Is Dead, which through some fascinating turn of events manages to sound nothing like a)The Boo Radleys or b)"The Queen Is Dead".

    *my favourite out of which being Wilhelm, Das War Nichts, certainly a wink to William, It Was Really Nothing - although the two songs themselves have nothing whatsoever in common neither lyrically nor musically. In this context I suppose it's impossible not to mention Steven, You're Still Really Something, the 'reply' to the song (thus of mildly tributing character as well, no?) after rumours came about that the Associates' Billy MacKenzie - rest in piece - was the subject of "William ..." - which in fact he was most likely not; the song is near-clearly at least partly inspired by Keith Waterhouse's "Billy Liar" or John Schlesinger's film version thereof (both of which I may add are brilliant and absolutely hilarious and the connection may just be the main reason I still listen to "William ..." regularly). The Decemberists, in turn, recorded a song called "Billy Liar" that has nothing whatsoever to do with neither book nor film, but who knows if old Colin Meloy didn't only watch it (then use the title) because of Morrissey? At least he recorded Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey, which has the character of a student party coming to its end with just one bloke and a guitar left, but because of its utter modesty, because you feel that playing these songs for you now is a wish come true for him, it's very worthwhile listening.

  • Various Artists - Fast N' Bulbous



    I was looking in an old record store for some Captain Beefheart when I found this. It features XTC, Sonic Youth, and some other great underground bands of the eighties. It was a lot better than I originally expected it to be. I play it fairly regularly now. Apparently the same company put out a tribute to Syd Barrett. I'd be very interested in checking that out...

  • "Just like I knew what I was doing" -- Foe
    • [Deleted user] said...
    • User
    • 30 Jan 2007, 04:21
    Pick of the Week:

    Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon



    A wonderful album for fans of the late, great American songwriter Warren Zevon. I hate Adam Sandler with a passion, but I even manage to appreciate his Werewolves of London cover. ;)

    The best part about this album is it's not just one of those stupid label tributes where they get a bunch of no names they want to promote, this album actually has contempories of Zevon paying their respects to the man and his work. I'd say getting Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen to contribute to a tribute album is a pretty good start!

    Track Picks:
    Mutineer (Live)
    Ain't That Pretty at All
    Studebaker (A song Warren wrote but never recorded, performed by his son).

    • Ronek said...
    • User
    • 30 Jan 2007, 04:41
    I just got this:


    And I have no Idea how to tag the artist correctly...don't wanna spoil my playlist but I'd really be interested in listening to it.
    The official name is "Read:Interpreting Bjork" - any ideas?

    • Cylob said...
    • User
    • 2 Feb 2007, 12:45
    It appears to be a regular tribute album (discogs).

    Track Artist: Whoever's playing that track.
    Album Artist: Various.

    Björk should only feature as part of the album title.

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    • Ronek said...
    • User
    • 18 Feb 2007, 21:19
    Yet another question (I just didn't find it on discogs):

    Any information about Bluegrass Tribute to Audioslave available maybe?
    Or will I have to tag it "Various Artists"?
    Don't like that thought, I must admit...

    • Cylob said...
    • User
    • 18 Feb 2007, 23:10
    I can't find anything either. AMG & CDDB also came up with "Various Artists".

    I'd be more inclined to tag it "Unknown Artist", as that'd be more accurate.

    I'll copy this the Correct Tagging Kiosk, as Ghozza may have some answers. :)

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    • [Deleted user] said...
    • User
    • 18 Feb 2007, 23:35
    If the packaging doesn't say (or gives a really long list of artists with no primary artist), then I tend to use the record label as the artist. For example, I have a bluegrass AC/DC tribute album I've labelled as "CMH Records". Not ideal, but better than nothing.

  • i heard a cover version of Tomorow Never Knows [the beatles] the other day, by The Chameleons, tagged on at the end of an album, bonus track i assume, just after 'john, im only dancing' as a matter of fact, and funnily enough later in the day i heard another cover of it, and although i cannot find it right now, i thought it was on a reggae meets rai cd i have, it was an indiany guy singing, for all i know it was the original, the beatles nicked a few tuned from india im lead to beleive, lucky guy [child of nature] anyway.
    now u know.

    stab me 'til i cum
    • [Deleted user] said...
    • User
    • 21 Feb 2007, 13:21
    Has anyone ever heard a reggae cover version of Upside Down?

    I haven't actually heard it myself, just heard of it. If you know who the artist is, can you please let me know. Thanks!

    • Cylob said...
    • User
    • 21 Feb 2007, 13:39
    I'm thinking it wasn't The Muffs. :)

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  • Has anyone ever heard a reggae cover version of Diana Ross – Upside Down?


    Perhaps by Ms. Dynamite?



    Dogsbody and Minor Functionary At: Artist Expert: Richard Thompson and related
    • [Deleted user] said...
    • User
    • 28 Feb 2007, 03:03
    milkbone said:
    Perhaps by Ms. Dynamite?


    I really should've said at first that it's a male who's covered it, i think it's from the 80's too. Thanks anyway tho'.

    • Cylob said...
    • User
    • 25 Mar 2007, 18:57
    Pick of the week:

    El Baile Alemán (1999)



    A bizarre acid jazz tribute to Kraftwerk, recorded in the Chilean Andes.

    If you ever need cheering up, this is guaranteed to have you layed out on the floor.

    Choice Cuts:
    Showroom Dummies
    Tour de France
    The Robots

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  • I've recently realize that Jeepster is just about the best cover ever.

  • save_ferris444 said:

    I really should've said at first that it's a male who's covered it, i think it's from the 80's too. Thanks anyway tho'.


    Well, allmusic.com shows a listing for Engine 54 doing the song on an album called Ska Ska Scandal, Vol. 4. There's another version by The Rebels on an album called Caribbean Jam.



    Dogsbody and Minor Functionary At: Artist Expert: Richard Thompson and related
  • Arrived in the post today



    Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man

    This makes my third Leonard Cohen tribute album. This one is from live performances arranged by Hal Willner. I wonder if it will measure up to I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen.

    "Just like I knew what I was doing" -- Foe
  • Heyy! Here's a good cover..

    Click here, go to the 3rd song, titled "Gatsby's American Dream", and play. This is a cover of Just Like Heaven, by Gatsby's American Dream.

    What I need to live has been given to me by the earth.  Why I need to live has been given to me by you.  ~Author Unknown
    A Virtual Necessity
    • Cylob said...
    • User
    • 21 Apr 2007, 18:29
    It's time for "100 Great Cover Songs"...

    You know the drill, copy/paste the below into the next post and add one of your own. Keep it A-Z and in plain text.

    Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Neil Young)

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  • cool, well i'll go for the obvious ones:

    Bloodgasm - Into The Void (Black Sabbath)
    Dog Fashion Disco - Grease (That musical, John Travolta, haha)
    Jimi Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan)

    Saint Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Neil Young)


    i was kinda struggling, so i just went for jimi.

    stab me 'til i cum
  • mark ronson just released a cover album, didnt he.

    stab me 'til i cum
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