The Art of the Cover

Covering is the easiest way for any band, using the parlance of the current times, "to get their shit together." Something already released is there for the picking, to be (sometimes) easily adapted and played, allowing the band to gel in many ways. But it is a fickle art. Why? Because 99.9% of the time, the original is that much better. The prototypical cover wishes to faithfully address the original: alright by any means, but unless the original was poorly executed, leaving way for the cover, there is not too much to offer. The not-so-standard cover wishes to cast a song in a new light: daring, but there is a strong chance of the cover severly backfiring. A recast cover can be considered pure brilliance, or it could just be a flaming pile of garbage.

Inherently, though, there is the problem of "first version heard." Let me use the example of Paul McCartney's "Live or Let Die." This is the version I first heard of the song. I love the song to death, even with the really hokey "spy movie music" middle bits that sound really dated and sort of stupid at times. My good friend heard the Guns 'n' Roses version first. He thinks that version is a lot better than the original. So we reach the problem of "first version heard," where the first version heard is the one that sticks out. You could consider it musical tastes, but more often than not it's the version you heard first.

Another good example is that of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower." This is the version I heard first, the one I love the most. The majority of the public has likely heard Jimi Hendrix's version first. My opinion? I hate Hendrix's version. To me, the original has a sense of urgency, immediacy and primacy (something like the devil chasing him, etc. etc.) that is substituted with some sort of frilly pomp and circumstance in Hendrix's version. Certainly a strong stance on the cover, but I truly feel that way. All covers and further occuring instances pale in comparison to the original.

Here, however, are examples of some good covers that I have located recently:

The first is the Faces doing Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed." If I have discussed music at at any real sort of length with you, you probably know my position on this sort of thing. Anyone who dares to tarnish anything Beatles or Beatles-related deserves all sorts of fiery death rained upon them and etc. etc. Only real exceptions are Beatles playing other's Beatle songs (i.e. Paul McCartney doing Harrison's "Something" or "A Day In the Life/Give Peace A Chance") or other super-gods doing them (i.e. Neil Young's version of "A Day In the Life," Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra doing "Something"). And somehow this version defies my rules entirely. Let's face it, Rod Stewart and co. aren't really "super-gods," though Ronnie Wood comes close. But just listen to it, and you can't help but acknowledge that this faithful reproduction is pretty damn awesome. It's got more of a rockin' feel too it, with the solos hitting you a little harder than the original. Though the keys are a bit hokey and not as well-fitting as I would hope, but still to find something pretty good is damn impressive.

This second one is a recasting, by David Sandström and co., whoever they are, and their dramatic recasting of Wilco's "Jesus, etc." It's a dramatic turn from a shuffle to a much, much slower sort of "hymnal" deal, and I use that word loosely. This version sure ain't a dirge, but who knows what the heck it is. Regardless, the translation to Swedish was really well done, and the cover is beautifully done. I have been sort of listening to this one a lot lately, so call me biased...maybe.

And the last one is a recent one, and it's another dramatic recasting, this one by Antony and the Johnsons. Antony and the Johnsons have turned the, er, "bootylicious" Beyoncé song "Crazy In Love" into a virtual elegy, slowed to a "Moonlight Sonata"-esque pace and all. Personally, I like this version better, but you can call me biased because I am not a fan of the "popular music" climate at the moment. It features trademark Antony piano, chilling strings backing right now, and obviously the trademark quivering Antony vocals. It works. It really does. Kudos to this guy.

Checkpoint: The Year Thus Far In Music

We're basically at the halfway point for the year, so it's time to do some ranking. I hate ranking, but it's convenient for the layman, and so I will do it. I'm going to cut it off at the end of the month, as technically A. June must end for it to be really halfway and B. it allows me to rank Wilco (the Album).

You could essentially swap the second-place record and first-place record on most people's lists and you wouldn't find any disagreements. Hell, on a given day you did that to my list, and I probably wouldn't complain. And, you could color me surprised if any record coming out later this year even came close to deposing either record.

I decided to do Top 5 records thus far because I haven't been able to get some of the other records I should have, and if I will present a top 10 later, it makes sense to present half as many at the halfway point through the year.

And here we go:

#1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (96/100)

For those unfamiliar with Dirty Projectors, the closest comparison is to the Talking Heads, except that the frontman, Dave Longstreth, is about 1000x stranger and that they're a six-piece with three gorgeous-voiced women (and probably plain gorgeous, but that's neither here nor there), with less of an emphasis on rhythm and more on arrangement and experimentalism. But perhaps for all the experimenting they've done, this record is so not that experimental, and it's a better record for that. The record is still entirely unpredictable, with more left turns than you could ever make, but each track remains a coherent whole. Current single "Stillness is the Move" and the following track "Two Doves" would have been total double-A-side material back in the day, and there is honestly no weak track on this album. From the opening guitar chiming that kicks off "Cannibal Resource" to the last fluttering notes of "Fluorescent Half-Dome," there is no moment that ceases to hold me. I could elaborate a lot more, but then you'd be reading a record review dedicated to Bitte Orca with the above grade, 96/100. Let me tell you, that's a damn accomplishment because I'm a man who believes being weird for the sake of being weird is a load of hogwash, and for all the weirdness in the record it feels too at home to be a bad record in any way.

#2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (93/100)

And to think when this year started off, I didn't think anything would top this record, but hey, shit happens. That's not to say that this is a poor record; by far, these two are the top two records of the year. There's virtually no space between the top two, but there's a glacial chasm between the two and the rest, God save my soul for such a claim. From the opening of "In the Flowers" to the end "Brother Sport," but likely excepting "Lion in a Coma," this record exhibits the same strength across the board that Bitte Orca has, but "Lion in a Coma" strikes at the heart of the problem for many groups, and one that ultimately leads me to place this second: bands who get their branding as "experimental" or "weird" feel the desire to maintain this cred, when it is totally unnecessary and utterly superfluous. "Lion in a Coma" is that weird moment. While perhaps not an entirely weak track, it certainly represents the weakest point on a record with so many great moments, from the cyclical hymnals in "My Girls" to the fun-time romp of "Summertime Clothes" to Avey Tare's love-lust in "Bluish." Bitte Orca maintained the trademark while doing away with all the weird stuff put in for the sake of being weird...and Animal Collective likely felt the need to maintain that. You can't fault an artist for doing so, but it certainly made the album weaker. But me griping overmuch about that track in particular should not be indicative of my perception of the record - after all, I triumphantly claimed to my friends that this was the record of the year, folks, and this was back in February (perhaps a little early) - it is Animal Collective at their (collective) finest and likely stands tall as one of the best albums of the decade.

#3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (88/100)

And so starts the rest of the records. One could ordinarily call these ones a bunch of saps, but no, that is not possible. 2009 has been stellar for music, certainly a lot stronger than 2008. Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest would have likely contended for "album of the year thus far" if this was released last year, for example. But this is certainly the best Grizzly Bear effort yet, and it's a fantastic one. The record kicks off with the groovy "Southern Point," and then goes into the star track, "Two Weeks," which gets the record off to a good start. However, it starts to lag in the middle. Perhaps this is the nature of Grizzly Bear, because it happened too on Yellow House, but for one reason or another the inherently languid tracks start to meld together too much, and slowing down, it comes harder to bear. That is not to say, though, that they are poor tracks...the slower tunes tend to play in the court of Grizzly Bear to begin with, but when they start getting sequenced one after the other...you see where it goes.

#4: Wilco - Wilco (the Album) (86/100)

And...Wilco's at it again. I am a professed Wilco lover, so you wouldn't be off-base if perhaps I rate this higher than others do because of the love. But it is possible to adequately defend this record. This record is probably the most akin to Being There, in that there is not necessarily a coherent theme to the record. Wilco (the Album) gives you a smattering of everything, from the chamber-pop of "Deeper Down," the bright, old-school Harrison/Petty sort of pop in "You Never Know," to the hard-edged rock of "Bull Black Nova." Personally, I can easily select "One Wing" as my favorite track of this record (and challenges for track of the year thus far), but I can see how anyone can like any track on this record. Which also inherently means that someone can not like a particular track on the record. Of course, the lack of "focus," but not "flow," means that the record suffers a bit from this lack of a "thematic quilt" that can tie the record together. But this lack means that Wilco get to happily play where they may, and for that it is a great record. Sometimes, there is no real need to present such a thing; let what may be be, and you will be satisfied.

#5: Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (85/100)

The average Joe is a sucker for a good pop song. The not-so-average Joe sees that Top 40 is not a place to find a good pop song. This not-so-average Joe looks for the Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix's for his good pop songs. Phoenix have produced what can be considered a pure pop record: filled to the brim with catchy hooks, lyrics, the whole bit, it is impossible to not really like this album as a creation of pop. After kicking off strongly with the two singles "Lisztomania" and "1901," the album doesn't leave your head until you put something catchier in...that is to say, not many other records. While the instrumental section of "Love Like a Sunset" does get to be a bit of a sleepy track, with gently wading synths and etc., it gives welcome relief before the band kicks in again with the all the pop power in the world. The record title is perhaps a bold statement, but Phoenix meet the challenge well.

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And so, there it is.

Wilco - 2009.06.12 Aronoff Center, Cincinatti, OH

1. Wilco (the Song)

2. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
3. Company In My Back
4. Bull Black Nova
5. You Are My Face
6. One Wing
7. Handshake Drugs
8. Side With the Seeds
9. A Shot In the Arm
10. At Least That's What You Said
11. Sonny Feeling
12. Jesus, etc.
13. Impossible Germany
14. California Stars
15. You Never Know
16. Hummingbird
17. Misunderstood >>>
18. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

Encore 1:
19. The Late Greats
20. Hate It Here
21. Walken
22. I'm the Man Who Loves You
23. I'm A Wheel

All I can really say is, "Wow." What a great night. The band looked incredibly happy to be there, and the crowd was pretty good with responding to it. Some notes: Misunderstood "nothin'" count was around 29, though I could be inaccurate, and Hummingbird was great, especially with Tweedy's rock frontsmanship (i.e. the running in place routine with the Daltrey mic whirl). This was my favorite Wilco show (of two, albeit) thanks to the setlist which was beefy with Wilco (the Album) entries. Bull Black Nova was a beast live. My natural assumption is that they were cut short by an 11:00 curfew, which entailed minimal commentary (Jeff only spoke for more than 10-15 seconds once, if my memory serves me) and only one encore, which was the only stinky thing, but it's hard to get everything, right?

So yeah. It's hard to describe. But that's what I can think of right now, perhaps more later. Also, I couldn't find any image form last night that was sort of the right size for the layout.

Jay Bennett Done Gone, At the Age of 45

Jay Bennett, best known as the former multi-instrumentalist of Wilco, has passed away just this past day. While I wrote earlier about the guy being kind of a big prick about suing Jeff Tweedy, this is still a major blow to not only the Wilco camp but to generally musicians everywhere. He was a consummate musician, multi-faceted in what he could do, as a composer, an arranger, and a musician. The guy could play any instrument you threw at him. That rarely ever happens.

When you consider modern bands today, you never really think anyone goes. When Johnny Cash died, while a distressing event no one was particularly surprised. The guy had as full of a career as any man could hope to experience. But so many have had their lives cut short. Jay Bennett is one of them. He was only 45. While perhaps in the scheme of "popular music" he might as well have been on life support, in the "regular music world" you still have 30 years on you if you're good. Hell, look at Bob Dylan.

But this guy hasn't left that shabby of a record either. Titanic Love Affair, and probably most notably his Wilco contributions. Being There was a great record that Jay was involved in. But probably his crowning achievement in music came with Summerteeth, virtually holing himself into some strange world with Jeff Tweedy, crafting some surreal pop that is both expansive, mindblowing, and just damn good. He even contributed "My Darling" to the record, which is one of the more underrated songs in the catalog.

Of course, everyone knows what happened during the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sessions, but his probable douche-ness should not detract from him as a person. Jay Bennett was a perfectionist, and perhaps he and Tweedy just didn't agree anymore on what their vision was (as opposed to Summerteeth). The film obviously puts him in bad light, but the word is that the man was generous and a nice man to be around.

I have put on Being There and am working through Summerteeth as I write this. I plan to put on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and then his last show with Wilco (2001.07.04 for all you keeping track) to honor this man. One of the few consummate musicians of his era.

Rest in peace, and may God bless your soul, Jay Bennett.

Records of Great Influence (#2): Wilco - Being There

Ah, yes, step number two.  This is the first record, period, that grabbed me when I was "reborn" in the musical sense.  London Calling was like the nine months in a pregnancy.  Life first starting, everything was new to me.  I had thrown out all previous (mis)conceptions as to what rock music was, and I was ready to really understand it.  Being There is like a general roadmap to the world of rock; breathtaking in its scope, able to draw from all corners while being able to still remain an ultimately personable album for the ages.

Shame on you, if you have never heard this record before.  In my truly honest opinion, this is still Wilco's crowning achievement.  Not that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot wasn't an accomplishment.  That record was straight evidence that rock could evolve, that it could adapt to a modern world with funny sounds and the like.  Yankee Hotel Foxtrot represented what the "Americana" genre could bring to the table in the 21st century without coming off as old-school.  But Being There is different.  Perhaps because it came close to the end of the 20th century, or whatever, but it celebrates where rock music has been, what rock and Americana brought to the table in the 20th century and celebrated it to the greatest extent.

In a way, you could compare this album to Exile On Main Street by the Rolling Stones.  Objectively, Exile is still probably a better record, I do not think anyone is denying this, but in my books Being There ranks higher because it fits my music tastes much better than Exile does.  That's not the point, however.  They both are double albums.  That's the first thing.  But the other thing is the scope of the records.  They do everything.  No stone is really left unturned.  You can fault both records all you want for this, but for one thing I love it, and for another thing such ambition is remarkable and should be commended on every level.

Since this record is hardly as universally recieved as my previous "Record of Great Influence," I felt the need to perhaps defend the record from all ye naysayers.  But now to the more important part.  This record was probably the one thing that most greatly shaped my existence.  Since the first time that I popped this record in, I have been a diehard Wilco fan ever since.  If you know me in real life, you know what this is like.  I have an extensive Wilco bootleg collection.  I tracked their tours for a long, long time, looking at and grading setlists, however much of a fruitless practice that is.  As an aspiring songwriter I threw out songs because they sounded too much like Wilco and because none of them could do justice to my main inspiration for many years.  The only stain on the record is that I have only seen Wilco as a band once. I passed up a Jeff Tweedy solo show opportunity because I had no transportation, though I was able to see Glenn Kotche and Nels Cline perform solo and together.  Now, I'm a little less diehard, which is likely a good thing...

But the fact that Wilco was able to shape my behavior like that isn't what made the band (and this record) part of such a crucial point in my development.  I gained an awareness for the world.  In those "dark days," I had no awareness of what was going on around me.  This record has a remarkable sense of awareness about it, and in many ways I've tried to be like that, too.  It was also, essentially, was my first "experience with the light."  I finally became a person, and this record symbolizes that to me.  Expansive, ambitious, and all over the place.  Messy, sure, but that is inevitable.  But that is part of the charm of the record and, in its own way, has become a part of me.

Record Preview: Wilco (the Album)

Ah, yes.  This puppy leaked yesterday evening.  So here goes:

Let's be perfectly honest, this one is better than Sky Blue Sky.  Not that Sky Blue Sky was a bad record, but in any case that was a record of a whole band trying to find its groove.  It's only natural.  Just as A.M. was Wilco finding its legs post-Tupelo, Sky Blue Sky was Wilco re-finding those legs after a long period of instability.  And by long period, I mean a really, really long period of instability.  But that's not the point.  The band has now found its groove, and it's finally shaping up to be what it could always be.

I don't want to spoil the album too much, so I'm just going to disclose some general thoughts.  Standout tracks, in my opinion, include "Deeper Down," "One Wing," and "You Never Know."  Opinion on that matter has been all over the place, but those are the ones that are the best in my eyes.  "Deeper Down" recalls the Soma version of Hummingbird (for all of you with the Wilco book CD from Learning How to Die, you will know what I'm talking about).  "One Wing" fits in the mold of "Impossible Germany" off of the previous entry, but it's more compact with a slightly darker feel.  "You Never Know" is basically George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" with extra fuzzed out guitars and a different main break.  This is what disturbs me most about the track.  There's even straight up replication of some of Harrison's slide work on this track.  I love and adore George Harrison, and so "My Sweet Lord" gets its love too.  So yeah, "You Never Know" is a great track, and it wears its influence on its sleeve.

But as such a big fan of George Harrison, man, if I was Harrison (and alive, for that matter) I'm not sure if I would be pissed or honored with such an obvious take on the tune.  For Wilco's sake, I hope nothing happens with regards to any lawsuits.  I doubt anything will, because A. Copyright law is too stringent to protect everything and B. not enough of the track is exclusively replicated to justify any action, in my eyes.  So yeah, that's kind of my weird rant on the track.  So I love this "You Never Know" tune a lot, but I'm also sad that it takes to heavily from "My Sweet Lord."  It's one of the best tracks on the record, regardless.

The only real down point on the record "occurs" with "Country Disappeared," but in its own way it's a charming little number.  It has to A. follow "You Never Know" and B. pull the album back from a more expansive sound, so it satisfies its function pretty well, but on the whole it's probably the weakest track.  The other tracks are all solid to begin with, "I'll Fight" and "Bull Black Nova" are super groovy, while the Feist duet track "You and I" has a pretty well done backwards guitar part (though "I'm Only Sleeping" by the Beatles takes the cake with best backwards guitar parts).

With regards to "album album" things, like flow and coherency, it really does its job.  No sudden, unjustified turns, and at a crisp length of slightly less than 45 minutes, the record flows well while letting some of its more disparate ideas ("Bull Black Nova" and "Sonny Feeling" come to mind) stick out.

So, yeah.  There is nothing overtly wrong with the record.  It's a really good listen.  Once I (and you, if it really bugs you as much as it bugs me) get past the fact that a track is more of a recasting of "My Sweet Lord" musically than perhaps a homage, then it goes from good to pretty great.

76/100 (before forgiveness for the "My Sweet Lord" recasting)

I mean, I think I should be able to get over it, so:

84/100 (after forgiveness for the "My Sweet Lord" recasting)

Perhaps, though, I'm reading "You Never Know" too negatively.  Harrison tribute, perhaps?  If it is, then man, major marks in my book:

88/100 (if "You Never Know" is supposed to be a Harrison tribute)

Wilco (the Album)'s New Groove

Nothing more needs to be said.

(More or Less) Breaking News: Jay Bennett sues former compadre Jeff Tweedy

I heard about this when it first broke, but I mean, read here. For those of you familiar with the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Jay Bennett was kind of a colossal asshole in that movie. But that's not the point. It seems unlikely that the case will get very far, because a lot of the claims Bennett makes seem to be very strange, and you can find the brief here. So yeah. I'm not going to hate on the guy who had some hand in making Being There, Summerteeth, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot what they are (extremely good albums), but something is fishy here.

For one, Jay is going after Jeff on royalties associated with the documentary I mentioned earlier. Besides Jeff being in this movie, I'm certain that Jeff really has nothing else to do with it. So for one, Jay is going after the wrong dude here. Sam Jones is the guy responsible for that movie, so if Jay is really looking to do this, he's got his guns pointed at the wrong man.

Then, you have to wonder a little bit about the timing. Those who kind of keep up with former Wilcomen (is that the proper term?) know that Jay Bennett actually needs hip replacement surgery. His hip has degraded and it's to the point where it's no longer salvageable. These procedures are expensive. And as a not prominent musician...he's probably lacking in medical insurance. I mean, have you, the most-likely average music listener, even heard of Jay Bennett outside of the context of Wilco? So yeah, I really feel bad for the guy. Nobody should have to go through this kind of stuff, especially without medical insurance. Such is an artist's life.

The kind of thing I'm thinking is that he is, in a way, suing now, of all the years he could have sued post-documentary because he needs the money for his surgery. But to really sue Jeff Tweedy? Sure, things went sour and he fired you, but in another regard he A. employed you, B. let you become part of something bigger which C. has inevitably defined your legacy. It's almost as if the guy is biting the hand that fed him...and I don't like that at all. Not one bit.

Plus, I'm sure if he had approached Wilco management, Wilco could have probably thrown something together for an old compadre (however bitter the ending was). Always gotta pay dues. From as little as a note and a donation link on Wilco's website to even a charity show for Jay Bennett would have probably gone a long way towards covering the procedure.

I'm forever grateful for what Jay Bennett brought to Wilco during that era, but man, this here stinks a bit of douchebaggery.

In the non-legal world, Wilco is putting out a new album cunningly titled Wilco (the Album) on June 30th, and they will be kicking off a tour on...gasp, June 12th in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hey, that's my birthday (and hey, I'll be there!).