| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 822.1 | Heaven and Hell - A tribute to the Velvet Underground | POBBLE::COTTON | Thanks for a nation of finks... | Sun Apr 07 1991 15:51 | 168 |
| `Heaven and Hell' are two separate volumes of artistes doing `tributes' to
the Velvet Underground, available on Imaginary records.
Seeing as the Velvet Underground have undeniably been the influence for
many an indie band of recent years. It may seem pointless to ask artists to
create what can barely be a challenge to them, and in quite a few cases on
these two volumes, the artists cop out by doing straight renditions of tyhe
songs.
The Velvet Underground were a band full of ideas, often being more shocking
by turning their amplifiers down rather than up. There was a lot of
spontaneity in their more ad-libbed songs which showed there were no real
rules that they were obeying. For bands to cover their songs they should
follow this example. All too often bands' cover version are sycophantic
near-perfect reproductions of their originals (With a few notable
exceptions such as The Residents and Eugene Chadbourne).
Anyway, here's my thoughts on the individual tracks on both albums.
Anybody else heard either of these?
Volume 1
Lady Godiva's Operation - Chapterhouse
A bad start. If it wasn't for the fact that the vocals sound almost
pre-pubescent in places, there'd be very little else to distinguish
this version from the original. A friend of mine went to school with
the guy from this band. Said he was a git.
Candy Says - The Telescopes
Again, another cover that barely differs from the slow ballad of the
original. `Candy Says' was one of the tracks that proved that the
Velvet Underground could do a lot more than make a racket. The
Telescopes are proving that that can't do anything except emulate the
Velvet Underground.
Here She Comes Now - Nirvana
One of the bands from the sub-pop movement. Not much changed from the
original yet again except the yelping vocals and the rather dull
rock-out used at the end to pad the song out.
She's my best friend - The Wedding Present
Easily the best song on this album as it really the only one which
attempts to do anything different with the song. It would have been
all to easy for them to choose a song like `What Goes On', a song that
a lot of their own material is based on, and just hammer it our in the
usual weddoes fashion. `She's my best friend' is played acoustically,
calmly and with quiet intimate vocals. It sounds more like the
Velvet's `Jesus', than the throwaway song it originally was. Great
stuff.
All Tomorrow's Parties - Buffalo Tom
Horrible. This is an awful dirge of a song to start with and Buffalo
Tom don't attempt in anyway to improve it.
Sunday Morning - James
All sweetness and light from James. `Sunday Morning' always will be a
soppy but brilliant tune. However, the singer Tim Booth gets
over-indulgent (again) by adding a real laughable rap of V.U. song
titles and N.Y.C. namedropping at the end of the song. Sit Down that
man.
What Goes On - The Screaming Trees
Well, It's O.K., but nothing special. I mean, not a patch on the live
version that resides on the live at Max's Kansas City album.
Run, Run, Run - The Motorcycle Boy
etc. etc. etc...
I'm Set Free - Terry Bickers & Bradleigh Smith
A fairly nice bit of guitar twiddling from the ex-House of Love man,
Terry. Why people make such a fuss over this guy I don't know.
Bradleigh Smith appears courtesy of the Prudes (it says here). At
nearly seven minutes long, this cover is a bit much for a song that had
only two real verses in it, but nice enough.
European Son - Ride
`European Son' was originally an 8 minute long squeal of improvised
feedback as a grand finale to their debut album, which is too easy a
gauntlet for any fool with an electric guitar to pick up and cover.
Ride do a pretty decent job by slowing it down and adding a pretty good
bassline to what fragments of tune the original had. Not bad, and one
of the better tracks to end the album on.
Volume 2
Femme Fatale - Beef
Not exactly a brilliant opener, but pleasant enough. Don't know much
about Beef, but this song is O.K.
Lady Godiva's Operation - Fatima Mansions
Cathal is leaving the subtle beginnings of Microdisney further and
further behind and the Fatima Mansions churn out a riot complete with
techno grunge keyboards, electric drill noises and awful voice
modulation. There seems to be some kind of celebration at the end of
the song when Lady Godiva dies. A nasty, horrible song, and why not?
Pale Blue Eyes - The Mock Turtles
Boring. Fey little indie upstarts who've learned how to do *that*
drumbeat and are therefore having their fifteen minutes of fame. Git
back to yer bedsits boys.
White Light/White Heat - Revenge
Seems to have been badly recorded as it sounds quite muffled most of
the way through. An O.K. rendition, suitably racy, yet Revenge seem
to lack a point. Why are they making music at all? They sound like
bored session musicians.
All Tomorrows Parties - The Reegs
Just who are The Reegs? Thankfully this is an instrumental version and
there is no attempt at emulating Nico's awful vocals which destroyed
the original. Mainly keyboard dancey stuff, but beware of the Manc
drumbeat halfway through...
Lonesome Cowboy Bill - Bill Nelson and the Roy Rogers Rocketeers
Here's a strange one. Stripped back and slowed down so that a tinny
drum machine is the most prolific sound with pained vocals make this
sound like something the Flying Lizards would have produced if they
had ever bothered to put any emotion into their songs. The sample of
`Four Legged Friend' at the end of the song is taking the title a bit
literally seeing as this was originally meant to be a song about
William Burroughs, but that's what covering songs is all about I
guess. Very likeable.
Foggy Notion - Echo and the Bunnymen
Nice bit of guitar psychedelia from the new bunnymen. Does that singer
sound like old Ian Mac with a hangover or what?
Some Kinda Love - Levellers 5
These boys usually sound like the Fall on Methedrine; plodding clumsy
drums and wretched repetitive vocals, but this is quite good. Nice and
quiet, barely any drums and funny squeaky vocals. An understatement of
a song.
Who Loves the Sun - Shelleyan Orphan
Pre-Raphaelite popsters could have made something good out of a velvets
cover, but cop out with an unimaginative acoustic jangle with, with,
WITH DRUMS FOR GAWDS SAKE! Truly a wasted moment.
Sweet Jane - Hurrah!
Well, possibly THE Velvets song, and a good choice to end the album on.
everyone has their favourite version of it, be it the pop classic on
the `Loaded' album, or Lou Reeds coke fuelled rant on his `Take no
Prisoners' album, or the standard issue rock song from `V.U.' Hurrah!'s
version takes a while to get started, but picks up around the `Heavenly
wine and roses...' bit and quite rocks out at the end.
Lee
|
| 822.2 | ex | RUTILE::LETCHER | | Mon Apr 08 1991 11:08 | 7 |
| Seems to me like this album (these albums) may have been more fun to
review than listen too. Had a few of those in my time too.
Wherever was the delicious Tracey Thorn cover of Femme Fatale? Or any
cover at all of Venus in Furs, come to that?
Piers
|
| 822.3 | | CHEFS::PRICET | A Sonic Youth | Mon Apr 08 1991 12:07 | 9 |
| I've got the first volume and like you find it good in places but to
tell the truth I don't know enough about the V.U. to really compare the
covers to the originals. Can any body reccomend one of the VUs albums
as a good place to start or is there a compilation available?
Tim
---
P.S. I liked Chapterhouse's version of Lady Godiva's Operation
|
| 822.4 | | WELCLU::GREENB | In a euphoric state | Mon Apr 08 1991 12:40 | 22 |
| Tim,
---
Any of their first four are good starting points. These are the
'Banana' album, credited to Andy Warhol/VU (I think), 'White
Light/White Heat', 'The Velvet Underground', and the more
commercial-sounding 'Loaded'. John Cale's mighty bass, organ and viola
is featured only on the first two (check out 'Sister Ray', 17 minutes
of franticness that shows some of these young whippersnappers a thing
or two), after which he left/got thrown out. 'Loaded' features their two
'classics' (i.e. more easily listenable songs), 'Sweet Jane' and 'Rock
and Roll'.
There are also compilations and live albums available. Also worth a
listen are John Cale's solo albums from the early-to-mid seventies,
especially the three on Island (Fear, Helen of Troy, and Slow Dazzle),
and 'Paris 1919'. Parts of the three Island lps have the same
head-wrenching qualities of the early VU, but better produced, while
'Paris 1919' is an altogether softer-sounding record, not a million
miles from the Pale Blue Eyes gentler end of the VU sound.
Bob
|
| 822.5 | Who hasn't covered VU? | SRFSUP::BERZER | empire of the senseless | Mon Apr 08 1991 19:58 | 12 |
| Some of my fave VU covers not on Heaven & Hell:
All Tomorrow's Parties -- Japan (I think it's better than the orginal)
Pale Blue Eyes -- Paul Quinn (an obscure Scottish singer that worked
with Edwyn Collins)
Sweet Jane -- Cowboy Junkies (because they did a cover with different
lyrics)
Sweet Jane -- Jazz Butcher (the VU of the late 80's - 90's)
-Vicki
|
| 822.6 | | VOGON::ATWAL | | Mon Apr 08 1991 20:22 | 12 |
| who was 'Nico'
I've seen a few records by "VU & Nico"
was Nico a front man turned pop-star (like Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound
Machine? etc etc)
cheers...
...art
|
| 822.7 | Buy some Andy Warhol bios. | SRFSUP::BERZER | empire of the senseless | Mon Apr 08 1991 20:36 | 16 |
| re: -1
>was Nico a front man turned pop-star (like Gloria Estefan & Miami
>Sound Machine? etc etc)
art- Are you kidding?? or do you really not know who Nico is??
1. She's a woman (OK, some may dispute this)
2. She's dead. Wait, that doesn't sound very nice. She died a
few years ago in a freak bicycle accident. (I'm not kidding!)
3. She sung with VU & had her own album(s) out. ("Sunday Morning"
"Femme Fatale" and loads of others)
That's the basics, I'm sure others could add more info about her.
-Vicki
|
| 822.8 | | WELCLU::GREENB | In a euphoric state | Mon Apr 08 1991 21:30 | 6 |
| Nico used to appear solo, playing droning harmonium with vocals to
match. She used to cover things like the Doors' 'The End'. I saw her
once, and that was enough for me, although I like her singing with the
VU.
Bob
|
| 822.9 | Sabotage Question | XSTACY::PATTISON | part-time punk | Mon Apr 08 1991 21:34 | 17 |
| 822.10 | The complete and utter trivia reply | WELCLU::GREENB | In a euphoric state | Tue Apr 09 1991 10:32 | 14 |
| Not sure about Sabotage, Dave; it was never a favourite of mine anyway.
There is also a live album called 'Cale Comes Alive', which is
similarly a bit bludgeoning.
Re the Cale version of Heartbreak Hotel - I've heard it covered by two
bands; firstly, the Soft Boys (Robin Hitchcock's old band, which also
featured Kimberley Rew, later of Katrina and the Waves), and secondly
by Expandis, a band which included famed (?) latter-day New Age
keyboard whiz Phil Thornton. As far as I remember, there's also a live
version on the Kevin Ayers/John Cale/Brian Eno/Nico album 'June 1
1974', which was recorded at the Rainbow in London.
Bob
|
| 822.11 | Warhorses explained... | JUMBLY::OCONNOR | Because you do... | Tue Apr 09 1991 13:46 | 22 |
|
I listened to the "Heaven And Hell" compilations over the weekend and
was acutely bored by it all. The only exception was Fatima Mansions
version of "Lady Godiva's Operation" which is fairly indescribable
really except to mention the drills, warped loud-hailer vocals and lots
of noize.
The rest of the bands remain tediously close to the originals. On this
evidence they couldn't deconstruct a lightshow. It all sounds like
post baby-boom fallout to these ears. A party sharing a brain cell.
Even Nick Cave (maybe I should say *especially* Nick Cave) did a better
version of "All Tomorrow's Parties" in his "More Pricks Than Kicks"
album.
If you want an album of A1 Deconstruction jobs then listen to The
Residents doing Hank Williams. And the other where they cover 20 Elvis
classics ("The King And Eye").
And let's leave Devo well out of this.
- Tim
|
| 822.12 | Now you know *everything* about Nico | RUTILE::MACFADYEN | Heat and light | Tue Apr 09 1991 14:10 | 4 |
| Nico smoked a lot and was very gloomy.
Rod
|
| 822.13 | | JUMBLY::OCONNOR | Because you do... | Tue Apr 09 1991 15:04 | 10 |
|
Rod cycled lot and was very wise...
If you'd like to know more about fallen Andy Warhol heroines (like
Nico) you could do worse than borrow my "Ciao! Manhattan" video. It
portrays the decline and death of a model, Edie Sedgwick, who was a
Factory head (in every sense of the word). Seedy as a row of spuds.
- Tim
|
| 822.14 | 1 more | XSTACY::PATTISON | part-time punk | Wed Apr 10 1991 12:44 | 14 |
| 822.15 | Spam again | POBBLE::COTTON | Yet Knish | Mon Mar 02 1992 15:52 | 13 |
| `Heaven & Hell' Volume III, is out now. Featuring more VU covers by the likes
of The Dylans, New FADS, that guy out of Sonic Youth who isn't Thurston Moore
and others. Anybody got it?
While in a V.U. mood, I was Moe Tucker strut her stuff at Reading University
a few weeks ago. Her solo stuff was pretty good, she played guitar rather than
drums, and obviously learnt her three chords off Lou Reed. All the songs
seemed to be about how crummy your job is and how you don't get paid enough,
and she sounded like she was singing from experience. Stirling Morrison was
playing with her as well, and provided the "Soldiers fighting with the 'cong"
from the inevitable "I'm sticking with you". A good night out.
Lee
|
| 822.16 | H&H | SOURCE::ZAPPIA | punk rock polly | Mon Mar 02 1992 17:02 | 6 |
|
Some others are Sweredriver and Half Japanese...
No, I don't have it yet.
- Jim
|
| 822.17 | | IEDUX::jon | Five more years? I need five more beers! | Thu May 14 1992 18:40 | 20 |
| Re .15 back in March,
> While in a V.U. mood, I was Moe Tucker strut her stuff at Reading University
> a few weeks ago.
I wish I'd known about that gig. :-(
> All the songs seemed to be about how crummy your job is and how you don't get
> paid enough, and she sounded like she was singing from experience.
After the VU, she worked as a keypunch operator for many years. In
fact, I think her recent comeback was probably made possible by her job
being replaced by OCR technology!
> Stirling Morrison was playing with her as well,
Now I'm really jealous! Anyway, I saw Lou at the Hammy Odeon in March
so I shouldn't grumble *too* much...
Jon
|
| 822.18 | If you write as good as you talk, nobody reads you... | POBBLE::COTTON | | Fri May 15 1992 14:38 | 11 |
|
Hey! I was at those Lou gigs in March too! What a stroppy old git he is these
days! All that rubbish about not playing any V.U. songs. He was lucky he
didn't get bottled off stage (and probably only didn't because the Odeon only
has plastic glasses).
Anybody out there rich enough to afford the `Between Thought and Expression'
box set of selected Lou works? Apparently it includes an `excerpt' of Lou's
opus `Metal Machine Music', which is now available on CD, feedback fans!
Lee
|
| 822.19 | | IEDUX::jon | Five more years? I need five more beers! | Fri May 15 1992 15:59 | 12 |
| I think Lou was always a stroppy git! He's just a stroppy old git
rather than a stroppy young git these days. I wonder how much of it is
deliberate though? If you organise a PA announcement before the show
saying that "Lou Reed will not be playing any of his older material"
and back that up by swearing at people who shout for Velevets songs
during the show, it makes it even better for the punters when you come
back with Sweet Jane as an encore...
Metal Machine Music's been out on CD on some obscure label for over a
year now. Track 3 is my favourite :-)
Jon
|
| 822.20 | SOLD OUT? | UPROAR::PLOWMAND | "don't phone, it's just for fun" | Tue Jun 01 1993 13:11 | 5 |
| Anyone going to see the Velvets on June 5th at The Forum? Is is sold
out?
Debs.
|
| 822.21 | | ARRODS::DUTTONS | | Tue Jun 01 1993 16:53 | 2 |
| It's sold out and has been for a couple of months. You could try
Wembley Arena...
|
| 822.22 | | UPROAR::PLOWMAND | "don't phone, it's just for fun" | Tue Jun 01 1993 18:16 | 3 |
| No thanks! Can't imagine a band MORE unsuited to Wembley Arena...
Debs.
|
| 822.23 | | RUTILE::LETCHER | Republic | Tue Jun 01 1993 18:22 | 4 |
| Tickets still available for U2 in Lausanne some time at the end of
June, with The Velvet Underground and the Stereo MCs supporting.
Piers
|
| 822.24 | | WOTVAX::FIDDLERM | This is the Winter of your Mind | Tue Jun 01 1993 18:22 | 3 |
| re-1...sounds like a good gig line up to me. You going?
Mikef
|
| 822.25 | | RUTILE::LETCHER | Republic | Tue Jun 01 1993 18:48 | 3 |
| Nope, but I was sorely tempted by the Stereo MCs...
Piers
|
| 822.26 | | AYOV11::SROBERTSON | | Wed Jun 02 1993 12:33 | 3 |
| re -1 And so you should be - they are one band who definatley put
on a great live show.
-
|
| 822.27 | | WOTVAX::FIDDLERM | This is the Winter of your Mind | Wed Jun 23 1993 17:29 | 3 |
| Whatever happened to Waldo Jeffers? And MArcia Bronson?
Mikef
|
| 822.28 | waldo should've used Fed Exp | SWAM2::BERZER_VI | Queen of Trash | Thu Jun 24 1993 20:41 | 5 |
| > Whatever happened to Waldo Jeffers? And MArcia Bronson?
I've always tried to emmulate Marcia Bronson.
-Vicki
|
| 822.29 | | WOTVAX::FIDDLERM | This is the Winter of your Mind | Thu Jun 24 1993 20:56 | 5 |
| >I've always tried to emmulate Marcia Bronson.
Remind me to never mail myself to your place.
Mikef
|
| 822.30 | | WOTVAX::FIDDLERM | This is the Winter of your Mind | Fri Jun 25 1993 13:56 | 9 |
| >>I've always tried to emmulate Marcia Bronson.
Does this also mean you like to dump the guy who really cares for you,
for the macho geek who, no, doesn't love you, but does feel a certain
affection for you?
Lifes hard for sensitive caring men.
Mikef
|
| 822.31 | sensitive young woman | SWAM2::BERZER_VI | Queen of Trash | Fri Jun 25 1993 21:13 | 13 |
| >Does this also mean you like to dump the guy who really cares for you,
>for the macho geek who, no, doesn't love you, but does feel a certain
>affection for you?
Gee, I hadn't thought of that. Hummm, should I? Nah....
>Lifes hard for sensitive caring men.
Wow, you should've see the fight I started in my Illustration class
last night when I presented my final project - a book cover for Susan
Faludi's Backlash. I couldn't even discuss the design.
-Vicki
|