Petra Haden's Who?

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Big gush in yesterday's Los Angeles Times for Petra Haden's voice only recreation of The Who Sell Out. Recorded on a cassette recorder or something in her living room while she read the lyrics from sheets of tablet paper while the traffic went by in the background. The cover scratched out in crayon. Pete said it was great. Mike Watt said it was great but he thought of it. The dude from Bar/None who is shilling it said it was great.

It probably is, just like the girl giraffe at the Santa Barbara zoo. Some enjoy seeing it because it fell over years ago and now has a giant kink in its neck makes it's head look like it's perched on an upside down big "L."

The LA Times --
Petra Haden accepted a challenge to vocally re-create 'The Who Sell Out.' And Pete Townshend likes it.

RollingStone.com
Petra Haden, daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden, not only covers each song, she sings the original guitar, bass and drum parts, background choruses and ...

― Harry Klam, Monday, 7 March 2005 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I love this idea. More people should do full-album covers, anyway.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 7 March 2005 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

i heard "I Can See for Miles" on the radio last night, and it was pretty damn cool. i was impressed enough to at least want to hear the whole album.

― jonviachicago, Monday, 7 March 2005 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

petra's been working on this for years. i'm so happy it's finally being released. it's lots of fun -- reverent enough, but it still sounds like a cute girl singing who songs into a 4-track (i.e., brilliant).

― jbr (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 7 March 2005 18:19 (twenty-one years ago)

i was prepeared to hate it (nothing vs petra ... just bad memories of college acapella groups)...but listened to it on the train one morning to a gleefull end.

she nails certain songs (i can see for miles, esp)and the rest is well crafted and good fun without being too damned hokey or jokey

― b b, Monday, 7 March 2005 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

It's one of my favorite releases of the year so far.

― Jeff K (jeff k), Monday, 7 March 2005 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I love Petra

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 7 March 2005 18:41 (twenty-one years ago)

You know she is joining the Decemberists?

(A band that for some reason seems to be an ILM hate magnet, but that is neither here nor there.)

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Monday, 7 March 2005 18:51 (twenty-one years ago)

is this out? does anyone have it on slsk?

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Monday, 7 March 2005 19:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Petra joining the Decemberists is like Charles Rangel becoming a Republican: I don't know what to think.

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 7 March 2005 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

The record is out in the shops now.

Petra also does a live cover of Coldplay's "Yellow" which somehow manages to sound fresh. You can hear it on that College Radio "Gender Bias" show, which I have a link to somewhere.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 7 March 2005 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw this today at Vinyl Fever and was quite intrigued. She sang backup vocals on Mike Watt's The Secondman's Middle Stand, didn't she? Good album.

― Ian Riese-Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 7 March 2005 23:13 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm totally crushed out on Petra Haden.

― Aaron A., Monday, 7 March 2005 23:16 (twenty-one years ago)

People are crushed out on the giraffe with the kink in its neck at the Santa Barbara Zoo, too.

― Harry Klam, Monday, 7 March 2005 23:57 (twenty-one years ago)

why is no one sharing this / or is is slsk fucked as usual

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 00:04 (twenty-one years ago)

I hate The Decemberists.

I don't suppose she does bonus tracks, like "Hall of the Mountain King"? I'd get it then.

Fuck The Decemberists.

― Not Adlestrop, Tuesday, 8 March 2005 01:11 (twenty-one years ago)

so ILM hates the Decemberists? but i thought ILM loved Fiery Furnaces...does not compute...

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 01:26 (twenty-one years ago)

why is no one sharing this / or is is slsk fucked as usual

Try looking, I've had it in my shared folder for awhile now.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 01:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm not sure that there's a consensus of Decemberists hatred; it's just that there's a curious amount of gleeful, passionate hatred, considering that the band is pretty harmless:

tweeness rears its ugly-kitten head with the hated decemberists -- joseph cotten

the Decemberists blow -- Be sure to Loop! Loop, Loop, Loop.

Decemberists (annoying-as-hell vocalist, ugly, stumbling music) -- 121 onions

I hate The Decemberists. Fuck The Decemberists. -- Not Adlestrop

the decemberists are crap, though. -- RJG

Petra joining the Decemberists is like Charles Rangel becoming a Republican: I don't know what to think. -- nabisco

stop liking crappy indie -- Ganbare Goemon

Honorable mentions to the comparatively gentle "i don't care for the decemberists myself, --christhamrin" and "if you're not into English majors, you should probably avoid the Decemberists. -- Casuistry"

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 20:21 (twenty-one years ago)

so ILM hates the Decemberists? but i thought ILM loved Fiery Furnaces...does not compute...

it's real easy. the FFs have a sense of humor and the decemberists don't.

― lychee mello (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 20:31 (twenty-one years ago)

there's also doug hilsinger and caroleen beatty's taking tiger mountain cover album, which i thought was really excellent.

― blackmail.is.my.life (blackmail.is.my.life), Tuesday, 8 March 2005 22:25 (twenty-one years ago)

For what it's worth, I gleefully and passionately hate The Fiery Furnaces more than the smug bullshit of The Decemberists. The Blueberry Boat had to be the rankest, stalest, most vapid fart of all last year. But this is about Petra Haden.

― Not Adlestrop, Tuesday, 8 March 2005 22:46 (twenty-one years ago)

back to petra, like the album in general but moments during it were miserable. then i'm not a petra-fan like some folk here. does everyone have a crush on all the members of that dog? did i miss something.

for the record, i like the decemberists. does my vote count against the wave of hatred? let's hope. and i think ff are pretty smug as well. oh fuck, isnt all of indie rock?

― jane (jane), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 03:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Well see, I love the Decemberists, can't stand the Fiery Furnaces, and dig Petra Haden a lot.

― mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah clearly one of the first things you notice about the decemberists is that they take themselves too seriously, the humorless pricks.

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

this is my fave who album and i loved the rentals and that dog. so it was a like some weird gift from a jokester god when i was at shop a few weeks ago and saw it on the counter. i hadnt heard about it at all so i put the headphones on and listened and it sounded fantastic! i didnt buy it but that only cos im dead poor and slsk is the only way i can get music now.

its good that what ive read of it has strayed away from pigenholing it as a novelty record. which it is anyways, i just hate when people use the term derrogatively. anyways, its damn fine from first listen and if u like the album or her u will probably like it too! i could even see non-petra who fans getting into it...

― Adam Bruneau (oliver8bit), Wednesday, 9 March 2005 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

It's great! FunFunFUN!

― J (Jay), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 12:50 (twenty years ago)

It is fun.

Heard her cover of "Wuthering Heights" last month. The Petra, she rocketh.

That is all.

― The Mad Puffin, Tuesday, 14 June 2005 13:25 (twenty years ago)

I think I may like this more than the original.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

this record's lots of fun, as is the original obv. her upper register isn't so well-developed but i won't hold it against her.

― metal detective (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 17:16 (twenty years ago)

Dullsville.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

eh, it's ok

― That One Guy (That One Guy), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)

I think I may like this more than the original.

Lamest statement I've heard all week, though the week is young.

It is a great tribute but I haven't found a reason to listen to it a second time. I found certain decisions very odd, e.g. leaving the "Heinz Baked Beans" punch line out of that track at the very end.

― 666 (Robust Cookies), Tuesday, 14 June 2005 21:51 (twenty years ago)

seven months pass...

I just got this. Was going to start a thread, but hey I used the search facility. Am I a good boy today?

Anyhow, most of this is excellent stuff, a couple tracks don't work (By the name of Silas Slimly? You sure?) and Odorono fetches dogs in from the street. But "I can see for miles" is very fine, the "Armenia" is better than the original, and full marks for doing all the ads and snip bits too. If only she'd done the 'expanded' version, "Girls Eyes" would have been interesting.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 2 February 2006 11:57 (twenty years ago)

I should add that Silas Stingy does work, just the title got missed. I believe she recorded it on 8 track, where the original LP was on track one for reference.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 2 February 2006 11:59 (twenty years ago)

"odorono" is hilarious! i think her voice is supposed to be kinda screechy & overreaching on that, for comedy.

― dancing chicken (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 2 February 2006 13:19 (twenty years ago)

three years pass...

This is gorgeous.
http://www.petrahadenmusic.com/God_Only_Knows.mp3

― Jazzbo, Sunday, 5 April 2009 14:04 (seventeen years ago)

I'd like to hear her do all of Pet Sounds, and a few others as well.

― Jazzbo, Sunday, 5 April 2009 14:05 (seventeen years ago)

Listen to her mimic the flutes (I think they're flutes) at about 1:46. Wow.

― Jazzbo, Sunday, 5 April 2009 14:07 (seventeen years ago)

her a cappella version of "Thriller" is a fucking hoot

― sprinkled with the occasional gay teen (some dude), Sunday, 5 April 2009 17:41 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

Is that her on the new Honda Prius commercial?

― resistance is feudal (WmC), Monday, 25 May 2009 02:55 (sixteen years ago)

I thought the same thing, and there's at least two different commercials/songs. Haven't found any verification yet, though.

― Johnny Fever, Monday, 25 May 2009 03:00 (sixteen years ago)

Havent heard that but there's some commercial they're playing inbetween all the hulu videos right now that straight rips off 'We Are Going to be Friends' by the White Stripes. It's painful.

― Adam Bruneau, Monday, 25 May 2009 14:59 (sixteen years ago)

Yes, it's definitely her doing the Bellamy Brothers "Let Your Love Flow."

― Maltodextrin, Monday, 25 May 2009 19:11 (sixteen years ago)

Man the Who covers album is so good, esp. 'Armenia City in the Sky.' Didn't Mike Watt get her to do this album on a dare, or was I misinformed?

― cant go with u too many alfbrees (Abbott), Monday, 25 May 2009 23:15 (sixteen years ago)

I posted this on the Bellamy Brothers thread, but I'll put it here also.

― Maltodextrin, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 01:21 (sixteen years ago)

Yes Abbott, the Mike Watt story is true as far as I know.

― Maltodextrin, Tuesday, 26 May 2009 01:22 (sixteen years ago)

three years pass...

Her new album of film songs/show tunes is good, if a little heavy on the high end of her voice. Her cover of the "Superman Theme" is a lot of fun.

― Michael F Gill, Sunday, 3 February 2013 22:25 (thirteen years ago)

yes! lotta fun. album streaming:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1L-aR4xVpY

― saltwater incursion (Dr Morbius), Saturday, 9 February 2013 14:33 (thirteen years ago)

three years pass...

Sounds great singing "You Only Live Twice" theme song with Bill Frisell.

― Yer Blois (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 10 April 2016 15:58 (ten years ago)

five years pass...

She’s got some kind of Brazilian collabo out now

― Rich Valley Girl, Poor Valley Girl (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 18 June 2021 01:17 (four years ago)

Oh, tribute to her dad

https://www.wbgo.org/music/2021-06-17/a-moment-of-silence-for-charlie-haden-from-petra-haden-and-egberto-gismonti

― Rich Valley Girl, Poor Valley Girl (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 18 June 2021 01:21 (four years ago)

two years pass...

to return to the original topic of this thread, i think of it as if the singers unlimited just stopped worrying about anything and followed their hearts completely. def choose it over the og these days.

― interstellar anthropologist+music philosopher, (Austin), Saturday, 1 June 2024 08:00 (one year ago)

I have to dig this one out, again

― Mark G, Saturday, 1 June 2024 08:04 (one year ago)

https://johnzornresource.com/love-songs-live was released this May, too

― StanM, Saturday, 1 June 2024 11:38 (one year ago)

Cool. Jorge on bass.

― Billion Year Polyphonic Spree (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 1 June 2024 13:01 (one year ago)

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