Mandolin Mania
Thanks to everybody who wished me a happy birthday last week. One of the presents I received was a 1940s-era mandolin-banjo. I messed around with it a little bit and decided to sign up for a mandolin class at the Old Town School of Folk Music. I’m looking forward to strolling into class with that unholy mutation under my arm. In the meantime I’ve been listening to mandolin music and I figured I’d share some with all of you.
Jerry Garcia and David Grisman “The Thrill Is Gone” (B.B. King)
Since Bill Monroe is dead David Grisman is arguably the greatest living mandolin player. He’s played and recorded with various members of the Grateful Dead over the years, including an album he did with Uncle Jerry in the early 90s. Here we have a jazzy take on B.B. King’s signature song featuring some great work from Mr. Grisman.
David West And Friends “Purple Haze” (Jimi Hendrix)
It’s a pleasant enough bluegrass workout that starts with Hendrix and winds its way through a few other touchstones of the classic rock canon.
Charles River Valley Boys “Ticket To Ride” (Beatles)
When searching for covers featuring the mandolin it’s hard to find ones that aren’t Beatles songs. I’m not sure if that has something to do with the Beatles or with mandolin players.
Wanda Vick feat. Kourtney Wilson “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (U2)
Longtime readers already know that I find Bono to be a pompous preening jerk and that I think U2’s music is grandiose and tedious. But even flaccid arena rock sounds warmer when it’s arranged for a string band.
Jim Richter-Kimble “Brownsville Blues” (James “Yank” Rachell)
Bluegrass mandolin players are a dime a dozen, there are plenty of jazz mandolin players and even mandolin orchestras that play classical music. You don’t hear the mandolin much in blues songs, but one of the great blues mandolin players was Yank Rachell. This song comes from a Yank Rachell tribute album that came out a couple of years ago.
The Self-Indulgent Birthday Post 2010
FZ Tribute Update
I’ve received the first finished contribution to the Cover Freak Frank Zappa tribute album. It’s halfway to being a single! I’m damp with excitement! There’s still time to get in on the action, so if you’re a musician who might be interested or know one who might be, you can get the details on the project here.
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It’s my birthday Tuesday. Over the last couple of years I’ve used the occasion to craft posts based on musicians who share my birthday or historical events that happened on that day. I tried doing it again this year and discovered that I’ve already used all the interesting events and musicians. So I’m just going to post five songs that I like. It’s my birthday, I can do whatever I want!
The Mike Flowers Pops “Velvet Underground Medley” (Velvet Underground)
I am going to include a Lou Reed song because he shares my birthday and I like his music. The Mike Flowers Pops had a brief moment in the sun in 1995 and haven’t done much since. I love the swinging sounds of their album A Groovy Place. The mere idea of a lounge version of “Venus In Furs” makes me giggle uncontrollably.
Duke Robillard “Sway” (Dean Martin)
I got an email just the other day informing me that the legendary Duke Robillard has a new album called “Tales From The Tiki Lounge.” With a title like that I’m in! The album is a tribute to the music of Les Paul and Mary Ford.
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes “Elenor” (The Turtles)
The Gimme Gimmes are reliable when you’re looking for a cover. Whatever song you’re looking for, they probably did a punk cover of it and it’s probably pretty amusing. In a way they’re too easy a choice, like those Pickin’ On albums, so I try not to lean on them too heavily. But when this came on my iPod recently I noticed that they were singing the sappy Turtles song to the tune of “London Calling,” which for the Gimme Gimmes qualifies as the height of creativity. I’ve always loved this song for the line “You’re my pride and joy, et cetera.” They really couldn’t come up with anything better than that?
Taxi Taxi! “Oh My Darling Clementine” (Traditional)
One more Swedish song. This time we have two heartbreakingly cute twin sisters playing zither and accordion with their dad playing pedal steel. It’s fragile and shimmery and very beautiful.
Reel Big Fish “There Ain’t Nothing Like A Dame” (from South Pacific)
This is a weirdly schizophrenic song, bouncing joyously between ska and disco with alacrity.
Swedish Meatballs
Once again we have foreign visitors at the Casa de Freak. This time it’s Mrs. Freak’s Swedish friend and her daughter. And in what has become another Cover Freak tradition I’m posting a collection of Swedish music to make our foreign guests feel more at home. Swedish translations provided by Google Translate, so don’t blame me if none of it makes sense.
Återigen har vi utländska besökare på Casa de Freak. Den här gången är det fru Freak’s svenska vän och hennes dotter. Och i vad som blivit en Omslag Freak tradition Jag postar en samling av svenska musik så att våra utländska gäster att känna sig mer hemma. Svenska översättningar av Google Translate, så Skyll inte på mig om inget av det är vettigt.
Milo Bender “Dancing Queen” (ABBA)
You can’t talk about Swedish music of any kind without talking about ABBA. Check out the Wikipedia entry for Swedish music, that’s where it starts. No discussion of medieval Swedish music or folk traditions. Before ABBA Sweden was a weird musical Bermuda Triangle where not even the birds sang.
Du kan inte tala om svenska musik av något slag utan att tala om ABBA. Kolla Wikipedia posten för svenska musik, det är där det börjar. Ingen diskussion om medeltida svenska musik eller traditioner folk. Innan ABBA Sverige var en konstig musikalisk Bermudatriangeln där inte ens fåglarna sjöng.
The Mountain Goats “The Sign” (Ace Of Base)
I posted the studio version of the Mountain Goats’ cover of “The Sign” awhile back. A reader commented that he liked the live version better. It’s an interesting story he tells of driving across the country listening to the song over and over. At one point it sounds like it might have driven him insane, but I guess he’s just passionate about the song’s greatness.
Jag postade studio version of the Mountain Goats ‘cover på “The Sign” en stund tillbaka. En läsare kommenterade att han tyckte den levande versionen bättre. Det är en intressant historia han berättar att köra hela landet lyssnar på låten om och om igen. Vid ett tillfälle det låter som det kan ha drivit honom galen, men jag antar att han bara passionerad låtens storhet.
I Am Cereals “The Look” (Roxette)
The lyrics for the first two verses were just guide lyrics, written just to have something to sing. Like how Paul McCartney sang “scrambled eggs” when he was first writing “Yesterday.” In Roxette’s case they couldn’t come up with anything better so they kept them. It’s refreshingly honest of the songwriter to admit that.
Texterna till de två första verserna var bara guide texter, skrivna bara för att ha något att sjunga. Liksom hur Paul McCartney sjöng “äggröra” när han var först skriva “Yesterday”. I Roxettes fall de inte kunde komma på något bättre så att de höll dem. Det är uppfriskande ärlig av låtskrivaren erkänna.
The Cardigans “Iron Man” (Black Sabbath)
I’ve always been pretty indifferent to the Cardigans but I really love this song. They completely reinvent it and make it their own. I can’t put my finger on it but there’s something about the drumming that I find very striking.
Jag har alltid varit ganska likgiltig till Cardigans men jag verkligen älskar den här låten. De uppfinna helt den och göra den till sin egen. Jag kan inte sätta fingret på det men det är något om trummandet som jag tycker är mycket slående.
Dolapdere Big Gang “The Final Countdown” (Europe)
A reader turned me on to the Big Gang, and I’m quite glad he did. They play contemporary songs in a Turkish gypsy style. This song is as overblown and grandiose as the original but it’s also exotic and lushly orchestrated. The singer can really belt out a tune.
En läsare vände mig till Big Gang, och jag är ganska glad att han gjorde. De spelar nutida musik i en turkisk zigenare stil. Den här låten är så uppblåst och grandios som originalet men det är också exotiska och överdådig iscensatt. Sångaren kan verkligen vråla ut en melodi.
Cupid’s Arrow
It’s Valentine’s Day, not one of my favorite holidays. I know that some people think it’s the most romantic day of the year. A friend of mine told me she liked the holiday because it was a day when everybody was nice to each other. Which is a noble thought at the very least. Personally I view it as a holiday made up by Hallmark to sell greeting cards.
Frank Rogala “He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss)” (The Crystals)
In what has become a Cover Freak tradition, I’m once again posting a cover of the most romantic song ever written. Carole King intended it to be a protest against spousal abuse, written from the woman’s point of view. It was a noble sentiment but she seriously botched the execution. The singer sounds like she’s glorying in her helplessness and low self-esteem. Thank goodness she’s got a strong caring man to slap her around when she gets out of line, otherwise who knows what she’d do?
Pearl Harbour “Filipino Baby” (Ernest Tubb)
This is a great song that’s both romantic and racially insensitive. You couldn’t write a song like this nowadays, that’s for sure. It just gives me goosebumps to hear this sailor proclaim his love for his “dark-faced Filipino.” Pearl Harbour started out as a background dancer with the Tubes and then got involved with the San Francisco New Wave scene that also gave us Romeo Void and Wire Train.
Arthur Brown “I Put A Spell On You” (Screamin’ Jay Hawkins)
One of the greatest obsessive stalker songs ever written. It’s hard to get scarier than Screamin’ Jay but Arthur Brown gives it his best shot. You just can’t express eternal love better than “I don’t care if you don’t want me, I’m yours.” Restraining order? What restraining order?
Fiona Silver “Run For Your Life” (The Beatles)
Not everybody appreciates how deeply you have to love somebody to threaten to kill them if they cheat on you. It’s easily the most mean-spirited and graceless Beatles song ever, but everything sounds breezy when it’s played on a ukulele.
The Bad Livers “I Know You’re Married But I Love You Still” (Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton)
Woody Allen famously reminded us that “the heart wants what it wants,” even if that’s your jailbait adopted daughter. Or another man’s wife. This song expresses the same sentiment as “Ring Of Fire” but without the subtlety and metaphor. Which makes it a great song for the Bad Livers since they’re not real big on subtlety either.
Disco Stu Likes This Post
Conceptual Continuity
People who know me (and even some who don’t) know that I’ve been a huge Frank Zappa fan for many years. I’d like to honor FZ’s life and work by releasing a Zappa tribute album through this web site. If you’re a musician (or know one) and would like to participate you can find details on the project here. Thanks for your support.
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I was driving around the other day when my iPod coughed up a sonic hairball from The Ethel Merman Disco Album. The throbbing beat made me nostalgic for the simpler days of the Disco Era. I was slightly too young to take advantage of the polyester leisure suits, cocaine, and cheap meaningless sex that I knew millions of others were enjoying, but if you’re just a little older than I am I’m sure these songs will bring back memories that are probably best forgotten.
Snuff “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor)
It’s loud and fast and raw and you’d never know it was originally a disco song.
The Bobs “Disco Inferno” (The Trammps)
If you ever get the chance to see the Bobs perform live, take advantage of it. Kill if you must. They are the most amazing singers I’ve ever heard. Especially Richard Bob, who sings bass. I talked to him after a show once and his regular speaking voice rattled my breastbone. Here they deliver a flaming, multi-layered disco joyride.
Zen For Primates “Funky Town” (Lipps Inc.)
This is one of those genre-hopping covers that works despite all odds. There’s folk, flamenco, and horn-driven funk all thrown into the blender. And like a V8, the whole is much more than the sum of its parts.
Trenchmouth “That’s The Way (I Like It) (KC And The Sunshine Band)
It’s got the loose-limbed feel of a bar band at 2:00 a.m. You’ve got the wailing guitars, the sloppy chorus, and the drummer beating his drums like he’s mad at them. I wonder how drunk these guys were when they recorded this one.
Eldissa “Staying Alive” (Bee Gees)
Anybody ever watch Welcome Back Kotter reruns? Watch John Travolta’s hair and you can tell when he was filming Saturday Night Fever. His hair goes from a shaggy high school burnout look to a highly-processed disco puff. And amusingly nobody else in the cast got a new hairdo so his really stands out. In reality if he went with that haircut the rest of the Sweathogs would have beaten the crap out of him just on general principles.
