Feb 092008
I was out trolling the Web for more information on the Stones masterpiece “Moonlight Mile,” when I found this:
… a performance that rendered me pretty speechless. The inanity of the band’s song choice, however, got me thinking about all the covers I’ve heard that were just *wrong*, for so many reasons. I’m not sure any of the ones that sprang to mind were as bizarre and ill-conceived as this one, but I thought I’d throw the topic out there for consideration.
And the sky’s full of snow… and the sky’s full of snow…
HVB
HVB, that was brutal. I think the one picture of them near the Golden Gate bridge was from a film they did the soundtrack to that we saw in school about great buildings and inventions. They sang some song that repeated “Building the impossible, they said it couldn’t be done” over and over. I hated it, and it stuck in my head like learning how to tie my shoelaces. It still bubbles up now and then, and I’m sure it will again today.
That’s the Stones’ song??? I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of the original, so I didn’t mind this take on it. What a great series of outfits that video displayed.
Hey, Mod:
?!
Yours,
HVB
Hey, Hrrundi:
I’ve given up waiting on your thoughts re: my thoughts on the types of Steve Wonder songs for which I hold contempt. If I’m motivated, I’ll pull out the Stones’ version of “Moonlight Mile” and try to recall what I really think about it. I often like the trimmings of those tuxedoed, late-60s, groovy pop songs, even when the songs or performances themselves suck.
I like the Stones version of Moonlight Mile very much, and I didn’t mind the 5D version. The audio was kind of crappy, so it’s hard to make the call. Doing it with mostly group vocals does strike the ear as strange, since we’re so used to hearing this as a Mick song, one that feels more personal than he usually is.
A stupid inappropriate cover? The one that comes to mind if REM doing King of the Road.
As for the topic you’ve thrown out there, Hrrundi, I’m having trouble figuring out what makes a cover “inane” or “wrong.” I know if a cover is bad, but I’m stumped on covers that simply have no chance of working. Any suggestions on what criteria I should be looking for? I mean, excluding whether I already dislike the band (eg, Duran Duran’s cover album had little chance of working for me, but not because of their song selections).
By the way, I had “Moonlight Mile” mixed up with another Stones song from that post-Exile period that I usually don’t spend much time with. The Stones original is superior to the 5th Dimension version, but as I listened to it I started thinking about how much it reminded me of a great Elton John song. Then I poked around and found out that Elton’s arranger, Paul Buckmaster, did the strings!