Covers albums: Search & Destroy

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Not compilations. Not tribute albums. I’m asking about artists who otherwise record only their own songs releasing a whole album of a variety of others’ material.

Examples: Nick Cave Kicking Out the Pricks, Yo La Tengo Fakebook, Walkabouts Satisfied Mind, Cat Power, Mark Lanegan, Bowie, Ferry, Bonnie Billy’s new EP.

Should this be allowed? Does anybody get excited over this type of record? What does it say about the artist? Bar band? Geeks boring us with their influences? Self-styled interpreters playing at Elvis? Descendents of Apollo?

― Curt, Sunday, 12 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I notice that Duran Duran's covers album is conspicuously missing from the list in this thread's header ...

― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Sunday, 12 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I really enjoy Cat Power's covers album. It's the only covers album I own, though. But her voice and the simplicity of the music are marvelous.

― Melissa W, Sunday, 12 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

the bristols mostly only do covers(even their originals sound like covers, strangely) but since most are songs where i've never heard the orginals i don't mind, besides they have such sass i can appreciate them no matter. covers as singles, that's a terrible idea.

― keith, Sunday, 12 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm glad you asked this question as I have been thinking about it a lot lately. I know that the problem with the modern over- emphasis on originality has been thrashed to death (or has it been, I'm not actually sure), but I was thinking more specifically about what happened to popular music somewhere around about the 60s. Basically what happened can be summed up in the type of pictures you'd have on album covers: there was a movement from pictures of the artist smiling and holding their instruments (they're entertainers ready to serve) to moody shots of people sneering (they're cynical, they critique things, they're cool, they might not like you and you ought to try to be part of their gang.) I think this movement on the one hand allowed artists to start 'questioning society' and on the other hand had horrible effects like making rock bands cool cliques who go to great lengths to look superior and distant from the audience, with the horrible atmosphere that creates. (I love it how on Kraftwerk albums they retain the old smiling line up with instrument photos, the friendly servants!) Anyway, this is obviously tied up with people thinking it's wrong to do whole covers albums or that that means you're not a real artist or whatever. And ultimately, most of those bands you mentioned are just playing along with that, cause nowadays when you do an album of covers I think you're right, it's just a way of saying, look I'm so very individual that I dare to do an album of covers, and check out my influences. There was some kind of deep difference between the early Beatles album which was half cover versions and John Lennon's post 60s album of rock covers, of his 'influences.' Something happened to popular music!

― maryann, Sunday, 12 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

As I mentioned in the Tzadik/Buffy thread, I quite like the Marc Bolan tribute, especially the Life's a Gas cover.

Does the Walkabouts contain a dEUS cover? Never heard it but hopefully a few peeps will go out and buy one of their records.

I quite like "This Note's for You Too" and Rainy Day comp should be mentioned as well.

― nathalie, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

you mentioned two of my firm favourites, the Yo La Tengo LP and the Walkabouts LP, both of which have prodded me to go seek out most of the original tunes, and artists they who wrote them. Yeah, these things can be geeks showing off influences, definitely, but the two mentioned above are educational and fun. yep. Sadly, I can't think of any others in this style that I like nearly as well. The Headcoats "Brother is Dead, But Fly is Gone" is one I liked, (mostly garage punk and non-garage Punk) too, partly because they do Johnny Moped's "Darling, Let's Have Another Baby". There's many artists that could do this sort of thing well, I'm sure, but are afraid of the bar band / geek tags. Or maybe they're afraid that people will discover that they actually have influences, and are not completely, totally original. Gosh. Maybe to do this sort of thing well, a band has to be both somewhat diverse in their interests (i.e. they have to play more than one type of song) and maybe even a bit techincally competent (hate to say it). I'd like to hear this sort of an LP from the Young Fresh Fellows, or maybe from the Mekons. I would've liked to have heard something like this from REM about 10 years ago, but I'd be afraid to, now.

― pauls00, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think they can work if people actually put some effort into it, rather than just use them as a stopgap. I hate people coming out with covers that are identical to the originals; there's no point other than to boost the coverer's profile. However, when (hopefully obscure) songs are treated in interesting ways I don't mind too much.

Pinups walks that line quite finely, I think; not exactly a cash-in, as a definite 'artistic statement' tribute to a specific period, but still not interesting enough to keep me listening. Faithful by Todd Rundgren fails miserably because it's just 'Hey, look what I can do'; there's no question of the note-for-note renditions being any better or more interesting than the originals.

I'd stand by Elvis Costello's Kojak Variety as a reasonable covers album; it's not a fantastic record but it works as a pleasant, throwaway listen every now and again.

― John Davey, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

How about Senor Coconut's Kraftwerk covers album?

― Daniel, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

ute lemper's punishing kiss makes murder seem so fucking sexy. (apologies to those already murdered)

― Geoff, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like Nillsson Sings Newman. Among the titles discussed, Yo La Tengo's is the only one that works as well for me as any album of originals. I can't explain why except that they're having fun and it's infectious. The Walkabouts is too rootsy-reverent for me. It even closes with something about going home followed by another one about missing me when I'm gone. Don't bet on it.

― Curt, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think Simple Minds are about to plumb new depths. Jim and the boys are about to release a covers album called "Neon Lights" - the Kraftwerk song unsurprisingly being one of the casualties. Also included is The Velvets "All Tomorrow's Parties" and Bowie's "The Man Who Sold The World". Should be a scream!

The Simple Minds cover Kraftwerk. And Satan rubs his hands with glee.

― Johnathan, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Simple Minds cover Kraftwerk. And Satan rubs his hands with glee.

― Johnathan, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Search: Sloan party album, easier said then done if your not American. Church's Box of Birds is better then their last few albums. Though anyone can do a good cover of Cortez The Killer.

― zacko, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I remember Siouxsie's Through the Looking Glass as being a whole lotta fun. Any covers record that kicks off with "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" is alright by me. Also, their version of "The Passenger" is the perkiest thing ever--I'm picturing a June Taylor Dancers routine.

― Arthur, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bryan Ferry used to refer to his cover material as "readymades" - Duchamp style...it's kind of interesting tho - or OK maybe not that interesting - the way this "so don't take me seriously as an ARTIST" stance was actually saying the opposite, y'know the mere fact of using that terminology made him get took more seriously as a ARTIST than yr regular ordinary rock or pop guy. *Surely* not his intention! Those albums are pretty good tho', some of them.
The French band Dr Mix & The Remix made a great album of covers in the late '70s, it had 2 Seeds songs, a Troggs song, a Velvet Underground song, a Stooges song & a David Bowie song, all done in an exaggeratedly "inhuman" "mechanical" fashion (vocals [& everything else] distorted so's to be completely empty of recognisable human emotion, cheap drum machine instead of organic rhythm section) & I guess most people thought it was a "novelty" "joke" record...I don't think it was meant this way at all tho, I think it was a serious proposition of the rock'n'roll of the future.
"Brother is Dead..." isn't that hot as Billy Childish records go.

― duane, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Also the Armitage Shanks "Sing & Play 20 Great Punk Rock Hits Of The '70s" (or whatever it's called) is great...treat the "serious" stuff that Greil Marcus writes about the same as Johny Moped or, I forget their name, that band Kevin Rowlands was in...it's all great! It's all trash! worth a burning mountain of books on "Punk" fer sure.

― duane, Monday, 13 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I second the Sloan live party album, although if memory serves correctly, it's not ALL covers... is it?

I am not a big fan of entire albums of covers. To me, it smacks of "We needed to release SOMETHING, so here's an album of stuff we didn't write". Although, it is a double edged sword, because if the artist can pull it off well (Yo La; Cat Power; Lanegan), it can be a joyous thing.

If you are gonna do an album of covers... at least make 'em fun and interesting.

― md, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ah, other people who like the Walkabouts! I love you all. And yes, both their covers albums -- _Satisfied Mind_ and _The Train Stops at Eight_ -- are just fantastic. The former album is actually what got me into them in the first place.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The vast majority of these that I have heard haven't been all that good, in my opinion. However I love Jon Auer's "6 1/2", the "Rainy Day" comp. is amazing, also Senor Coconut, Laibach ("Let It Be"), and The Nutley Brass (their version of "Blitzkreig Bop" was genius!) have contributed nicely to this genre.

If I like the comp. (like those mentioned above), I really do get excited over it, and end up buying all of the original versions, but there have been so many that have been disappointing. Some people (including Joan Jett, who I usually really like) pick good songs just don't do a good job covering them. An exception is Annie Lennox finding the Lover Speaks' "No More I Love You's" and making an amazing song popular again, while the rest of her album sucked.

I guess the upshot is that it depends, on the song covered, on the person covering it, and the alignment of the moon and the stars.

― Elspeth McKee, Saturday, 18 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

This Is A Response -
To An August 13, 2001 Posting -
By John Davey -
Linkage Below :

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0063es

Dear John -

Firstly May I State -
I Never Thought I Would Be Writing A "Dear John" Letter -
But Here It Goes...

I Found Your Observation -
Regarding Todd Rundgren's "Faithful" LP -
Interesting To Say The Least -
But I Must Put In My 2 Shillings -
Regarding A Broader Perspective...

When This LP Was Released -
Some 25 Years Ago - In 1976 -
"Covering" Other People's Stuff -
With Perhaps The Exception Of "Louie Louie" -
Was Not The "Norm" -
As A Matter Of Fact -
I Cannot Think Of Anything Predating It -
Especially Doing Multiple Covers -
And Was More Than Interesting -
To Hear An Established Artist Do So -
Even If The Renditions Of The Songs -
Were Not "Spectacular" Enough -
To Capture Your Attention...

But Me Thinks Perhaps -
You Have Missed An Important Point -
Regarding TR's "Faithful" -
And Its Statement/Value/Intention/Artistic Expression -
And Have Mistakenly Lumped It Into The "Cover Song" Category...

In Addition To The Above Musings -
The LP - Was - To Me -
From The Design Of The LP Cover -
Being A "Cover" Of The Beatles "White Album" -
To The Songs/Artists Chosen To Cover -
Beatles/Beach Boys/Dylan/Hendrix Etc. -
To The Title Of The Album Itself - "FAITHFUL" -
Was Todd Paying Homage To -
And Seemingly Staying "Faithful" To As Well -
Those Musical Artists -
That Had A Great Influence Over Him -
And His Music...

And It Is Only Side 2 -
That Contains "Covers" -
Side 1 Is Original Compostions -
Although These Songs Have Strong Compostional Overtones -
Of The Mentors On Side 2...

It Was Almost Like Side 1 Is The Product -
And Side 2 Is A Bibliography / Footnote Section -
Only It Is Musical -
As Opposed To Written On The Liner Notes...

Whether It Is A Movie / A Movement / Or Music -
It Can Be Hard To Keep A Perspective -
Regarding The Flavor Of The Times -
What Had Gone Before -
And What Was Yet To Come At That Time...

Let's Face It -
It's Hard To Have A Handle On Something -
That Is Currently Happening -
Let Alone -
25 Years After The Fact...

But I Must Proudly State -
I Do Remember It When -
Although Only 17 -
And I Remember It Fondly -
And I Feel It Was Laudable Then -
And Is Equally So Now -
But IT -
Like Life Itself -
Is ALL Perspective -
And I Am Hoping MY Brand -
Is A Perspective You Perhaps Had Not Considered -
And By Doing So -
A Greater Appreciation Will Be Formed...

Regards -

Harry Scott Shimp
one19

― harry scott shimp, Thursday, 19 December 2002 00:34 (twenty-three years ago)

As A Matter Of Fact -
I Cannot Think Of Anything Predating It

Ferry's "These Foolish Things", Bowie's "Pinups" and Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll" immediately come to mind...

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 19 December 2002 00:48 (twenty-three years ago)

...not to mention Bob Dylan's "Self Portrait", The Band's "Moondog Matinee", most Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker. In fact, other than tribute albums, I cannot think of any difference between then and now, regarding covering other people's stuff. And as for "Louie Louie" being "perhaps the exception", it dates to a time when covers were overwhelmingly the norm.

OK, I feel better now.

― Curt (cgould), Thursday, 19 December 2002 04:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Scott Walker sings Brel

― A Nairn (moretap), Thursday, 19 December 2002 04:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Bowie's PIN-UPS? Thumbs down.

Duran Duran's THANK YOU? Thumbs down, `cept I do like their cover of "White Lines," as maligned as it is.

Slayer's UNDISPUTED ATTITUDE? Thumbs way up. Any band that bothers to cover Minor Threat and D.I. inna metal stylee is fine with me.

Ramones' ACID EATERS? Thumbs down, for the most part.

Metallica's GARAGE DAYS/GARAGE DAYS REVISITED/GARAGE INC.? Thumbs down, especially for butchering Killing Joke's "The Wait."

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 19 December 2002 17:26 (twenty-three years ago)

The Moog Cookbook's Ye Olde Space Bande is a novelty delight, and gets bonus points for a murderous Pitchfork review. Their live show is mega-entertaining.

Truthfully one of my favorites is Nanci Griffith's first Other Voices, Other Rooms. The 2nd one was heavily weighted down by too many guest stars and too much production.

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Thursday, 19 December 2002 19:18 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

I wasn't sure whether to post this here or on the Sandie Shaw, c/d thread, but I just got the new-to-CD Sandie Shaw "Reviewing the Situation" covers LP from 1969, on the back of the rave review it got in Mojo, and my word it's rather good. On the nutso cover of "Sympathy For The Devil", Sandie's vocals remind me of early Siouxsie!

― Jeff W (zebedee), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

These are very rarely particularly interesting, but there are exceptions. I think Bryan Ferry's "Taxi" is a great album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 18 October 2004 11:27 (twenty-one years ago)

search Rickie Lee Jones, 'It's Like This'

― derrick (derrick), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I always thought Faith No More had a great covers album in 'em. Search that, if it actually existed.

― Wooden (Wooden), Monday, 18 October 2004 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Has anyone out there heard the Robert Forster covers album?

― peepee (peepee), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I love covers albums! I like the fact that I can even listen to a band I hate if it's a covers album because I'm interested in how they handle the material. Kicking Against The Pricks is classic, as are most of Ferry's covers albums. Both Moog Cookbook albums are great. (I even quite like Kevin Rowland's take)

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

destroy: elvis costello, kojak variety

i looooove yo la tengo's fakebook, and i equally love the knitters' poor lil' critter on the road, which, when it comes down to it, is X doing a covers album and mixing in a few originals in which they try to match the covers, and they do a pretty great job of it.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Best of the lot:

The Residents - Third Reich 'n' Roll

The best fun is trying to work out what songs are being covered (sometimes they run simultaneously)

― Serghei Daduismus (Dada), Monday, 18 October 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

nick cave's covers album is my favorite nick cave album

― Sympatico (shmuel), Monday, 18 October 2004 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

UB40's first two "Labour Of Love" albums were the best they ever did.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 18 October 2004 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Search:

Laibach's 'NATO' and 'Let It Be'

― Sasha (sgh), Monday, 18 October 2004 23:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Hmmm.. There are lots of artists that have usually only recorded albums with cover version of other people's songs. I mean, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Britney Spears, Spice Girls etc. etc.... :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 19 October 2004 00:03 (twenty-one years ago)

nine years pass...

SEARCH
http://www.historyofrock.info/cache/3211152163_9b0d1bab12.jpg

― Number None, Tuesday, 19 November 2013 11:12 (twelve years ago)

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