Curtis Mayfield - Hard Times.
In the current state of the world, let's just forget the title of the album... "There's No Place Like America Today" was released in 1975, and is probably Curtis Mayfield's best album. Short but so soulful.
Now, can we really say that "Hard Times" by Curtis is a cover of Baby Huey's song ? Well, Baby Huey's "Hard Times", a timeless classic released in 1971, was actually written and produced by Mayfield.
While Baby Huey's version was enhanced by a deep voice and a powerful orchestration, Curtis make his song very quiet, relax yet sophisticated, almost sexy, paving the way for Prince and Pharrell Williams.
Gary McFarland - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.
You wouldn't expect a jazzman to cover such a rock anthem as the Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". But, in a way, McFarland totally makes the song his. The jazzy vibe is completed by a latin vibe, thanks to McFarland's favorite instrument, the vibraphone.
So, expect a light touch, so far away from the agressive guitar riffs of Keith Richards. And surprisingly, the two versions were printed on record the same year, in 1965. Well... so were a dozen covers, including Otis Redding's. An instant rock classic ? Nah, it crossed genres.
MPB 4 & Quarteto Em Cy - Because.
It's hard to keep a covers compilation 100% Beatles-free. Featured on the classic album "Abbey Road", the Lennon-wirtten ballad "Because" was covered 9 years later, jointly by Brazilian groups MPB 4 and Quarteto Em Cy.
Gathering so many guys allowed them to reproduce the Beatles' vocal triple overdub with the same efficiency. It may be lacking audacity, but there's a latin feeling nonetheless.
El Michels Affair - Shimmy Shimmy Ya.
In case you don't know, the guys of El Michels Affair are huge Wu-Tang fans and proved it many times. So, after a bunch of covers recorded on 7", it was only a question of time until they release a tribute album.
This cover of Ol' Dirty Bastard's most famous song starts with the unforgettable piano notes crafted by Rza on the original song ; horns follow, with the bass and, because "Wu-Tang is for the children", a kids choir strike up the most significant lines of the song. "Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang" !Oh, and I didn't mention the dope drums break in this track. A very interesting tribute to the late ODB.
Stevie Wonder - Bang Bang.
In 1966, Stevie Wonder's career as a hitmaker was 3 years old. In 1966, Stevie Wonder stopped being called Little Stevie on covers. In 1966, Stevie Wonder was 16. Yes, sixteen. Yet, on his "Bang Bang" cover, he already sounded so mature, so in shape. It's like his voice hasn't changed since then.
Written by Sonny Bono, and originally sung by Cher (yes, Cher is old enough to be your grandmother), "Bang Bang" was recently made famous under the voice of Nancy Sinatra, thanks to Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill". Stevie's version easily matches in emotion Nancy's bass-driven cover. Stevie's features bright voices and strings. And the drums, wow ! Now sing it.
Ben L'Oncle Soul - Crazy.
Ben is a French soul singer, who devoted his young career to instil a drop of Motown and Stax spirit into the music industry. He appeared on the scene with a cover of "Seven Nation Army", quickly followed by a EP of covers, titled "Soul Wash".
"Crazy" was a tough pick to make a cover. Indeed, how to find the formula to turn a club funk anthem into a soul tune ? Well... make it faster than your usual soul song, with well laced drums, and you got it. Add Ben's voice, less surprising than Cee-Lo's but still dope, a symphony of bass, horns, organ and a saloon-style piano... wow, that makes a lot of ingredients. That's how smart Ben is. By the way, he tours in Europe and the US.
It really is difficult to avoid the Beatles discography when making a covers compilation... Out of the classic soul album "Is It Because I'm Black", here is the cover of "Come Together" by Syl Johnson.
Like all good covers, it's good because it's different. Organs and guitars have the top spot, while the drummer tries to reproduce Ringo Starr's famous tom sounds. Strangely enough for a soul track, drums seems to be mixed low compared to the Beatles' original.
But what's really remarquable about this cover is of course Syl's voice, so raw, so... Syl.
Another proof that the music industry can do great things. "Persian Underground" is a compilation of rock songs from the 60's and 70's ; the kind of tunes that you would have never heard without a few meticulous guys.
Complain about the recording quality if you like, but you'll have to admit the simple (but psych) orchestration is quite refreshing. The singer of Takkhalha clearly tries to make a Mick Jagger impersonation, but a good one. This kind of track is funny to listen to, when you think about it, considering the current political and cultural state of Iran. Once again, cultural tribulations are linked to political evolutions, and records act like fingerprints of time.
If you've never seen it, do yourself a favor and go watch "The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou". For Bill Murray, for Wes Anderson, for Owen Wilson, for Cousteau, for whatever reason...
As a soundtrack to the movie, some guy had the great idea of recording Brazilian guitarist and singer Seu Jorge (who makes recurrent cameos in the movie as a member of Zissou's crew). Seu Jorge recorded several covers of David Bowie, enough to make an album, alone with his acoustic guitar. Well, he was wearing Cousteau's red hat also. But it's not your usual cover song, as Seu translated them in Portuguese. The flavor is original, and sticks in everyone's mind just like the figure of Bill "Steve Zissou" Murray.
1 comment:
http://www.mediafire.com/?lcpwx44cj3h57k3
Post a Comment