Whoa! Will Oldham and Tortoise covering the Boss? (and Elton John, Richard Thompson, among others)

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Haven't read about this elsewhere but the Reader in Chicago is reporting its gonna be a full length album worth of covers, out in this fall on Overcoat.

Is this exciting news? I can't decide. I for one have been looking forward to Tortoise being fronted by a singer in the studio, not sure if Oldham would be my first choice though.

― roscoe lee, Friday, 1 April 2005 04:38 (twenty years ago)

one of tortoise's first singles has a singer on it.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 1 April 2005 04:40 (twenty years ago)

Well, they backed Tom Ze on tour and did one of those In the Fishtank records with the Ex too. But this is different, a whole album with Oldham. The indie geeks in Chicago must be wetting themselves.

― andyg, Friday, 1 April 2005 04:42 (twenty years ago)

Springsteen should cover Will's back catalogue.

― Ferlin Husky (noodle vague), Friday, 1 April 2005 04:43 (twenty years ago)

that's actually not a bad idea.

i dunno if this is exciting news, but will--god bless him--looks even more like a dick than before in his most recent publicity photos.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 1 April 2005 04:46 (twenty years ago)

I left my copy of the Reader on the bus tonight, but some of the other covers on the record are pretty choice. I think there's a Milton Nascimento one.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 1 April 2005 04:47 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, especially the Superwolf pictures of Will and Matt Sweeney. Talk about looking like a couple pedophiles. Jeez.

― roboel, Friday, 1 April 2005 04:49 (twenty years ago)

I saw Tortoise do some songs with a female singer (Sue Garner maybe?) -- it was pretty awful. But it seemed like they hadn't really rehearsed the songs or something.

― Hurting (Hurting), Friday, 1 April 2005 12:23 (twenty years ago)

i've heard some of this (also the sam beam/calex record mentioned, which is all original material). oldham and tortoise flip "thunder road" from corn-fed coming-of-age celebration to creep-o threat, will leering "go on inside girl, you know just what i'm here for."

― asl, Friday, 1 April 2005 14:24 (twenty years ago)

Is this an April Fools joke?

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 1 April 2005 14:25 (twenty years ago)

Tis real, tis real:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/TheMeter/050401.html

I'm curious about the Slint live record/DVD that's mentioned in the second item. I missed my chance to see them.

― ronno, Friday, 1 April 2005 14:54 (twenty years ago)

The indie geeks in Chicago must be wetting themselves.
-- andyg (andrew.gardne...), April 1st, 2005 11:42 PM. (later)

Not me! I don't really give a shit!

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 1 April 2005 15:02 (twenty years ago)

I'm trying to think of how a cover of "Thunder Road" could work, and I'm not sure it can be done. Tortoise has the glockenspiel covered, at least.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 1 April 2005 15:07 (twenty years ago)

The songs actually seem pretty eclectic. I'm genuinely curious to hear what they'll do with "Cavalry Cross" that seems like it would be hard to improve on

"The final track list includes "Thunder Road" along with takes on well-known songs by Elton John ("Daniel"), Richard Thompson ("The Calvary Cross"), Devo ("That's Pep!"), and the Minutemen ("It's Expected I'm Gone"). Covers of Milton Nascimento's "Cravo e canela," Melanie's "Some Say (I Got Devil)," Don Williams's "Pancho," Lungfish's "Love Is Love," and Quix*o*tic's "On My Own" fill out the disc.

― franchise, Friday, 1 April 2005 15:11 (twenty years ago)

oh nice, my friend aram will be on it. good for him!

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 1 April 2005 15:26 (twenty years ago)

I've never heard Will Oldham and I won't know any of those songs, but I like Tortoise so I'm interested.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 1 April 2005 16:02 (twenty years ago)

i agree that will o. looks like a jerk more than ever recently. but isn't he pretty much one anyway? i've read interviews and he comes off that way. i have all of his stuff and still can't decide if he has any talent. he fancies himself talented in all his ironic and ugly glory though, thats for damn sure. its tiring, but maybe he's just tired and hasn't thought of another way to be cool. maybe he's so pretentious its his natural state.............? its still lame though. i bought superwolf but haven't really listened to it. the title bores me. he's not a fucking wolf. wolves are cool, and being super sounds nice, but i don't know ... i feel like he's just so bored he's grasping for anything that might intrigue and then gonna say fuck you loser for liking my shit. anyone have feedback on it? this new album: his covers can be ok sometimes - i liked the horses cover - there was a video for it, he was ramping up his creepiness there too, but something good sincere about it still made you think MAYBE he cares about music. ugh! feeling urge to purge now for writing on this dude. poor will

― susan douglas, Sunday, 3 April 2005 05:47 (twenty years ago)

i am excited for him to cover elton john. that actually has got me really excited.

― Susan Douglas, Sunday, 3 April 2005 05:50 (twenty years ago)

intensely negative speculation about people you don't know, c or d?

oh right, it's a dud. it's always been a dud.

― hstencil (hstencil), Sunday, 3 April 2005 06:12 (twenty years ago)

i read about this today on pitchfork. i'm really looking forward to hearing it. i also loved superwolf, the lyrics are quirky and awesome. they seem really intimate and personal, like about being horny in the morning and his round belly/tummy. the music is pretty uplifting too in my opinion, although it credits matt sweeney for the music composition and bpb for the lyrics, it sounds pretty old school will oldham to me though.

― gem (trisk), Sunday, 3 April 2005 06:29 (twenty years ago)

*yawn*

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 3 April 2005 06:33 (twenty years ago)

umm, at me? sorry for being so dull!

― gem (trisk), Sunday, 3 April 2005 06:34 (twenty years ago)

not at YOU, gem!

i'm yawning at the concept of tortoise/will oldham doing boring covers of boring singers!!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 3 April 2005 06:36 (twenty years ago)

oh. phew! that's alright then.

― gem (trisk), Sunday, 3 April 2005 06:38 (twenty years ago)

devo, minutemen, milton nascimento and lungfish are nowhere near boring, ya big dummy tad.

― hstencil (hstencil), Sunday, 3 April 2005 06:48 (twenty years ago)

"i sure wish that devo had less energy" - gimme a break, dude.

― hstencil (hstencil), Sunday, 3 April 2005 06:49 (twenty years ago)

Will was very nice the one time I met him.

― Kevin Erickson, Tuesday, 5 April 2005 05:08 (twenty years ago)

Elton John isn't boring and celebrity speculation is an american passtime.

― David Allen (David Allen), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 17:48 (twenty years ago)

I, for one, am psyched for the Lungfish cover

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Tuesday, 5 April 2005 23:09 (twenty years ago)

Ok, wait, this *isn't* an April Fools' joke?

― I.M. (I.M.), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 04:45 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

It's on the tortoise website. Scheduled release date October 11th.

― hmmm (hmmm), Monday, 25 July 2005 12:05 (nineteen years ago)

Has this leaked yet?

― marybeth, Monday, 25 July 2005 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

five months pass...

Was this delayed or is it just a late UK release? Anyway, I like it. First thoughts: "Daniel" sounds too skronky at first, before resolving into something almost as lovely as you'd expect. "Love Is Love" and "Pancho" are winners too, "Calvary Cross" is unfuckwithable, and they don't fuck with it. "That's Pep" is a bit pish tho.

― Excelsior Syndrum (noodle vague), Monday, 9 January 2006 20:15 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

its out on itunes and in the shops today. I have been listening to it all day, very good. "Daniel" sounds creepy and disturbing. "Love is Love" sounds like Suicide, distro-synth and drum machine. They do an excellent job w/ each song. I heard pretty mixed reviews and was a bit wary, but its very good.

― chris besinger (chris besinger), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 20:40 (nineteen years ago)

I love how Tortoise bring the noise on this rekkid, there's a big fat bA

― Madam, I Am Not a Doctor (noodle vague), Monday, 30 January 2006 03:11 (nineteen years ago)

SS skronk through a lot of the tracks. I don't know why that sent.

"It's expected I'm gone" is big juiced sweary dub Minutemen, I think Boon wd like. Thia is loud rekkid. Distorto-bass applied frequernt.

― Madam, I Am Not a Doctor (noodle vague), Monday, 30 January 2006 03:13 (nineteen years ago)

And then "Pancho" reminds me lots of watching Playschool when I was 3 for some reason and punches my maudlin tear-gland. Flat backing vocal = purty. Tinkle-spiel/

I do feel like this is some of both parties' most sparkle-conscious work for some years.

― Madam, I Am Not a Doctor (noodle vague), Monday, 30 January 2006 03:17 (nineteen years ago)

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