Turn and face the strain

[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 to mp3 expired]

That was Neil Hannon & Yann Tiersen covering Life on Mars, originally by David Bowie.

Yes, you can have the point if you thought it was The Divine Comedy.

This is an artist I think is fabulous covering a song I really love. What's not to like?

I also think it's an interesting example that a cover doesn't have to be completely genre-busting to be interesting. Both of these are (broadly-speaking) a bloke singing over an acoustic, string-based backing. In many ways there's not a huge difference (apart from the singers' voices).

Yet I do think they're very different. I expect a song which has been Neil Hannon'd to be beset with epic, sweeping string quartets - and instead he's cut it right down. He's taken out the vocal harmony, and the song seems almost bare.

This recording is from a Q cover disk (called Ultimate Songwriters) which is all cover versions. It's surprising how few tracks on it I'd consider... Martha & the Vandellas doing Nowhere to Run - I don't know the original. Ditto Björk's Ruby Baby. The Damned doing Help! - the less said the better (sadly). Nick Cave doing All Tomorrow's Parties - actually very good, but we've had one Nick Cave cover already. Joe Strummer's Redemption Song - I barely know anyone else's. The Bangles doing Manic Monday - oh, come off it. And so on. I realise my cover requirements may be too stringent :)

Obviously, if you don't know Life on Mars then get out and buy a copy of Hunky Dory. Right now.

Comments

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Heh, I have this, but tbh I don't much like it. I like his normal singing voice, but his falsetto -- especially on the high note of "Mars" with all that vibrato -- really grates on me. Still, it's a bold and interesting attempt I guess.

You should check out the original Redemption Song, it's on that Bob Marley greatest hits album that everyone seems to have a copy of tucked away somewhere. Good stuff. (Heavens, it's been covered by absolutely stacks of people.)

The original version of Tainted Love was a music question in the pub quiz we were at last night. I think we were the only table to get it, and that was by deduction rather than familiarity... I think your cover requirements are entirely reasonable :)

[venta.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure I don't own any Bob Marley greatest hitses. Not even on tape. Will nose through the racks tonight to see if ChrisC does :)