Universal has just announced a new Neil Young tribute CD, to be titled Borrowed Tunes II. And just who is paying tribute, you ask?
Collaborating artists include Barenaked Ladies, Emily Haines, Finger Eleven, Chantal Kreviazuk, Dallas Green, Hawksley Workman, Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, Ron Sexsmith, Goldendogs, Quebec-based Dobacaracol, Jorane and many others.
We’ll take Haines and Sexsmith, but the rest of the line-up is less appealing than an a cappella version of Landing On Water. So is this is the worst tribute album of all time? Not even close.
Possibly not. A quick scan of Amazon turns up these following gems:
Shout at the Remix: Tribute to Motley Crue (2000)
Offending entries: “Too Young To Fall In Love (Synical Remix)” by Gilby Clarke; “Piece Of Your Action (Sigue Sigue Sputnik Remix,” by Marq Torien
Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix (1993)
Offending entries: “Manic Depression” by Seal & Jeff Beck; “Spanish Castle Magic,” by the Spin Doctors
The Eastern Tribute To Helloween (1999)
Offending entries: “I Can.” by Sonorous Reluctance; “How Many Tears” by Cruel Barbarian
Working Class Hero: A Tribute To John Lennon (1995)
Offending entries: “Imagine” by Blues Traveler; “Instant Karma” by Toad the Wet Sprocket
Dees’ Mutha—in’ Nuts: A Tribute To Rick Dees (2007)
Offending entries: All of them
For some reason, when I first saw the headline I could have sworn it said “Ne-Yo re-thinks his Canadian Citizenship.” Needless to say, my head almost exploded.
Wait, somebody other than Pearl Jam is covering Neil Young?
That upcoming Sgt. Peppers cover album could be a contender… Oasis…
The String Quartet Tribute to My Chemical Romance
Nothing could possible be worst than that, unless it involved a ukelele, a steel drum, and Fall Out Boy.
Another record I reviewed for CMJ back in the day. It really was pretty bad:
VARIOUS ARTISTS
Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (Reprise)
When Sting overhauled Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” in 1987 with late jazz arranger Gil Evans, some of his fans were enchanted by his touch with the ballad. And some of Jimi’s fans were appalled. Indeed, the value of a cover is in the eye of the beholder – particularly with Hendrix, whose style frustrates any attempt at imitation. Unsurprisingly, on Stone Free the contributors vascillate between slavishly imitating the master, and using his heavy tunes as springboards for a ’90s update. In the update category, the Cure’s aggro/house “Purple Haze,” P.M. Dawn’s catchy but silly collage, “You Got Me Floatin’” and Nigel Kennedy’s overlaid string rockestra, “Fire,” tell us nothing about these artists’ interest in Hendrix. On the slavish tip, the Spin Doctors’ “Spanish Castle Magic” is too reverent to boogie, too sloppy to rock, and Living Colour’s competent “Crosstown Traffic” only affirms that Vernon Reid is better off charting his own course. The most revealing cuts don’t stray too far from Hendrix’s premise but manage to add the artist’s own stamp: Belly can’t really play “Are You Experienced?” too cleverly, but Tanya Donnelly’s vocal manages to recast Jimi’s sexy come-on; and Body Count’s take on “Hey Joe” is a winner, with Ice-T biting down on, “I’m gonna shoot my ol’ woman/I shot her!” like he really understands the song’s menace. And for lovers of Seattle – Jimi’s hometown – the “supergroup” M.A.C.C. (featuring members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden) play an effortless “Hey Baby” that reminds us why that northwest craze began in the first place. -[dennisobell]
They need to cancel this tribute immediately. The man has epilepsy. This could kill him.
And, anyway, a Young tribute has been done already, and well — 1989′s The Bridge: A Tribute to Neil Young was less than half bad, especially if you ignore Soul Asylum’s cover of “Barstool Blues.” Includes Pixies’ version of “Winterlong,” not to mention Sonic Youth’s “Computer Age” cover, to be included on the forthcoming deluxe version of Daydream Nation.
The tribute that kills me: Step Right Up: A Tribute to Tom Waits. Oh the horror. Especially since some good bands deliver piss-poor versions.
Wanna hear Lisa Loeb cover Ozzy? Of course you don’t! And yet…
http://www.amazon.com/Bat-Head-Soup-Tribute-Ozzy/dp/B00004…
…you must!
There are some good versions of songs on the “Stone Free” and “Working Class Hero” tributes, but you guys were absolutely correct on the bad ones. All the String Tributes are obviously made to cash in on the artists popularity(there’s even one for Idolator’s favorite, Audioslave). They’re all horrible, as well as all the Deadline Remix Tributes. I liked a lot of the first Black Sabbath tribute, N.I.B.
The best concept for a tribute album that I’ve heard (sadly, a fictitious one):
“Y’All Gonna Die: Nashville Salutes Megadeath.”
The upcoming Sgt. Pepper tribute is rendered even more unnecessary since there was one done 20 years ago for its vicennial: “Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father” (The Fall doing “A Day In The Life”!). Although Oasis’ participation will answer the age-old question, “What would Beatles songs sound like sung off-key in a multi-million dollar recording studio as opposed to a karaoke bar?”
Okay seriously – Nothing can get worse than Reel Big Fish covering The Pixies on their tribute album.
When I first saw that photo of Neil the position of his hand and its resulting shadow made it look like he had an Amish beard. That was terrifying.
And as far as bad ideas for tribute albums…I would say it’s between Pat Boone’s In A Metal Mood and the bluegrass Van Halen thing that David Lee Roth did a few months back.
Speaking as a Canadian:
Emily Haines = awesome
Hawksley = pretty good. Not terrible.
Ron Sexmith = great
Golden Dogs = awesome
I can understand that the rest of them are shitty, but what exactly qualifies this as worst of all time? Half the artists suck balls, the other half are pretty class. Get a grippier grip on your gripper, yo.