part 5 - Poor Poor Pitiful Me

I really like covers. It´s the familiarity of something we know, which is comforting, plus the excitement of something we don´t, which is intriguing. There are some songs that lend themselves beautifully to reinterpretations.

Original - Warren Zevon

I don´t think there is a single Warren Zevon song that isn´t deliciously wicked. He manages something so rare to come by, songs that are wise, funny, shocking AND make a point. And they are singalong classics!! For many folks, he´s it. His dark sense of humour and unconventional voice mean that he hasnt had the mainstream attention many think he deserves. But it´s not for them, it´s for the people who get the joke. The original has fiddle, his signature honky tonk piano style and a  (naughty) verse more than most covers. All these girls won´t let him be.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TbfQPRgcS8

Cover - Linda Ronstadt

I get annoyed about how patronised Linda Ronstadt gets. Yes, she was cute-as-pie, didn´t write her own tracks and was friends with loads of the male musicians on the scene but she sure as hell wasn´t riding no coat tails! She brought half of the folks together on the scene, The Eagles (effectively her old backing band), Jackson Browne, Lowell George, JD Souther..... Anyway this fabulous does an awesome version, probably my favourite of it´s interpretations. The She´s are changed to He´s and they suddenly sound even better, delivered with buckets of fierceness. "he was a credit to his gender" suddenly sounds less mildly patronising and more like a delightful seal of vampish approval. (rapidly sealing that can of worms....... the gender debate will have to wait). Good use of twangy country guitar, quirky but not unpleasant synth sounds to kick things off, nice harmonies. Her live performance of it in ´79 at the Lowell George concert is a fun performance, although I feel it´s the kind of version that comes alive as you´re driving, you know? Your laptop speakers and a hangover won´t make it dance. All these boys won´t let her be....


Cover - Terri Clark

Things just got all country......
Now don´t get me wrong, like Leon says at Willie´s barbecue, I LUUURVE COUNTR´MUSIC. But but problem has always been with country that sounds, how do i put this.....  shiny?It´s production, I get it, but the same artist could record the same song on their own in a garage and I´d like it more. This ain´t bad though, Terri´s got a strong, sweet voice, like syrup. It´s of it´s time, as opposed to the original which sounds timeless to me, but maybe thats just preference. And.........Cowbell!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3064dD-qGQ



Cover - Jackson Browne featuring Bonnie Raitt

Well, it was never going to be bad in my book.
Part of the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich, this is a track that Jackson sometimes plays anyway, but this hard rockin version is great fun. It starts with a much heavier backline than normal, it could turn into  Fortunate Son for all we know. These two and Warren Zevon all go way back, and it´s just lovely for me to observe absolutely any interaction they have, musical or not. It´s a great cover, actually, and I like it increasingly with each listen. The only drawback perhaps, is that Jackson is too thoroughly decent a bloke. I don´t know, obviously, but i don´t imagine he could be the kind of glorious arse to write this, and therefore he doesn´t sing it in quite the way a glorious arse would, and I think that might be needed, certainly for a male interpretation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmlQUc9hQLI