Tags
Ben Howard, cover songs, covers, Dizzee Rascal, Kavinsky, Live Lounge, London Grammar, Muse, Music, Radio 1
I haven’t posted on this blog since March.
This is shameful as my love and lust for music has certainly not wained. And I haven’t forgotten about my beloved Untitled Playlist, heck I look at the actual playlist everyday on my iPod! I’m not sure how to explain this to you, or even to myself. I don’t know why I haven’t really posted, as I definitely haven’t stopped writing. Perhaps I just needed a little break. And didn’t realise until now.
Anyway, before I start getting too emotional lets talk music covers! Specifically London Grammar. And Drive. And Muse. And fireworks.
I’m sure you’ll all be up to speed on the joyous eleven tracks which make up London Grammar’s deliciously beautiful debut, If You Wait. (And if not, why not?? Go listen now!) But if some of you, like me, are a little slow on the uptake you may not have realised that Nightcall is a cover of the truly epic Kavinsky song which is part of the Drive soundtrack. (For a music aficionado, I hang my head in shame at how long it took me to realise these two were the same!)
Yeah… pretty beautiful cover, no?
Anywho, this got me thinking about cover songs and why artists do them. Often it is to honour an artist they look up to, such as Arctic Monkeys covering the late, great Lou Reed when he passed. Or when Michael Jackson died at Glastonbury, so many bands dropped some MJ into their sets. It was great. But when artists are forced to cover songs (in the Live Lounge for example), there just isn’t the same emotion and love behind it.
I’m sad to say this but I actually agree with Dizzee Rascal (fix up look sharrrrrp) on something. In a recent rant on twitter Dylan started mouthing off about Radio 1 and its playlist makers, in said rant he said this:
Fuck Live Lounge! If I gotta keep fighting to get my shit played why bother doing someone else's song so you can sell it on ur shitty comp!
— Dizzee Rascal (@DizzeeRascal) November 5, 2013
That’s not to say all Live Lounge covers are bad, some are indeed phenomenal but there is no getting away from the fact it is always forced. Bands always have to choose a song off the ‘A Playlist’ when in the Live Lounge for example. Whilst it is all part of the PR machine to promote albums, singles and sell songs and make lots of money, I can’t see the point in forcing bands to do covers just (to paraphrase Dizzee) to put on your annual compilation album. You end up with a few gems in a pile of terrible covers like this. Just not worth it.
Personally, I think the best covers are the organic ones which bands truly love playing so they play them. My favourite cover will always be Muse’s cover of Nina Simone, for me it is perfection in a song. Imagine my delight at bonfire night last night when this song had choreographed fireworks to it!
What do you think of covers? Favourite one? Leave your thoughts below
Rx