Feb 152011
Not that I ever wished for Ellen Foley, specifically, to cover one of my favorite slightly obscure, early Rolling Stones deep cutz, but yikes! Maybe some other day I’ll find a cover of “Stupid Girl” that lives up to my hopes.
What cover of a favorite obscure song are you sorry ever came to fruition?
I don’t really have an example for the asked question, but I can tell you that over at Radio Free Fernie on the web, they play nothing but covers all the time. I have an app on my iPod that streams the station and last night I heard some godawful cover of a beloved Joe Jackson tune sung by some clueless chickie.
Is it worth bringing up Linda Rondstadt’s terrible covers of four Elvis Costello tunes? “Alison” in her hands was just baaaaaad.
I pretty much feel this way about almost all of the tribute albums out there…I know people have had kind words for the Leonard Cohen one, for example, but I would like to see a moratorium on these things. I would be hard pressed to think of one I would want to listen to. Nine times out of ten, the fleeting thought, “Oh, well, that sounds like a cool idea for So-and-So to sing that…” proves dead wrong. I have the Dylan “I’m Not There” soundtrack, for instance. I liked the movie, basically. Will I ever listen to the soundtrack? I will not.
“I would be hard pressed to think of one I would want to listen to.”
I liked a lot of the Victoria Williams tribute Sweet Relief, but that’s probably because I find her voice so grating, despite the fact that she has written some fantastic songs. In fact, I’m not crazy about a lot of the bands that were on that tribute (Pearl Jam, Soul Asylum, Evan Dando) but I really liked their versions of her songs.
“Soul Asylum….(shivers in horror)….”
I hear you, but I’ll still defend their version of Summer of Drugs.
Agreed on Summer of Drugs — best song on that album.
P.S. Minneapolis native who has to defend Soul Asylum — love “We 3” off And the Horse They Road in On — and “Somebody to Shove” off Grave Dancers Union.
Is it this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcdn_o-XxRo
How did Soul Asylum disappear so fast? One guy died, right? Was that the second-in-command guy? Is Dave Pirner homeless or something? I thought they were all right, but what do I know? I liked them as much as or better than The Replacements. “Somebody to Shove” was a very good song.
I think it’s one of those things where having a huge hit actually ruins your career. I know Dave Pirner had been living in New Orleans for a while at the time of Katrina, but I’m not sure he still lives there. I think Soul Asylum still exists, and at one point Tommy Stinson was covering the bass after their original bassist died.
Mmm…did the lyrics of “Runaway Train” specify a particular train by name? I smell a Last Man Standing opportunity… I didn’t mind that song, either. It was like their “Night Moves.” No one in the Hall holds that song against Seger, do they?
Yes.
I mean yes.
You’re just trying to pick a fight. Or be hurtful.
Am I crazy or did Mod write: “I liked them as much as or better than The Replacements.”
Oh, do tell.
I’ll see you on the Soul Asylum thread…
Wow. That video is really bad! I always liked Ellen Foley, but probably because I liked Night Court before Markie Post better than after (post?) Markie Post. Now I think maybe I don’t like Ellen Foley very much.