Cover Classics: ‘The Last Temptation of Elvis’

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Nov 072014
 

Cover Classics takes a closer look at all-cover albums of the past, their genesis, and their legacy.

In 1990, the New Musical Express presented The Last Temptation of Elvis, a collection of covers from Elvis Presley movies designed to benefit the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre in London. Executive producer and NME journalist Roy Carr landed some big names – Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Robert Plant all showed up – and some even bigger tonal shifts. The album careens from rock to a capella to parody to metal and ends up with the King himself performing “King of the Whole Wide World.” “No performance implies any other,” Greil Marcus said about the album in his book Dead Elvis. “There’s no way to predict what anyone will have to say.”
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In the Spotlight: The Primitives

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Aug 212013
 

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!

Next month, the Primitives will release the 25th anniversary edition of Lovely, their debut album; it’s a quarter century old, but its sound is deathless. While the band may be best known for Lovely‘s leadoff track “Crash,” their sound combined Blondie and the Jesus and Mary Chain in a way that resounded with fans far longer and deeper than one song could ever account for. As for the Primitives themselves, they disbanded in the early ’90s, but twenty years later got back together to release Echoes & Rhythms, a cover album that pulls off the rare trick of showing them to be just as vibrant and relevant as they ever were.
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Belle and Sebastian record “Crash” for LateNightTales

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Mar 012012
 

LateNightTales is a compilation series that “invites the world’s best artists to delve deep into their music collections to create the ultimate ‘late night’ selection.” The series has been active since 2001, and boasts many recognizable names in music, including The Flaming Lips, Air, and, most recently, Belle and Sebastian.

This is the second volume Belle and Sebastian has arranged for LateNightTales. The newest installment features the band covering the very catchy song “Crash” by The Primitives. The song is musically nowhere near anything Belle and Sebastian would do – it has too many audible power chords – however, the lyrics are reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian stories, making the cover completely believable. Stream it below. (via Consequence of Sound)

Check out more from Belle and Sebastian at their website.