Random Covers

Been backpacking through Tibet... No Internet connection. Here are some random covers:

• Steve Forbert - "Starstruck" Kinks cover
  
• Parthenon Huxley - "Another Satellite" XTC cover
  
• Canadian Brass - "You Never Give Me Your Money" Beatles cover
  
• Cherry Twister - "It Had To Be" Badfinger cover
  
• Matthew Sweet - "Karen" Shoes cover
  
• Luka Bloom - "In Between Days" Cure cover
  
• Doug Powell - "Can't Get It Out Of My Head" ELO cover
  
• The Mosaic Virus - "Rocket From A Bottle" XTC cover
  
• Elvis Costello - "Walking On Thin Ice" Yoko Ono cover
  
• Martin Newell - "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" Smiths cover
  

When The Whistle Blows

• The Vogues - "Five O'Clock World" 1965
  
• Julian Cope - "Five O'Clock World" 1988
  

The Brothers Finn

Is there any better pair of songwriting brothers?

Here are some Tim and Neil Finn covers:

• James Blunt - "Fall At Your Feet"
  
• Sam Hunt - "Shark Attack"
  
• Aswad - "Weather With You"
  
• The Connells - "I Got You"
  

And the originals:

• Crowded House - "Fall At Your Feet"
  
• Split Enz - "Shark Attack"
  
• Crowded House - "Weather With You"
  
• Split Enz - "I Got You"
  

Bill Cowsill, RIP

• Bill Cowsill - "When Everybody's Here"
  

Marti Jones

Marti Jones has been a solo artist for over twenty years, but for all that time and effort she remains an obscure singer. Which is a shame because all of her albums are highly listenable pop-rock, a cross between Marshall Crenshaw and Linda Ronstadt. Most of her CDs are out-of-print, but if you can find a copy of 1988's Used Guitars pick it up and you won't be sorry... A classic from beginning to end.

Here she is covering Squeeze and Graham Parker, along with the originals. I think she improves on both songs:

• Marti Jones - "Black Coffee In Bed"
  
• Squeeze - "Black Coffee In Bed"
  
  
• Marti Jones - "You Can't Take Love For Granted"
  
• Graham Parker - "You Can't Take Love For Granted"
  

Elvis Costello

Hmmm... wha? Oh, sorry, I was taking a little nap. Thanks for waking me up.


Here are four wonderful Elvis Costello covers. He's a hard one to cover. Most of his lyrics and melodies just don't work right coming out of another artist, but I think these four get it right.

• Sean Altman - "Oliver's Army"
  
• Anne Sofie Von Otter - "I Want To Vanish"
  
• Christy Moore - "The Deportees Club"
  
• Roy Orbison - "The Comedians"
  

Cover Yourself

I love it when artists cover themselves. And I don't mean live concert performances. I mean new versions of their old hits. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Here are a few that work -- the original and the cover:

• Men At Work - "Down Under" 1982
  
• Colin Hay - "Down Under" 2003
  
  
• Pete Townshend - "Let My Love Open The Door" 1980
  
• Pete Townshend - "Let My Love Open The Door" 1996
  
  
• The Beach Boys - "Surf's Up" 1967
  
• Brian Wilson - "Surf's Up" 2004
  
  
• Paul Kelly - "You Can't Take It With You" 1989
  
• Paul Kelly & Uncle Bill - "You Can't Take It With You" 1999
  
  
• George Harrison - "My Sweet Lord" 1970
  
• George Harrison - "My Sweet Lord" 2000
  
  
• Paul McCartney - "Maybe I'm Amazed" 1970
  
• Paul McCartney - "Maybe I'm Amazed" 1999
  
  

Five Random Covers

• Beck - "Diamond Dogs" David Bowie cover
  
• Los Lobos - "Sleeping On The Sidewalk" Queen cover
  
• Scud Mountain Boys - "Wichita Lineman" Glen Campbell cover
  
• Robbie Williams - "She's The One" World Party cover
  
• Parthenon Huxley - "The Diary of Horace Wimp"ELO cover
  
  

Just A Covers Band?

I confess to being completely ignorant of The Mavericks other than knowing they're a good covers band. Maybe someday I'll explore all of their music, but for now I really like what they've done to these three classic songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Hollies, and Elvis Presley:

• The Mavericks - "Down On The Corner"
  
• The Mavericks - "The Air That I Breathe"
  
• The Mavericks - "Are You Lonesome Tonight"
  

Buy Mavericks CDs here!

Beatles Covers

Well, I made it through the holidays in one piece. Was a bit startled when I woke up on the 1st in a Mexican jail, but that's too long a story to repeat here.

Since I'm still in recovery, here's something easy -- Beatles covers. No other band has been covered as much as the Fab Four, and I love 'em all, no matter how weird and wacky. I never met a Beatles cover I didn't like.

Here's a few:

• Eight Seconds - "Hey Jude"
  
• Eels - "I'm A Loser"
  
• Sean Altman - "Don't Bother Me"
  
• Phil Angotti & The Idea - "Eleanor Rigby"
  
• Oingo Boingo - "I Am The Walrus"
  
• Nick Heyward - "All My Loving"
  
• Peanuts Gang - "A Hard Day's Night" (Toy Instruments)
  
• Jason Falkner - "Here, There and Everywhere"
  
• Chumbawamba - "Her Majesty"
  
• Hindu Rodeo - "I'm Only Sleeping"
  
• Big Daddy - "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite"
  
• Art Garfunkel - "I Will"
  
• Huey Lewis - "Oh! Darling"
  
• Canadian Brass - "I Am The Walrus"
  
• Ringo Starr - "Love Me Do"
  

The Chronicles of Tim Finn

Tim Finn has a new song on the Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack. Should be a blockbuster, and a nice chunk of change for him. I've heard quite a few people describe his Narnia track as "average" and "mediocre" but I think it's quite pleasant and better than what he's put out on his past few albums.

Here it is, along with a classic Split Enz track by Tim and two Enz covers:

• Tim Finn - "Winter Light"
  
• Split Enz - "I Wake Up Every Night"
  
• Dave Dobbyn - "Poor Boy"
  
• New Zealand Symphony Orchestra - "Six Months In A Leaky Boat"
  

Buy Tim Finn CDs here!

A Pair of A Pair of Brown Eyes

Shane MacGowan is an ugly man. I can barely stand to look at pictures of him. And some might say his voice is an aquired taste. But the songs he writes are gorgeous, and I could listen to him sing them for hours. In fact, on a thousand-mile cross-country trip in 1989, I listened to nothing but Rum, Sodomy & The Lash, a perfect album which contains one of my favorite songs by anyone. Here it is, along with an equally lovely cover by Peter Case.

• The Pogues - "A Pair of Brown Eyes"
  
• Peter Case - "A Pair of Brown Eyes"
  

White Rabbit

I don't even know how I stumbled upon God The Band, but I love their sound.

Visit their website for a couple of tunes and videos (I recommend "The Lifter").

Here they are covering a classic Jefferson Airplane song:

• God The Band - "White Rabbit"
  

It's Just For Me To Kick In Space

My love affair with XTC began with "Senses Working Overtime" off their English Settlement CD. Here it is, along with a live version from Andy, Colin and Dave, and three covers:

• XTC - "Senses Working Overtime"
  
• XTC - "Senses Working Overtime/Grass/Love On A Farmboy's Wages (Live)"
  
• Spacehog - "Senses Working Overtime"
  
• Mandy Moore - "Senses Working Overtime"
  
• The Striking Beauties - "Senses Working Overtime"
  

Buy the XTC tribute CD "Testimonial Dinner" here.

A Winter's Night

When I want to mellow out with a rugged Canadian folk singer, I look no further than Gordon Lightfoot. His songs have a feel about them, like you've just finished a canoe trip in the Yukon and now you're getting warm by a fire in a backwoods cabin. I can fall asleep to Lightfoot's music.

And, in keeping with the season, here's his "Song For A Winter's Night" along with two cover versions:

• Gordon Lightfoot - "Song For A Winter's Night"
  
• Sarah McLachlan - "Song For A Winter's Night"
  
• Quartette - "Song For A Winter's Night"
  

Buy Gordon Lightfoot's Complete Greatest Hits CD here!

And you can find a really nice Gordon Lightfoot tribute CD here, featuring Canadian artists like Ron Sexsmith and Cowboy Junkies.

I Threw Bob Dylan Away

I don't own any Bob Dylan songs. Not a one. This may sound like blasphemy, but I really can't stand his voice. However, he's a brilliant songwriter, and I love love love other artists covering his songs. Here's four of them:

• XTC - "All Along The Watchtower"
  
• Elvis Costello - "I Threw It All Away"
  
• Paul Kelly - "I Threw It All Away"
  
• George Harrison - "If Not For You"
  

Uh-oh, I lied... I do have Dylan's voice on my computer in the form of The Traveling Wilburys and this mash-up:

• Bob Dylan & Air - "Mike's Blowin' in the Wind"
  

Let me know what you think of the new blog format... Thanks! Watch for regular posting here at least once a week, hopefully twice.

Any requests, leave them in comments!

Buy the new Bob Dylan Tribute CD here!

Christmas and Changes

Happy Christmas to all... I have an announcement to the dozen or so of you who frequent this blog.

First of all, thanks for letting me share the music and memories. Second, I am feeling the need for change. So, I'm changing the name and purpose of this blog.

Sometime in the next few days, this blog will become Under The Covers and will feature cover songs along with the originals, and more description/history of the songs and artists.

I think I'll have more fun with it. And in that spirit, here is a cover version of one of my favorite Christmas songs:

• The Alarm - "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" Cover version of a John Lennon song from 1971
  

Best of 2005

It's that time of the year when we add it all up and make our lists... 2005 was an incredible year for new music. I feel sorry for people who only listen to the songs of their youth. You're missing out on a lot.

Twenty years from now I'll be bringing up memories of 2005 with the help of these twenty songs:

1. Sufjan Stevens - "The Lord Godbird"
   
2. Josh Rouse - "Winter in the Hamptons"
   
3. Of Montreal - "I Was Never Young"
   
4. Chris Trapper - "All Time Favorite"
   
5. Glen Phillips - "Don't Need Anything"
   
6. Acid House Kings - "This Heart Is A Stone"
   
7. James Cooper - "Dry Reaching For Grace"
   
8. Franz Ferdinand - "Eleanor Put Your Boots On"
   
9. The Triangles - "Let's Replace The Cityscapes"
   
10. Jack Johnson - "Banana Pancakes"
    
11. Novillero - "Hypothesist"
    
12. Ryan Shupe and the Rubberband - "Banjo Boy"
    
13. Paul Otten - "Find Myself"
    
14. Tom Petty - "Square One"
    
15. I'm From Barcelona - "We're From Barcelona"
    
16. Ted Leo - "Since U Been Gone"
    
17. Kingsbury Manx - "What A Shame"
    
18. Eels - "Blinking Lights (For Me)"
    
19. The Spaceshots - "Somedaze"
    
20. Robyn - "Konichiwa Bitches"
    

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday... Here are a few tunes in the spirit of the day:

• Mike Keneally - "Thanksgiving"
  
• Francis Dunnery - "Grateful and Thankful"
  
• Glen Phillips - "Thankful"
  
• They Might Be Giants - "Dinner Bell"
  
• Dido - "Thank You"
  
• The Whitlams - "Thankyou For Loving Me (At My Worst)"
  
• Third Eye Blind - "Thanks A Lot"
  
• Nick Drake - "Harvest Breed"
  
  

Remember to buy lots of music this Christmas!!!

Speaking of XTC

You can never have too much XTC in your life... Other than The Beatles, the boys from Swindon (well, mostly Andy and Colin these days) have been the longest musical relationship in my life.

• XTC - "The Good Things"
  
• XTC - "Blue Beret" Live Acoustic Session
  
• XTC - "That's Really Super, Supergirl"
  
• XTC - "Happy Families"
  
• XTC - "Boarded Up" Instrumental
  
• XTC - "Merely A Man"
  
• XTC - "Say It" Another new one!
  
• XTC - "Ladybird"
  
• XTC - "Greenman"
  
• XTC - "Scissor Man"
  
• XTC - "It's Nearly Africa"
  
• Dukes of Stratosphear - "The Affiliated"
  
• Andy Partridge - "I Don't Want To Be Here"
  
• Andy Partridge - "All I Dream Of Is A Friend"
  
• Andy Partridge - "I Wonder Why The Wonderfalls"