I am just a poor boy and my story's seldom told

[venta]

It's Friday, it's about 3 o'clock. It's time to go underneath the covers (with the lights out).

I always recommend listening to a cover version without knowing what or who it is, so click on the link before reading ahead...

Today's cover version [link expired]

That was The Lemonheads covering Mrs. Robinson, originally by Simon & Garfunkel.

I feel like this one is something of a cheat, because surely everyone on the planet already knows this cover. However, I was having a vaguely nostaligic fit earlier in the week.

Its a Shame About Ray by the Lemonheads is one of those albums which seems to have crystallized perfectly, capturing a moment in time. To me, it will always be what sixth form sounded like.

Listening to it now, it's still interesting. Of the thirteen songs on it, only three break the three-minute barrier (so if you don't like it, at least it's over quickly). It doesn't go in for fancy effects, or extended solos, or clever lyrics. It gets its guitar out, whops through the songs, and tidies itself away with a great cover. More albums would do well to emulate it.

I think this is the first cover I heard in the "take a quiet/slow song and thrash through it" genre; and it's one of the very few which bear repeat listenings. Plenty of bands since (and, very probably, before) have stormed noisily through bits of gentle 60s pop in a way which would have been ok for a live one-off, but doesn't seem worthwhile enough to record; maybe it's just nostalgia which endears this particular one to me.

Comments

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I did indeed recognise it within about a bar and a half. But then, I'm Paul Simon-obsessed.

I wasn't a Lemonheads fan myself (though I do like this cover), but reading your writeup an image jumped into my mind of one of my best friends from school wearing her It's A Shame About Ray T-shirt.

[lanfykins.livejournal.com]

...if your post title's from The Boxer you missed out the word 'just'.

If it's not then I just outed myself as a Simon and Garfunkel fan.

Oh well :)

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I was trying so hard not to point that out, then somebody else went there for me :)

[lnr]

I ♥ this :) A ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Weird. It was The Boxer. I know that "just" is in there - and I thought I typed it, I've no idea where it went!

Fixed now.

[brrm.livejournal.com]

Fun! Comes under the old BAYD banner too ;-)
Are you going to Glastonbury this year, btw?

[lnr]

In fact I have just bought the album. And saved a few pence by buying it on CD rather than mp3. Um.

[ulfilias.livejournal.com]

Yeah....Knew it. Reminds me of the Manics Suicide is Painless (mash theme cover) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fnzVQNW0Jo

[metame.livejournal.com]

Great album, great cover... Job done.

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Poor Lemonheads - this track is by far their most popular on Spotify.

I'm off to listen to some of their stuff now, never having encountered them before.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Yup, should be there Wednesday sometime til Monday morning. The sometime will be resolved if ever the person we're supposed to be giving a lift to answers his email!

Are you ?

[venta.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! If people go out[*] and buy albums, I feel my job is done ;)

[*] metaphorically, of course. I don't mind if people stay in and buy albums.

[brrm.livejournal.com]

I am indeed! Fancy meeting on thursday evening in the artist formerly known as Jazz World? :-)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Sounds good. Sausages at seven ? (Pistols at dawn, etc)

Time and location are "ish", of course ;)