Cover Classics takes a closer look at all-cover albums of the past, their genesis, and their legacy.
With James Bond Part XXIV being released this week, the time seemed right to take a look at some Bond-related covers. Tune in tomorrow for some of the best ever made; for today, we’re whetting your appetite with a look at an all-Bond cover album that’s not like all the others.
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Full Albums features covers of every track off a classic album. Got an idea for a future pick? Leave a note in the comments!
The Doors are in the unfortunate position of being overwhelmed by their mystique. They were never a band that coasted on an image – they released eight albums (six studio, one live, one best-of) in the five years before Jim Morrison’s death, and two more studio albums afterward. Their dark voice was not always welcome in the peace ‘n’ love sixties, but they never stopped raising it. Some of their albums are spotty, but the best of their work has stood the test of time better than that of many if not most of their contemporaries. Alas, too many people today know them as nothing more than a vehicle for Morrison to wield the persona that famously led Rolling Stone to declare him hot, sexy, and dead. But in 1967, there was nobody like them, and their self-titled debut album proved them to be a cohesive unit with a vision only those four men could convey.
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Every Wednesday, our resident Gleek Eric Garneau gives his take on last night’s Glee covers.
In “I Am Unicorn,” McKinley High gears up for their production of West Side Story, with several of our principal characters battling for the leads. Meanwhile, Kurt makes a run for class president, and music coach Shelby Corcoran (guest star Idina Menzel) steps back into the lives of Rachel (her biological daughter) plus Quinn and Puck (the parents of her adopted child).
Last week in this column we talked about Glee’s apparent attempts to carry out season three with a purpose many claimed the show lacked last year. One of the through-lines established in “The Purple Piano Project” was the performance of the school musical, which we learned would be West Side Story. I assumed they’d save its whole production for a few episodes down the line (much like last year’s Rocky Horror), but it seems the show is really taking to heart the notion of letting plots build throughout a season. Here we get only part of the West Side story in the form of auditions, with several of our main characters (namely Rachel and Kurt, but also Kurt’s boyfriend Blaine) attempting to claim the leads. That’s a serious change of pace from last season, where Rocky Horror was announced, produced, performed and cancelled in the span of 45 minutes. 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!
When Arctic Monkeys burst onto the scene with the bratty, colloquial garage punk of Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, few listeners suspected that the group of Sheffield teenagers would ever become grungy desert rockers. But they did exactly that, darkening their sound with the help of Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and growing immensely as musicians at the same time. They’ve produced a multitude of covers along the way, and their diversity and quality is a great gauge of the band’s musical evolution. On the cusp of releasing their fourth album (the strangely named Suck It and See), here’s a look at five of the Arctics’ best cover performances. Continue reading »
Every Wednesday, our resident Gleek Eric Garneau gives his take on last night’s Glee covers.
After its post-Super Bowl spectacular, Glee resumed its regular Tuesday-night schedule with this week’s “Silly Love Songs.” As you might expect, that’s a Valentine’s Day-themed episode in which Coach Schuester directs the members of his glee club to partner up and sing their favorite love songs to each other. Strange teaching methods aside, what results is, like “The Sue Sylvester Shuffle,” another solid set of covers that spans a number of popular genres. Continue reading »