Fifth in a string of record-tying Top 10 singles released from the massively successful Born In The U.S.A, “Glory Days” remains a Bruce Springsteen cornerstone – a thumping, nostalgia-inducing tune sprawling with upbeat guitar riffs, playful synth lines and honky-tonk piano. Continue reading »
Earlier this summer, Nick Cave’s 15-year old son tragically died after a fall. To pay tribute, Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon has begun putting a cover of Cave’s “The Weeping Song” into his set. In context, the song’s lyrics – a conversation between a father and son about how miserable life is – are even more brutal than they were already. Continue reading »
In the Spotlight showcases a cross-section of an artist’s cover work. View past installments, then post suggestions for future picks in the comments!
Ever since September 11 joined November 22 and December 7 as being among the darkest dates in American history, it’s been difficult to associate anything celebratory with it. But if we can’t find it in ourselves to wish acoustic virtuoso Leo Kottke a happy 70th birthday, then the terrorists win.
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Back in the 1970s, Alice Cooper was president of The Lair of the Hollywood Vampires. It was a drinking club of various rock stars that hung out in the loft at the Rainbow Bar and Grill in L.A. Members included Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Harry Nilsson and Micky Dolenz. (John Lennon was also an honorary member.)
Recently, Cooper brought back the Hollywood Vampire name for a super group that includes Johnny Depp, Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Paul McCartney, Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction), Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters), Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Robbie Krieger (The Doors), Slash (G-n-R), Joe Walsh (Eagles), Orianthi and Kip Winger. (And that’s not even all of them.)
The album, which hits stores on Friday, features covers from Led Zeppelin, T. Rex, Small Faces and Badfinger. (Along with a couple of new songs written by Cooper.)
Here is their cover of The Who’s “My Generation”.
More about Hollywood Vampires can be found on their website and on Facebook.
Kanye West‘s latest G.O.O.D Music signee, Chicago artist Nigel Holt, (formerly “Hollywood Holt”) releases an angst-ridden and synth-laden covers collection titled Cover Me (editor’s note: good title!) featuring remakes of artists ranging from the late Amy Winehouse to indie acts such as Florence + The Machine and the Neighborhood. Continue reading »
Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.
These days the Magnetic Fields, Stephin Merritt’s means of distribution for some of the cleverest old-school songwriting around, is arguably best known for the 69 Love Songs box set (if you don’t yet have it, there are half a dozen songs on it you’ll fall in love with), but they’ve come up with winners right from the start. “100,000 Fireflies” was their first single on their first album, Distant Plastic Trees, back when Merritt was letting Susan Anway handle all the vocals and he handled all the instruments. Anway sings of shrieking and suicide, over a simple backing just this side of rinky-dink, but what comes across is a devastating lilt of loneliness, made all the more painful by its catchiness.
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