The horror! The horror!

[rj_anderson]

Sometimes cover versions are as good as the original (i.e. Jesse Cook's lovely, Spanish-guitar version of "Fall At Your Feet", or george's remake of "Under The Milky Way"). Sometimes they are better (Aztec Camera's brilliant acoustic take on Van Halen's "Jump", ). And sometimes they make you want to pound your fists on the floor and cry "No! No! Why did you have to ruin that song?"

I don't have anything against No Doubt, honestly. I mean, I know nothing about them. None of their past singles have succeeded in annoying me (mind you, they didn't thrill me either). And I figure, if they like Talk Talk they must have some sort of musical taste. I wasn't even against the idea of them doing a cover version of "It's My Life". I was quite curious about it, in fact, so I listened to it today.

Unfortunately, all I can say right now is "agggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!" I feel like I need to listen to the original Talk Talk version again, preferably multiple times, to wash Gwen Stefani's screechy voice and that horribly flat instrumentation out of my ears. The best thing about it was the bass line -- and that was basically the same as the original version. Oh, please, please, people who like this song and have not heard the original, go listen to Talk Talk instead, and do yourself a very great favour. The real version has bird cries! And trumpeting elephants! But best of all, it has Mark Hollis, whose voice is by no means conventional, but who knows how to put actual emotion into a song instead of just whining it.

*sticks pinky fingers in ears and twists them around*

*deletes MP3 from playlist*

*feels better*

Comments

[fharraige.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I will endeavour to avoid that cover. No one needs to mangle a good Talk Talk song--there ought to be a law against it, actually.

(I bet Mark Hollis would plug his ears, too.)

Val

[lydaclunas.livejournal.com]

I heard that No Doubt was doing a Talk Talk cover a while back. After this post, my masochistic tendencies and curiosity got the better of me, so I had to go download right away.

It started out OK... then I heard the chorus.

*shudders*

There have been a few 80s covers lately that I've really enjoyed, too. Why can't this one be cool, like the Ataris' cover of "Boys of Summer"?

[meril.livejournal.com]

The bass line is original...which means it sounds almost like a favorite Barry White song of mine.

(yeah, I know this post is way delayed, but I just heard the No Doubt version now, and you have me curious about the original.)

Re covers: I think I'm the only person on the planet who liked the Lemonheads' version of "Mrs. Robinson" better than the Simon and Garfunkel one. I'm weird like that.

[rozziland.livejournal.com]

Which George did you mean did the remake of Under the Milky Way? Guy George?

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

An Australian band called george (http://www.george.net.au), actually. Check out the remake if you get a chance, it's ravishingly lovely.

[rozziland.livejournal.com]

SWEET! I think I actually found a copy of it off a webpage... thanks for your help.. you rock!