Tomorrow I’ll be tripping down to Philadelphia to attend The Roots Picnic, an all-day affair masterminded by Jimmy Fallon’s sidemen (haha, jk guys) and featuring two sets by the band; TV On The Radio, Santigold, and Antibalas are also on the bill. But perhaps the most intriguing part of the day’s festivities will be the start-to-finish performance of Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back–yes, they’ve done it before, but this time, the musical duties will be handled by the Roots and Antibalas. This and the impending relaunch of Unplugged have made me wonder: What albums most deserve a live re-imagining, whether it’s the transformation of samples into band arrangements or the classic Unplugged treatment? I’ve actually been mulling over this question all day, and can’t think of anything off the top of my head–unless Freestyle’s Greatest Beats, Volume One counts. (It should!) After the jump, a few musical experts offer their suggestions. Please feel free to expand further, and if you’re going to the picnic, come say hello!
Christopher R. Weingarten, Public Enemy sample expert / brevity exerciser: “Kylie.” (No specifics, although I would love to hear “2 Hearts” blown out by a big band.)
Lucas Jensen, IMterviewer: “I generally don’t like that stuff, unplugged for the sake of, BUT I imagine that The Queen Is Dead would be great.”
Amy Phillips, Pitchfork news editor: “Maybe Madonna’s Like A Prayer”
Dan Gibson, All My Children blogger: “Paul’s Boutique, although that doesn’t make much sense logistically. I also would have really liked to hear Aquemini straight through with a band.”
Tyler Coates, man about the Internet: “Maybe some of Jason Molina’s Songs: Ohia albums, but performed with the full band he has now.”
The Roots Picnic [okayplayer.com]
Digital Underground, Sex Packets. Why? Why not?
Jeff Buckley’s Grace. (Hate me all you want!)
none of them?
I’ve actually been mulling over this question all day, and can’t think of anything off the top of my head–unless Freestyle’s Greatest Beats, Volume One counts. (It should!)
Doesn’t KTU essentially do this every summer?
Village Green Preservation Society — bathroom break during “Wicked Annabella”
Maybe “Can’t Buy a Thrill,” just because I figure those guys could actually pull this off in a live setting (the only correct answer is “Abbey Road,” but… well, you know).
The Shape of Punk to Come, performed by Santigold and a backing band of some sort. Maybe I’m too drunk to make suggestions right now…
@Halfwit: The Dan is actually doing full album shows in LA, Chicago, and NYC. Aja, Gaucho & Royal Scam.
I wouldn’t mind hearing Wilco’s “Being There” top to bottom. “Dr. Octagon” would be pretty great as well, provided Mr. Thornton & Mr. Nakamura could put their differences aside.
Yeah, that’s right: Music Has the Right to Children by Boards of Canada
Nation of Ulysses “Plays Pretty for Baby.” I would kill to see that live.
Tusk as done by The Essex Green/Ladybug Transistor?
I would love to see just Mac perform Foolish, as I always love those Superchunk acoustic versions.
Janet Jackson’s RHYTHM NATION 1814.
Moby Grape’s debut album.
@joshservo: Having seen them do Red Eyed and Blue/I Got You (At The End Of The Century)/Outtasite (Outta Mind) last year during their opening set for Neil Young (Glenn had a prior commitment, so their set was radically different from what they played elsewhere), I really like this idea.
Also, my vote goes for …Endtroducing with strings, Loudon Wainwright III reprising his sampled speech and a live band.
Like A Prayer would be really good live if there were real banjos on Till Death Do Us Part.
I think New Amerykah Vol. 1 or possibly the first Elastica album. Because Elastica’s basically the only unreunited band I want to reunite.
Or, fuck, maybe Excerpts From The Love Circus. If Lisa Germano brought real cats to do the cat parts.
Dinosaur Jr. - You’re Living All Over me
The Replacements - Tim
Mission Of Burma - Vs.
The Fall - The Wonderful and Frightening World of The Fall
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance
Bowie - Station To Station
The Teardrop Explodes - Kilimanjaro
Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey
Flipper - Generic
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
The Damned - The Black Album
Miles Davis - On the Corner
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
Sonic youth - Daydream Nation
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday sings
Yeah some of these artists are long gone, and others have no intention of working again or working together again, also, it’s a scattered list I know, but it’s off the cuff without a great deal of labor put in. I just caught this thread and thought it was a good one to jump in on.
Local bluegrass outfit Packway Handle Band wowed me with a version of “Where Is My Mind” this weekend, so I’d like to resubmit that Surfer Rosa sounds awesome with banjos, fiddles, etc.