Ad Absurdum (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ad00absurdum) wrote2013-09-29 08:25 pm
ad00absurdum) wrote2013-09-29 08:25 pm
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Various Artists - Please, Please, Please, a Tribute to The Smiths. Part 2
Time for CD 2 of Please, Please, Please, a Tribute to The Smiths. Hm, it hasn't been a week since CD 1 - I must be tougher than I thought. All right, let's be brave then and without further ado, begin at the beginning:
1. Telekinesis - Sheila Take a Bow
Pretty similar to the original track except the vocalist has a whiny voice that brings to mind Liam Gallagher. Not an association I particularly care for, but that's a question of taste (or lack thereof. No sorry, I'm joking. Sort of. No, I am :) )
Otherwise this attempt falls rather flat, it has to be said.
2. Solvents - Is It Really So Strange?
Ouch, my ears. But I've never liked country, so the nicest thing I can say about this cover is that it's short. The melody is reduced to acoustic guitar, drums (a drum?) and a violin. And a guy singing into a metal bucket (seriously, the echo?). Oh, and then towards the end, a girl joins him in the chorus. What for isn't explained.
3. The Wedding Present - Hand In Glove
Damn, I like The Wedding Present, but I don't buy this version. Still, it's one of the better ones on this album. It's noticeably heavier than the original, full of distorted noisy guitars. Pity the bass line went out of the window, tough. The vocalist seems better suited for something other than this song too - there's something that just doesn't fit here.
I quite like the abrupt ending, though.
4. Mike Viola And the Section Quartet - How Soon Is Now?
As the name of the artist and the accompanying "band" suggests, this is indeed played entirely on strings. Quite interesting, especially how they did the "swamp" effect. And they even played the whistling :)
If only there was no singing. Then it might even be a bit more than bearable. The vocalist - Mike in question, I suppose - has got a really really annoying voice but, as always, you can't have everything.
5. Trespassers William - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Oh no, this is going to be a dirge. A slow dying in other words, considering the lyrics (see, see, a pun :) ) And this is probably just my problem, but I hate American accent in British songs. Even from a female vocalists with nice voices.
Also, the band probably are trying to put the listener to sleep. Quite humane of them, I'm sure, seeing as there are five tracks still left.
I don't know, some cover of this song could probably be good, but this isn't the one. There's no drama of the original, no passion. Remember the second verse? the one about "darkened underpass"? You can hear the hope and desperation and then quiet retreat in the words Morrissey was singing, in how he was singing. Here? absolutely nothing. The underpass is full of sleepy hipster kids, it looks like.
6. Girl In a Coma - Rubber Ring
Well, with a name like this, you have obligations. And what? And... you managed to surprise me.
This starts like another godawful country song until the vocalist starts singing. Then it gets interesting. I really like that woman's voice (Polish listeners may find it a bit similar to Monika Brodka. That's a plus, people). I could even go as far as to say I would love to hear more of Smiths songs sung in that voice, but the music would have to start being listenable as well. That might be a problem.
I like the ending - not as creepy as the original, which is actually good, and those whispers are great.
7. Elk City - I Know It's Over
At first it sounds like just a slightly cheaper version of Vini Reilly's guitar work. Then we have, umm, rhytmic pop. I do like the bass line here even though there's nothing left of Rourkey's sliding (forgive me, Andrew). A bit dance-y version - but fit for a decent indie disco - which is especially obvious in the chorus. And yet, despite all of that, I can listen to it without too much wincing. Amazing.
8. Katy Goodman - What She Said
You know, I'm starting to suspect the sole idea behind the music arrangements on this album was to make lullabies from the most energetic songs and vice-versa. I'm yawning for real now.
Also, I think the vocalist sings "what she read, all heavy books". Yes, she probably read encyclopedia, LOL.
9. Cinerama - London
Cinerama - the name actually sounds familiar. If I could only remember why. Anyway, maybe it's not that great a loss because listening to this cover doesn't inspire confidence in the band whatsoever. Remember what I said about the idea for musical arrangements here? that's right, another dirge. Only peppered with sound effects of a radio set being tuned (you know, the scratchy sound of foreign radio stations).
Whatever for, you ask? I have no idea. It doesn't add meaning to the song, it doesn't do anything actually beside being vaguely irritating. It's like the band got into the studio, got their hands on the sound library and took to it like a horse to hay.
10. Doug Martsch - Reel Around the Fountain
Oh. My. God. The drummer knows what he's doing. And the bassist too, somewhat (catch me, I'm gonna faint from shock). The guitarist indulges in wah-wah somewhere in the middle, but it can be forgiven.
This cover is probably the one of the most faithful to the original. The guys here don't try to make the song better / something terribly inventive / radically different / WTF is that? and it does them credit. It's a simple straightforward cover that gives you an idea why there can never be another band like The Smiths. Not for the lack of trying.
And thus we end our journey into this album's depths. Well, okay, it was more like splashing in a shallow kiddie-pool, occasionally encountering belly-upped fish, but you get the idea.
Good night and thank you.
1. Telekinesis - Sheila Take a Bow
Pretty similar to the original track except the vocalist has a whiny voice that brings to mind Liam Gallagher. Not an association I particularly care for, but that's a question of taste (or lack thereof. No sorry, I'm joking. Sort of. No, I am :) )
Otherwise this attempt falls rather flat, it has to be said.
2. Solvents - Is It Really So Strange?
Ouch, my ears. But I've never liked country, so the nicest thing I can say about this cover is that it's short. The melody is reduced to acoustic guitar, drums (a drum?) and a violin. And a guy singing into a metal bucket (seriously, the echo?). Oh, and then towards the end, a girl joins him in the chorus. What for isn't explained.
3. The Wedding Present - Hand In Glove
Damn, I like The Wedding Present, but I don't buy this version. Still, it's one of the better ones on this album. It's noticeably heavier than the original, full of distorted noisy guitars. Pity the bass line went out of the window, tough. The vocalist seems better suited for something other than this song too - there's something that just doesn't fit here.
I quite like the abrupt ending, though.
4. Mike Viola And the Section Quartet - How Soon Is Now?
As the name of the artist and the accompanying "band" suggests, this is indeed played entirely on strings. Quite interesting, especially how they did the "swamp" effect. And they even played the whistling :)
If only there was no singing. Then it might even be a bit more than bearable. The vocalist - Mike in question, I suppose - has got a really really annoying voice but, as always, you can't have everything.
5. Trespassers William - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Oh no, this is going to be a dirge. A slow dying in other words, considering the lyrics (see, see, a pun :) ) And this is probably just my problem, but I hate American accent in British songs. Even from a female vocalists with nice voices.
Also, the band probably are trying to put the listener to sleep. Quite humane of them, I'm sure, seeing as there are five tracks still left.
I don't know, some cover of this song could probably be good, but this isn't the one. There's no drama of the original, no passion. Remember the second verse? the one about "darkened underpass"? You can hear the hope and desperation and then quiet retreat in the words Morrissey was singing, in how he was singing. Here? absolutely nothing. The underpass is full of sleepy hipster kids, it looks like.
6. Girl In a Coma - Rubber Ring
Well, with a name like this, you have obligations. And what? And... you managed to surprise me.
This starts like another godawful country song until the vocalist starts singing. Then it gets interesting. I really like that woman's voice (Polish listeners may find it a bit similar to Monika Brodka. That's a plus, people). I could even go as far as to say I would love to hear more of Smiths songs sung in that voice, but the music would have to start being listenable as well. That might be a problem.
I like the ending - not as creepy as the original, which is actually good, and those whispers are great.
7. Elk City - I Know It's Over
At first it sounds like just a slightly cheaper version of Vini Reilly's guitar work. Then we have, umm, rhytmic pop. I do like the bass line here even though there's nothing left of Rourkey's sliding (forgive me, Andrew). A bit dance-y version - but fit for a decent indie disco - which is especially obvious in the chorus. And yet, despite all of that, I can listen to it without too much wincing. Amazing.
8. Katy Goodman - What She Said
You know, I'm starting to suspect the sole idea behind the music arrangements on this album was to make lullabies from the most energetic songs and vice-versa. I'm yawning for real now.
Also, I think the vocalist sings "what she read, all heavy books". Yes, she probably read encyclopedia, LOL.
9. Cinerama - London
Cinerama - the name actually sounds familiar. If I could only remember why. Anyway, maybe it's not that great a loss because listening to this cover doesn't inspire confidence in the band whatsoever. Remember what I said about the idea for musical arrangements here? that's right, another dirge. Only peppered with sound effects of a radio set being tuned (you know, the scratchy sound of foreign radio stations).
Whatever for, you ask? I have no idea. It doesn't add meaning to the song, it doesn't do anything actually beside being vaguely irritating. It's like the band got into the studio, got their hands on the sound library and took to it like a horse to hay.
10. Doug Martsch - Reel Around the Fountain
Oh. My. God. The drummer knows what he's doing. And the bassist too, somewhat (catch me, I'm gonna faint from shock). The guitarist indulges in wah-wah somewhere in the middle, but it can be forgiven.
This cover is probably the one of the most faithful to the original. The guys here don't try to make the song better / something terribly inventive / radically different / WTF is that? and it does them credit. It's a simple straightforward cover that gives you an idea why there can never be another band like The Smiths. Not for the lack of trying.
And thus we end our journey into this album's depths. Well, okay, it was more like splashing in a shallow kiddie-pool, occasionally encountering belly-upped fish, but you get the idea.
Good night and thank you.
no subject
You, on the other hand... poor, poor aa. Two CDs full of bad covers. I sympathise.
no subject
To tak samo jak z Eurowizją (BTW, nie wiem czy również odczuwasz tę niepowetowaną stratę tego, że nasza telewizja się wypięła na konkurs i już go nie transmituje. Ja tak, ale być może to tylko ja). Występy były porażające, ale ubaw był lepszy niż na niejednym kabarecie. No i można było się wrednie ponabijać.
Ech, gdzie te czasy...