Music I Love: Covers

Ok, cover tunes may be my fave genre. There is nothing I love more than an homage to a favorite/favourite tune. In no particular order:

1. Friend of the Devil - Lyle Lovett: It's a Grateful Dead tune. Right after Jerry Garcia died, I saw Lyle Lovett at some venue in West Phx (sort of near ASU West. Anyone? Anyone? Buehler?) I think Bruce Hornsby opened for him. Anyway, Lyle came out on the stage after the opening act but before his set, with his guitar and a cello as I recall (he had a cello player, he didn't play both), and sang "Friend of the Devil" (his version is on Dedicated, a tribute album to the Grateful Dead - now out of print but worth looking for - which has covers of Truckin' by Dwight Yoakum, Wharf Rat by Midnight Oil - stellar stuff). There was literally not a dry eye in the house. He just came out on a dark stage with a spotlight, sang the song and left. It was very affecting. Even now.

2. Party Doll, recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter on her Party Doll album originally by the Rolling Stones (or Mick, I can't remember). It is a slowed down, beautiful song.

3. Four Seasons in one Day - Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin, originally recorded by Crowded House. The boys from Te Awamutu (from whence the Finn Brothers hail - and can I tell you how stoked I was when I made the connection between them and Te Awamutu in one of their songs - damn, I felt like a New Zealander because I had been there!) is one of the few songs I got offa certain file sharing service before it met its untimely commercial demise (I have like two files from the era, really!). For one thing, you can understand all the lyrics without the big NZ accents.

4. Sweet Jane by Cowboy Junkies (on an Out Magazine compilation CD we have), the original by Lou Reed. You know how good it is? It sounds like a Cowboy Junkies song!!

5. Every Little Thing (He) Does is Magic by Shawn Colvin off "Cover Girl". It's nearly as good as Sting's. Nearly.

6. Baby Got Back by Jonathan Coulton. It's a folk/pop version of the Sir Mix a Lot song (read his liner notes - it talks about why Sir Mix a Lot is not really royalty). First, you understand the lyrics. Secondly, his loping lyrical singing makes it funny.

7. Straight Out Of Compton - Nina Gordon. It is obscene, it is funny, and the melody is beautiful in the way she does it.

8. Gin and Juice - The Gourds. The Snoop Dogg must be loving this. This bluegrass version (Ver SAILS?) is so funny that I never skip by it when it comes up on the shuffle. Never. Even a little homage to "Walk on the Wild Side" in there. Classic.

9. Refugee by Melissa Etheridge. Now, I love Meliss, but I can only take her in small doses, because she has that Indigo Girls like earnestness that makes me a little sick feeling in my stomach. However, she has done some good songs, such as "You Can Sleep While I Drive". There's not a 'that way inclined' girl out there that doesn't totally identify with this song, even though that unless you time travel (or go through Area 51), there is no 'direct' way to go from Tucson up to Santa Fe. Ask the girls. They'll tell you. You have to totally go through Flagstaff or Las Cruces or something. Again, I digress. Her cover of the Tom Petty Song is pretty freaking great.

10. Breathless by X. It's a Otis Blackwell song, for those of you that are totally young (yes you, BK). Excene Cervenka sang it and it was such an awesome cover (from More Fun in the New World).

I could go on, but I'm tired. I may pick this up later, or I may do MUSICALS next!!!