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

[phlebas.livejournal.com]

Indeed, listening to it now the electric guitar isn't really noticeable except for the solo bits. Trick of memory, I think! Anyway, I quite like the cover. And it scores points for not having someone else try to do the solo.