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Warner Brothers Records is celebrating its 50th year as a label with an album of current artists covering classic cuts from the label’s archives, and while I suppose there’s some appeal to hearing Taking Back Sunday play a Tom Petty track, let’s be real: Who is going to pay for that privilege in the Internet age?
The disc itself isn’t bad, with well-play songs that shuffle through genres like a radio dial stuck on “seek.” Sure, back in the day I was one of those people who purchased Elektra’s similarly conceived 1991 compilation Rubaiyat (for the Kronos Quartet version of “Marquee Moon”). But in the MP3 age, this album seems more suited to cherry-picking a few tracks and living without the rest.
Given the decimated retail landscape and people becoming increasingly rigid in their tastes, what’s the likelihood of someone rummaging through the various artists section of their local Best Buy and getting really psyched by an album with Missy Higgins soft rock take on “More Than This” and Mastodon’s homage to ZZ Top? Maybe pressing actual CDs is just a means to the end of individual track sales, but why not just give Covered away with purchases of full-length Warner Brothers titles?
If you want a taste of what Covered has to offer, here’s an opportunity to compare and contrast:
Disturbed, “Midlife Crisis”:
Faith No More, “Midlife Crisis”:
Covered, A Revolution In Sound:Warner Bros. Records [Amazon]
What, no covers of “Windy” or “Iron Man”? Jeez Louise. And Adam Sandler?
Are we supposed to read that album art as the funeral shroud for the music industry? Because, uh, I do.
I’ll take any opportunity to hear Against Me cover The Replacements
@dyfl: The turntable has a sheet covering it, which is SYMBOLISM. It’s like a piece of furniture in a house where the wealthy owners went away for the summer but died in a tragic boating accident and never returned. Or, in this case, destroyed themselves–and no one could pry their broken business model from their cold, dead hands.
I definitely cherry-picked the Flaming Lips’ cover of Madonna’s “Borderline” (with friends). AMAZING.
Rubiyat was both incredibly good and incredibly bad.
Jesus, that Disturbed cover is brutal.
I assume that had Mike Patton heard Disturbed’s take on Midlife Crisis, we would have heard about his aneurysm by now.
@brasstax: No, they also stole that Patti LaBelle song.
is anyone watching american idol? i think we can officially vouch for that “backing tracks/lip sync” story. “don’t stop believin” indeed.
I don’t find this compilation that much different than the comps that major labels churned out in the 60s and 70s. I think it’s sorta quaint.
@Lucas Jensen: Except in the 60s and 70s; liking one band didn’t mandate you hating all the others. And also, nobody gave a rat’s ass about the 20 year old original version.
@KinetiQ: Go pull out that old copy of Rubiyat and give the Mondays’ “Tokoloshe Man” another spin. Holds up so well. Might even be my favourite Mondays tune. Seriously.
@spankyjoe: I would live in that world.
jesus. that fnm cover was limp.
@DJorn: The Mondays stole everything good about themselves from John Kongos, it appears.
@goldsounds: Ditto the ZZ Top cover.
Perfect World Scenario: Mastodon covers Tres Hombres in its entirety. Queens of the Stone Age covers Eliminator in its entirety. ZZ Top takes both bands on the road as co-headliners. Concert ends every night with all participants on stage for 45 minute version of “Tush.”
@goldsounds: Yeah, that’s pretty much win.
The Disturbed cover of “Midlife Crisis,” like the rest of their output, is gawdawful.