RedSky Monday Mixtape Vol3
Last week I had old, new and blue tunes so this week I am focusing on the borrowed. Cover versions are odd beasts. If an artist does a cover version of a beloved classic they can catch criticism for the blasphemy of daring to mess with "perfection". For me a good cover version is one that does something new or different with the original. It could be a great song done in a wholly different genre or a terrible pop song that someone takes and twists in to something new and unexpected. This weeks mix features some of my favorite covers and why I think they are great.
BLACK HOLE SUN by Soundgarden covered by Norah Jones
This cover was done live shortly after the untimely death of Soundgarden's lead singer Chris Cornell. Apart from the obvious emotion of the context this is just a great example of a cover done well in a polar opposite genre. Definitely brings up hairs on back of your neck.
VINCENT by Don McLean covered by James Blake
This is a simple piano cover but James Blake always seems to be able to infuse a song with some raw emotion. The original was never a particular favorite but this grabbed me when I first heard it.
SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS by The Postal Service covered by Iron and Wine
Sam Beam manages to deftly weave Postal Service's upbeat electro indie pop track in to a laid back folksy guitar number. Another genre bender.
BOY IN THE BUBBLE by Paul Simon covered by Peter Gabriel
This was from a whole album of covers called Scratch My Back by Peter Gabriel where he covered famous artists and they covered him back. Lots of great covers but this one is the best of the bunch. Most covers keep the basic chord structure of the original song even if they change up the genre but here Gabriel takes the whole melody out of context by changing the underlying chord sequence to transform the song.
TEARDROP by Massive Attack covered by Jose Gonzales
The original of this is a great track and I have been a fan of Massive Attack since day one. Many know the instrumental version of the original as the theme tune for the Hugh Laurie Dr drama House. Jose Gonzales puts his stamp nicely on this respecting the original while still going somewhere new.
ALL APOLOGIES by Nirvana covered by Herbie Hancock
Nirvana done in the style of a jazz standard sounds like it should be something you just should not do. Herbie Hancock manages to walk the line necessary to get to the heart of the chord sequence of this song. Just when you worry it is straying in to cocktail jazz mall music the genius of this cover pulls it back and shines through.
I've heard the cover of Black Hole Sun by Norah Jones.. still gives me goosebumps every time I listen!
Thank you for participating in #mondaymixtape this week as well ✨
How did I not know this Herbie Hancock cover, reminds me of the Thou covers of Nirvana - such a left field reimagining.
Been going through your other posts, @redskylullaby, found a lot of musicians and artist I love featured here, which makes me really excited to check out the few of them that I don't know from your past mixtapes.
Looking forward to continuing to see more and hear more from your vaults, my friend!
Thanks, yes check out the dsound gems posts I have been doing also of all the good stuff being posted on dSound
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