You know what's the worst? When you finish something, and you feel really good about it, and then you start to think of more you could have added? Well that happened to me a few days after publishing my last post about cover songs. And I thought about just going through and adding on to the previous post and adding a post published note, but why would I do that when I can come up with just as much content in a second post? So here we go. More cover songs.
Goldfinger: '99 Red Ballons'. Originally done by the band Nena, it always sounds so cheerful even though it is sung in German. New wave music always sounds so fun and happy. Goldfinger brought a new punk feel to the song, and it's in English. Except for the third verse, sung in German (awesomely).
Save Ferris: 'Come on Eileen'. Another punk/ska band covering an 80s song. Dexys Midnight Riders, notorious overall wearing band that they were, get overshadowed (in my opinion) by Save Ferris. Ska will always have a place in my heart from my high school days.
The Beatles: 'Twist and Shout'. The Beatles did cover songs?! Yes. A few years after the band The Top Notes released the song, the Beatles covered it on their debut album. The strained vocals of John Lennon, as legend has it, were from recording this song at the end of the session for the album after he had been singing. It works perfectly. And if you can't imagine anyone else singing it, we will always have Ferris Bueller.
Hanni El Khatib: 'You Rascal You'. You know you've heard this song even if you cannot pronounce this guy's name. It's been on several commercials over the past couple of years. The original, recorded in 1931, was done by Sam Thread and has been covered time and time again. Which seems to happen with songs or music that is that old. Different artists in different genres have covered this song, which adds to the entertainment of it. Sure, the song will be the same, but the interpretation of it can make it so much different. Honestly, when I first heard this version of the song, I thought it was Jack White. The singing and guitar playing is so similar.
Nirvana: 'The Man Who Sold the World'. Originally done by David Bowie, Nirvana famously did this cover during their 'Unplugged' set. If I had to make a top five list of live performances to have seen in person, Nirvana Unplugged would have to be up there. A very iconic set. And when you impress the original artist with your version, you know you've done something right.
Rage Against the Machine: 'Kick Out the Jams'. With the famous live line 'Kick out the jams, mother fucker!', you know that if this song were a person it would be moshing clockwise 24/7. MC5 were met with resistance with that line and were censored for it, but then again it was 1968. In Detroit. So you know Rage would love to cover this song.
20 November 2015
14 November 2015
Take Cover!
The great thing about music is that it is open to interpretation. Whether you are reading cryptic lyrics trying to figure what they mean or wondering what a song would sound like if it were played by someone else, it's always fluid. While I was perusing the internet the other day for background information on a band that I have started listening to, I came across a wonderful cover they did.
Below is a video of the Screaming Females covering Taylor Swift's 'Shake it Off'. While I am not the biggest fan of Swift, I have always given her credit for writing her own music and playing her own instrument. That is the main difference between a musician and an entertainer. Do they write their own stuff or play their own instruments? That sets them a step above those who do not. The Screaming Females give an edge to the song.
This led me to think of other songs that have been covered that I enjoy. Some times covers are good/great or can be just plain terrible. One fun thing about covers is to hear different styles of the song being played. It can be mind blowing or underwhelming or just the same as the original. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Below is a video of the Screaming Females covering Taylor Swift's 'Shake it Off'. While I am not the biggest fan of Swift, I have always given her credit for writing her own music and playing her own instrument. That is the main difference between a musician and an entertainer. Do they write their own stuff or play their own instruments? That sets them a step above those who do not. The Screaming Females give an edge to the song.
This led me to think of other songs that have been covered that I enjoy. Some times covers are good/great or can be just plain terrible. One fun thing about covers is to hear different styles of the song being played. It can be mind blowing or underwhelming or just the same as the original. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Heart: 'Stairway to Heaven'. Worthy of being covered themselves, Heart did this cover of this classic Led Zeppelin song a few years back during the Kennedy Center Awards. The three living members of rock's greatest band were in attendance and appeared to be in awe. The son of John Bonham, Jason, played the drums during the performance. How he can keep it together playing the same instruments for the same songs his dad played is beyond me. I would be a mess.
Jimi Hendrix: 'All Along the Watchtower'. When you are as prolific a singer/song writer as Bob Dylan, you are bound to have some of your music covered and redone. This is the case with 'All Along the Watchtower'. And holy shit, does Jimi Hendrix make it his own. Hendrix's version of the song is played so much, that sometimes you forget that Bob Dylan wrote and played it. That's just a cover song taking on a life of it's own. That would be like someone taking 'Voodoo Child' or 'Foxy Lady' and playing it so well that everyone needs to be reminded that Jimi Hendrix wrote and performed it.
Joss Stone: 'Fell in Love with a Boy'. A take on the White Stripes' 'Fell in Love with a Girl', Stone slows it down and makes it unbelievable. She did not make the mistake of trying to duplicate the Stripes. She took it in a different, sexy direction. Even changing out 'Girl' for 'Boy' in her version. I admit, that I had not heard this song before last week when I heard it on the radio. And I was floored by it.
The White Stripes: 'Jolene'. Speaking of the White Stripes, they covered this Dolly Parton song and released it on a live album. I do love me some White Stripes. More importantly, I love me some Jack White. Musically, he can do no wrong. I always thought that the White Stripes could cover the Beatles' 'I Want You (She's so Heavy)' or Zeppelin's 'When the Levee Breaks' and would do them both justice.
The Fugees: 'No Woman, No Cry'. A spin on Bob Marley's song, they move it from Trenchtown to Brooklyn and update some of the lyrics. On the back end of 'The Score' (one of the most important records in the past thirty years), it brings a calming effect to a tense, politically aware album. The final track on an album is just as important as the first, and I think that this is one of the best last tracks.
Honorable Mention:
The Gourds: 'Gin and Juice'. Yeah. That 'Gin and Juice'. I have no idea what Snoop thinks about this cover, but it is just great. This is an example of taking a song from one genre (rap) and taking it to a genre where it doesn't belong. I don't exactly know where I would classify the Gourds. Country maybe? At least this song is country-ish. It makes me smile every time I hear it. When we lived in Wichita, we would go out on Thursdays (because who needs to be productive on Friday?) and it use to be a karaoke night. The guy that ran it, occasionally played this song before getting the evening going.
Dishonorable Mention:
Aerosmith: 'Come Together'. I have never been the biggest fan of Aerosmith, so that fact makes it easy to shame them. They covered this Beatles song and it missed the mark for me. If you are going to cover a band as monumental as the Beatles, it better be a great cover. This one isn't. I talk about making a cover your own when you record, and Aerosmith did so. Unfortunately, they made it terribly their own.
The Fugees: 'No Woman, No Cry'. A spin on Bob Marley's song, they move it from Trenchtown to Brooklyn and update some of the lyrics. On the back end of 'The Score' (one of the most important records in the past thirty years), it brings a calming effect to a tense, politically aware album. The final track on an album is just as important as the first, and I think that this is one of the best last tracks.
Honorable Mention:
The Gourds: 'Gin and Juice'. Yeah. That 'Gin and Juice'. I have no idea what Snoop thinks about this cover, but it is just great. This is an example of taking a song from one genre (rap) and taking it to a genre where it doesn't belong. I don't exactly know where I would classify the Gourds. Country maybe? At least this song is country-ish. It makes me smile every time I hear it. When we lived in Wichita, we would go out on Thursdays (because who needs to be productive on Friday?) and it use to be a karaoke night. The guy that ran it, occasionally played this song before getting the evening going.
Dishonorable Mention:
Aerosmith: 'Come Together'. I have never been the biggest fan of Aerosmith, so that fact makes it easy to shame them. They covered this Beatles song and it missed the mark for me. If you are going to cover a band as monumental as the Beatles, it better be a great cover. This one isn't. I talk about making a cover your own when you record, and Aerosmith did so. Unfortunately, they made it terribly their own.
02 November 2015
Thoughts From a Deer Blind
I spent the last week in Michigan in an effort to provide food via hunting. I have been able to get back home in the fall the past several years in order to do so. Last year, I was unsuccessful. The two previous years, I was. Harvesting deer is down in Michigan, especially in the Upper Peninsula. There are several causes, one of the main ones is the weather. The past couple of winters have been harsh on the deer herd as it kills off many of the yearlings. That's just how it goes. Circle of life and all that.
When you sit out in the woods for hours at a time, by yourself, your mind has a tendency to wander. Mine does at least. Other than watching the wildlife around you, you have to keep your mind occupied. I thought what better way to help pass the time than to write down some thoughts as they came to and transcribe them here. I just thought it would be fun.
When you sit out in the woods for hours at a time, by yourself, your mind has a tendency to wander. Mine does at least. Other than watching the wildlife around you, you have to keep your mind occupied. I thought what better way to help pass the time than to write down some thoughts as they came to and transcribe them here. I just thought it would be fun.
- squirrels and blue jays give zero fucks about being seen or heard
- I think I'll grow my beard out a little bit this winter
- If deer were carnivorous, they would rule the woods because god damn are they quiet. They're like woodland ninjas
- Huh. I still get 3G out here
- This is better than watching the Lions
- What was that noise behind me?
- Ten more minutes, just ten more minutes (mornings)
- I could easily sit here all day
- badger badger badger badger MUSHROOM! MUSHROOM! (here's a link if you don't understand)
- no sun, set slower (evenings)
- everything in your peripheral vision is a deer until you look and see it's just a leaf
- fucking rain
- fucking porcupine
- no matter what, I'm having a better week than you
- is Gary Larson dead? (turns out, no)
- move slowly
- steady hand
- slow breath in and out
- safety off
- right behind it's shoulder
- steady hand
- exhale
- squeeze trigger
19 October 2015
Find the Real Cause
We all know the important awareness cause is in the month of October, don't we? Yes, we all do. Let's say it together on three. Ready? 1...2...3...domestic violence! Okay, I know there should not be an exclamation point after that, but you know how it goes when you get everyone shouting at once. Wait. That wasn't the cause you were thinking of? Why not? Oh, right. Because it is also breast cancer awareness month. Which is much. More. Marketable. Before you get your pink ribbons in a bunch, yes, breast cancer awareness is very important. Extremely important. No one will ever argue that. If they do, punch them in the throat. What I want to discuss is the NFL and the opportunity they are missing to clean up their image.
Since 2000, there have been 87 arrests involving 80 players involved in domestic violence. More information here from an article published in 2014. There are three well known players that were suspended last year. Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, and Adrian Peterson. Hardy and Peterson, served their suspension and are playing this year. Rice, by all accounts was past his prime, and is not playing this year. And by all accounts, he's done. Peterson and Hardy, on the other hand, are still considered stars in the league and that is why they are playing this year. Plus, Rice's act of violence was caught on camera, the others were not.
*Side note*
Even after the horrific video surfaces of Rice attacking is fiancee, beloved Tony Dungy thought Rice should have another shot at the NFL and wouldn't be a distraction to a team. This is the same man that thought Michael Sam WOULD be a distraction to a team. Sam, the first openly gay man drafted by an NFL team, never made an opening day roster.
*Side note over*
For all the efforts the NFL put into denouncing domestic violence, you would think that they would stand firm and blacklist these stars and set an example to the rest of the players of the league. But oh no, they can't do that. This is not to say that the other major sports do not have their problems, because they do. But, I don't think they have as much pageantry that the NFL does when it comes to honoring cancer survivors and remembering those that people have lost to the disease. Do I want the NFL to stop breast cancer awareness? Absolutely not. I just feel that they have a responsibility to acknowledge the domestic violence issue that the league has and maybe use their public platform to bring awareness to it. And, I don't know, use said platform to raise money or supplies to donate.
So they ignore an important cause in the month of October because they want to draw some attention to it, but not so much attention that they have to put forth any kind of effort in the eyes of the public. So they stick to having their players, and coaches, and referees, and announcers wear little pink ribbons, and wrist bands, and socks, and gloves, and they make sure that everyone remembers, that one cause (which cannot be controlled) is more important to them because saving everyone from cancer is more important than saving people from others.
*Side note*
Even after the horrific video surfaces of Rice attacking is fiancee, beloved Tony Dungy thought Rice should have another shot at the NFL and wouldn't be a distraction to a team. This is the same man that thought Michael Sam WOULD be a distraction to a team. Sam, the first openly gay man drafted by an NFL team, never made an opening day roster.
*Side note over*
For all the efforts the NFL put into denouncing domestic violence, you would think that they would stand firm and blacklist these stars and set an example to the rest of the players of the league. But oh no, they can't do that. This is not to say that the other major sports do not have their problems, because they do. But, I don't think they have as much pageantry that the NFL does when it comes to honoring cancer survivors and remembering those that people have lost to the disease. Do I want the NFL to stop breast cancer awareness? Absolutely not. I just feel that they have a responsibility to acknowledge the domestic violence issue that the league has and maybe use their public platform to bring awareness to it. And, I don't know, use said platform to raise money or supplies to donate.
So they ignore an important cause in the month of October because they want to draw some attention to it, but not so much attention that they have to put forth any kind of effort in the eyes of the public. So they stick to having their players, and coaches, and referees, and announcers wear little pink ribbons, and wrist bands, and socks, and gloves, and they make sure that everyone remembers, that one cause (which cannot be controlled) is more important to them because saving everyone from cancer is more important than saving people from others.
04 October 2015
The Importance of Disconnecting
As technology improves at what seems like a monthly basis, it is important to remember two things. 1.) it is important in today's society and 2.) it is important to step away occasionally. Yes, there are drawbacks to having this instant access, but there is also upside. It is nice to know what is going on in the world at any given moment, but it creates this addiction to instant information. Which can be harmful at times. Or just downright frustrating. I mean, how many times have we seen a news story retracted or revised because not all the facts are out or right, but the story is already all over the internet?
This is not only the lifestyle that the younger generations are growing up with, it is the lifestyle that the older generations have to adapt to. By the time the evening news is reporting a story that happened in the early afternoon, it's already considered an old story. If something happened at noon on a Tuesday, by three o'clock, all the details have come out and we are on to the next new story. You have to keep up or you are left in the news dust.
It's funny how older generations look at the younger generations right now in the way that they are always on their phones. They look at them as though they are disconnected from the world, whereas they are more connected than the previous generation. We no longer have to wait for the 5:00 news to find out what is happening. We can make fun of people taking selfie after selfie after selfie all we want, but they carry in the palm of their hands, instant access to everything everywhere and any given moment. It allows them to have that instant connection, and with that, more awareness of worldly events. They can know what is going on in Switzerland if they want. So even though they are staring at their phone screens all day long, they could be keeping up on current events. Either that or they are reading list posts from Buzzfeed. Is this a good thing though? Personally, I spend most of my lunch break on my phone. Reading articles, catching up on Facebook and Twitter. It allows me to know what is going on. Even though I work pretty early in the morning, the world still turns and important things are still happening.
With all that said, it is important to disconnect from it all. Let's face it, we live in a pretty fucked up society, and terrible stories are what a lot of the media thrive upon. When was the last time you watched the news and they only reported stories that made you happy? When was the last time you went through a news site that didn't have at least two articles written about an awful story? With all this instant access and continual updates, it can wear on you mentally. Find a topic that you are interested in. Read all about it. Continue to read all about it. How much is too much? How long before anything that you are reading isn't sinking in? It's like going to a lecture. How much information can you take in before you stop hearing anything that is being said. Same holds true for what you read. How many stories of bombings in the Middle East can you read before it just turns into 'another story'. How many stories of innocent people being killed by police can you read before you start forgetting their names?
Sure, you can step away from it all for an hour or two, but what good would that do for you? I suppose it depends on how much you can take in. Whenever I go home for vacation, I always feel refreshed by the time I get back to work. It's because I have minimum stress on vacation. Everyone needs to do that with the internet too. Take a few days off. Stay off social media. Stay away from the shit storm that is the world. Pick up a book and forget about it all. It is important for your mental health. Even if you don't think you need to, do it. Stop hitting the refresh button on your browser and it the power off button instead.
This is not only the lifestyle that the younger generations are growing up with, it is the lifestyle that the older generations have to adapt to. By the time the evening news is reporting a story that happened in the early afternoon, it's already considered an old story. If something happened at noon on a Tuesday, by three o'clock, all the details have come out and we are on to the next new story. You have to keep up or you are left in the news dust.
It's funny how older generations look at the younger generations right now in the way that they are always on their phones. They look at them as though they are disconnected from the world, whereas they are more connected than the previous generation. We no longer have to wait for the 5:00 news to find out what is happening. We can make fun of people taking selfie after selfie after selfie all we want, but they carry in the palm of their hands, instant access to everything everywhere and any given moment. It allows them to have that instant connection, and with that, more awareness of worldly events. They can know what is going on in Switzerland if they want. So even though they are staring at their phone screens all day long, they could be keeping up on current events. Either that or they are reading list posts from Buzzfeed. Is this a good thing though? Personally, I spend most of my lunch break on my phone. Reading articles, catching up on Facebook and Twitter. It allows me to know what is going on. Even though I work pretty early in the morning, the world still turns and important things are still happening.
With all that said, it is important to disconnect from it all. Let's face it, we live in a pretty fucked up society, and terrible stories are what a lot of the media thrive upon. When was the last time you watched the news and they only reported stories that made you happy? When was the last time you went through a news site that didn't have at least two articles written about an awful story? With all this instant access and continual updates, it can wear on you mentally. Find a topic that you are interested in. Read all about it. Continue to read all about it. How much is too much? How long before anything that you are reading isn't sinking in? It's like going to a lecture. How much information can you take in before you stop hearing anything that is being said. Same holds true for what you read. How many stories of bombings in the Middle East can you read before it just turns into 'another story'. How many stories of innocent people being killed by police can you read before you start forgetting their names?
Sure, you can step away from it all for an hour or two, but what good would that do for you? I suppose it depends on how much you can take in. Whenever I go home for vacation, I always feel refreshed by the time I get back to work. It's because I have minimum stress on vacation. Everyone needs to do that with the internet too. Take a few days off. Stay off social media. Stay away from the shit storm that is the world. Pick up a book and forget about it all. It is important for your mental health. Even if you don't think you need to, do it. Stop hitting the refresh button on your browser and it the power off button instead.
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