The words that tell me nothing
I have several theories on why the only things I want to write about lately are music, movies and stupid rumors:
- The real news makes me really depressed. Even The Daily Show has gotten depressing.
- There's good music around these days, and fun movies to be seen, like Superman: The Movie last night on A&E, which is a lot funnier than I remembered.
- My brain has gone into full blockhead mode, where there's no movement or spark, and words are hard to come by.
In contrast to yesterday's heated discussion about hype, today's thoughts are on unexpected pleaures, and the joy of listening to music for the sole reason that it just sounds nice. The record that's been capturing my lazy fancy is the Nouvelle Vague* record, whose concept—two French producers and an assortment of breathy female vocalists do airy bossa nova covers of (mostly) British new wave songs—sounds as potentially horrible as it does intriguing.
The end result, though, is nothing but enjoyable. Well, it actually mis-steps in a couple of spots ("Love Will Tear Us Apart"'s vocalist is a little too coy), but for the most part, it's just a nice romp with the beauties of pop music, natural-sound reverbed production, and tropical-beat rim clicks and shakers.
Nouvelle Vague, "In A Manner Of Speaking" (originally by Tuxedomoon)
Nouvelle Vague, "I Just Can't Get Enough" (originally by Depeche Mode, as if you didn't know)
I had never heard the Tuxedomoon song before, and from the sound samples I went searching for out of curiousity brought on by loving the above version, there's a good reason. Then again, there's something to be said for which version you hear of a song first being your favorite, but that's another topic for another time.
* This ecard "site" is better than the official website and has the full album streaming.
8 comments:
Okay, I'm impatient, and so the other time for that other topic is now.
Question: What cover version of a song that you already knew the original version of do you like better than the original version?
I'll probably get crap for my answer, but I think I actually like the Langely Schools version of "God Only Knows" a little better, just because it's so impossibly heartbreaking. I adore the Beach Boys version of the song, but it just doesn't have the sad quality that you get with a choir of kids.
I really like the Foo Fighters' version of "Baker Street". Turning that saxophone line into a hard rock guitar riff is just brilliant.
Cowboy Junkies' "Sweet Jane."
That's a great one, Scott, but...I don't know about you, but I heard and loved the Cowboy Junkies version before I ever heard the Velvet Underground version.
In the vast majority of cases, it's usually the version you hear and love first that you like the best. That's the way it's supposed to sound. I just love it when someone can reinterpret a song you already know and love so that you like it as much if not more than the original.
Tad Howard's cover of the "Friends" scene change interlude.
You're right about the first version you hear usually setting your standard. There are also a lot of songs that were rerecorded by the same artist that I think sound better than their original versions, simply because I heard the later version first.
By the way, that Nouvelle Vague sounds A LOT like The Talking Heads.
although you were probably setting us up to say Touk's version of "Girls, Girls, Girls" (which, by the way, I really did love), I'd have to say that my fave is the Pixies cover of "Head on". Serious consideration to the Sundays' version of "Wild Horses". See also, Matt Pond PA's version of "Holiday Road".
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