Covers can cast too wide a range of range of choices; do you go with the transcendent versions of classic songs? The forgotten gem that takes on new life? The bombastic tune that gets knocked down a few pegs? The ironic castaway?
In many ways, I tried them all and it still felt like I gave short shrift to the songs I wanted to include, which could mean a possible revisit in the future. I stayed away from the really obvious choices, meaning the likes of the Shatner and whoever wound up an Idol nowadays remained piled by the woodshed for a future fire.
After starting with the old CBS Special Presentation blipvert, the Mylo-involved electro take on the Guns'n Roses staple seemed nice, especially in contrast to the decidedly earnest, recent Taken By Trees version. Things sorta hopped around in the synthetic space before taking the bossa nova Pastel Vespa route to the actress set.
...which was mostly an example of weaker covers. The Scarlett Johansson album sounds so non-essential, and I can't tell if it's the production being too gauzy, Scarlett's voice not fitting in or just being nondescript. She (Zooey Deschanel) & Him (M. Ward) turned out all right, though the live performances I've heard show a bit more variety than the album. Milla Jovovich tackling one of Lou Reed's finest songs? It gets a bit hammy toward the end but there's a nice little vibe going on there.
After some reinterpreted rock, both classic and independent, I finally got to play a bit from one of my favourite discoveries: the fill-in Inuit janitor at a CBC station during a strike. This is a bizarre snapshot of true radio performance and if you haven't heard either the clips or the full half hour excerpt, there's gold up in the tundra.
I had to fade a few songs short to fit in a quick tribute to the now late Bo Diddley. The Jazz Show's Gavin talked to me during the track and floored when he told me that he played with him thirty-odd years ago for a couple of sets in town. Hopefully he mentioned that during his show since the story he told was dynamite, and I wasn't going to steal his thunder. I'm glad I was able to find at least one Diddley record in the station archives, since someone already had grabbed all the CDs but didn't return them. And thankfully, that album included You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover.
Playlist follows:
Flat Pack: Sweet Child of Mine [Mylo Remix] (live) (BBC 1: Live Lounge at Maida Vale, 2005) BBC original by Guns'n Roses
Hot Chip: Wearing My Rolex (live) (BBC 1: Live Lounge at Maida Vale, 2008) BBC orig: Wiley
Pastel Vespa: Living on a Prayer (L'Anarchie, 2002) Darla orig: Bon Jovi
She & Him: You Really Got a Hold On Me (Volume 1, 2008) Merge orig: Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
Milla Jovavich and the Million Dollar Hotel Band: Satellite of Love (Million Dollar Hotel OST, 2000) Island orig: Lou Reed
Scarlett Johansson: I Don't Want To Grow Up (Anywhere I Lay My Head, 2008) Atco/Rhino orig: Tom Waits
Ladies Who Lunch: Bull in the Heather (Kims We Love 7", 1995) Grand Royal orig: Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth: Computer Age (The Bridge: A Tribute to Neil Young, 1989) Caroline orig: Neil Young
The Bad Plus: Tom Sawyer (Prog, 2007) Do the Math orig: Rush
Neko Case: Andy (Canadian Amp, 2001) Lady Pilot orig: the Inbreds
Franz Ferdinand: Mis-shapes (Live on some other radio station, 2004) orig: Pulp
Margaret Leng Tan: Eleanor Rigby (Other Minds 5, 1999) Other Minds orig: the Beatles
Brian Grosz: Roads (Bedlam Nights, 2007) Exotic orig: Portishead
unknown: You Are My Sunshine (CBC Radio North, 1982) orig: the Rice Brothers
Bo Diddley: You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover (His Greatest Sides: Volume 1, 1985) Chess orig: Willie Dixon
Dawn Landes: Young Folks (2007) orig: Peter Bjorn & John
The Arcade Fire: Brazil (Cold Wind 7", 2005) Merge orig: Ary Barroso
Beck: Diamond Dogs (Moulin Rouge OST, 2001) Interscope orig: David Bowie
Seu Jorge: Queen Bitch (The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions, 2006) Hollywood orig: David Bowie
Fantômas: The Omen (Ave Satani) (The Director's Cut, 2001) Ipecac orig: Jerry Goldsmith
Rondellus: Verres Militares / War Pigs (Sabbatum - A Medieval Tribute To Black Sabbath, 2003) Music Cartel orig: Black Sabbath
Better Daze: Golden Brown (Rewind!, 2002) Ubiquity orig: the Stranglers
Backing me during the concert listings is one of my favourite little silly covers: Martin Denny and his Moogy version of John Barry's Midnight Cowboy.
You can download Less spaghetti, more blankets as a crispy-on-the-outside, chewy-on-the-inside MP3 [82.1 Mb, 89:36]
