Jan 262018
 

In the Spotlight showcases a cross-section of a famous musician’s cover work.

joe perry covers

Aerosmith’s Joe Perry is no stranger to covers. During his 47-year run as lead guitarist for “America’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band,” Perry and his Aerosmith mates have taken on dozens. Not surprisingly, most, like the band itself, are rooted in R&B with a few Beatles tracks thrown in for good measure. Their long list of covers can be seen here.

For the most part, Joe’s been consistent with a similar formula both as leader of The Joe Perry Project (during two separate stints) and as a solo artist. But as we’ll see, up to and including his latest album, Sweetzerland Manifesto – released last week – one could argue that his personal choices have been a bit more adventurous… Continue reading »

Jan 242012
 

Though Bob Dylan moved away from his role as a ‘protest singer’ long ago — we saw Another Side by his fourth album — his name will forever be associated with social activism. The international human rights organization Amnesty International rose out of the same turbulent era as Dylan, forming in 1961, the year Dylan recorded his first album. Fitting, then, that in celebration of their 50th birthday, Amnesty would call on artists to contribute their Dylan covers to the massive four disc set Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International. Continue reading »

Dec 122011
 

Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International doesn’t come out for another month, but the massive four-disc tribute is available to stream below. We’re just making our way through it ourselves, but the Gaslight Anthem’s “Changing of the Guards” and Queens of the Stone Age‘s “Outlaw Blues” are early highlights. On the flip side, Ke$ha‘s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” is truly atrocious (though Miley Cyrus‘ “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” isn’t bad at all). For whatever reason, you can stream 60-second excerpts of the first two discs and the full songs for the second two. At 2+ hours of music, though, we think you’ll survive. Stream the album below, then tell us what the best/worst songs are in the comments. (via Facebook) Continue reading »

Nov 282011
 

Can you ever have ever too much Bob Dylan? With the release of an astounding line-up of artists for the latest Dylan tribute, the answer is a resounding – never! Last month we brought you more info on the upcoming Bob Dylan tribute album, Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International (including Ke$ha’s unfortunate quote comparing her music to that of the legend), but the full tracklist gets us even more excited. Elvis Costello! The Gaslight Anthem! Pete Townshend! Flogging Molly! Kronos Quartet! Continue reading »

Aug 252010
 

Song of the Day posts one cool cover every morning. Catch up on past installments here.

In 2007 Prince William and Prince Harry held a concert commemorating the tenth anniversary of their mother (Prince Diana)’s death. What could have been an endless stream of moribund sap became something else entirely. Something far stranger.

The boys booked a who’s-who of popular stars to play, but apparently forgot to inform the stars of the cause. As a result the performances seemed completely irrelevant to the occasion. How Rod Stewart singing “Maggie May” or Pharrell rapping “Drop It Like It’s Hot” commemorates the Princess remains unclear. Perhaps the high point of inappropriateness came in the form of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.” Diana wasn’t born a princess after all…

Next to that, why shouldn’t Tom Jones and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry cover current “it band” Arctic Monkeys? And why shouldn’t it steal the show when said show that was so ill-conceived to begin with? Tom rips open “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” like it’s 1965 all over again, hollering along with backup singers, a horn section, and Perry’s killer guitar solo. Jones never recorded his version, but that’s okay. No way it would have matched up to this. Continue reading »