Upstaged ;-)

Well it's day 11 of being out of my home. It's not been fun.

Staying in a hotel with belongings you've brought with you, in an unexplored city, on a holiday is one thing... ending up in a hotel because 'officials' say you can't go home, checking in wearing your PJs and staying in hotel in a city that you've lived most of your life in, it is quite another experience. That sentence doesn't make complete sense but it's my blog and I know what I mean. So, fuck it.

Anyways...

Yesterday, I kept humming 'Homeless' by Paul Simon and Ladysmith Black Mambazo to myself. Not that I consider myself homeless but I certainly feel aspects of homelessness; stress, sadness, disorientation, insomnia, never 'at home, safe and sound' feeling and etc...

Last night when I was searched for the song on YouTube, I found this wonderful video of Paul Simon being upstaged by a wee girl on Sesame Street. I just love it.




And the song I was searching for:



Hopefully my next post will be from home.

Desert Island Discs

Ok, a bit embarrassing but I've just, yes just, found out about the BBC Radio 4 program 'Desert Island Discs' during which a guest chooses eight records they would take with them to a desert island.

I had heard of the concept eons ago but it wasn't until I was talking with my friend Simon that it really registered that is was a radio program... on a popular station in a country I lived in for five years. :-/ Simon has the patience of a saint.

Anyways... I've decided to make my own desert island selections. I practically live on one already.

Difficult, ain't it? I've done it with albums... but with just pieces of music, that's very difficult. But here's my list (for now) (subject to change) (many times).




Sooooooooooooooooo....

What are YOUR desert island discs?

BTW - if you haven't already found Grooveshark, it's great.

Careless Goat-Love and Madeleine Peyroux

It's weird how things work...

For the last few weeks I've been trying to find some music that grabs me and I was not having much luck. Then, yesterday on a forum I read, someone started a completely off-topic 'link to uber-cute YouTube videos' thread.

Aww, aww, aww and then I click to this:



Very cute goats (aww) but I was instantly mesmerized by the music. 'I know the song but who is this singing?! What a great voice!' It turns out to be a woman named Madeleine Peyroux and I googled her and went out today and bought one of her CDs; Careless Love. I've been listening to it all day. It's wonderful.

It's very weird that I had not heard of her before because her influences are some of my favourites; Bessie Smith, Billy Holiday, Patsy Cline etc... and she's been around for a few years. I guess this should be expected when I spend a year and a half under a rock. ;-)

But, thanks to off-topic forum thread, I've found some music that really lights my fire!

And now I also want baby goats...



Aww... :-)

Originals vs Covers - I Love Rock n Roll

Like anyone else, the more years I'm on this planet, the more songs I've stored in my head. I suppose that translates into an increased likelihood of hearing a new rendition of a song that I already know.

I know some people look down on cover versions simply because they're cover versions. I'm not one of these people. IMO, it just depends on the song and the musicians involved. Some covers are opportunistic money grabs, others seem to rework the original in a way that gives a song new life. I Love Rock n Roll is one song that shows how it can go either way (imo).

Here's a recent cover version of the song, that I just heard the other day. Yeah, ok, recent to me as this cover is about seven years old but it's not like I go out of my way to listen to Britney Spears, ffs.




I can't even listen to the whole song. To be honest to listeners, Britney Spears should have renamed the song 'I Love Bastardising Rock N Roll' cos that's what she's done. And the video, ugh! Watching a woman fellate a microphone with such forced obviousness has as much visual appeal to me as builder's bum.


Here's the version that I think people are most familiar with; Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' mid-80s version (the actual song starts about 30 seconds into the video). It's loud, thumping and basic and it's hard to listen to it without at least tapping your foot.




For the longest time I thought that Joan Jett's version was the original but it's actually a tune originally done in the mid-70s by a British band called The Arrows. Here's their very tidy and very properly enunciated version:



So, there's the original and two cover versions. Which one do you like best and why?

I think the original is pretty good but does. he. have. to. sing. ev. er. ry. syl. la. ble. like. that?

My personal preference is the Joan Jett's version. I think I was about 15 when I first heard this song and wow did I think Joan Jett was cool. She fuckin' rocked with her guitar, black hair and leathers. I loved her prowling sexuality when she sang:

Said can I take you home
where we can be alone

Always gives me goosebumps.

In fact, I think the reversal of the conventional gender roles is what makes Joan Jett's version a much better, more interesting song than The Arrow's version.

Of course, that reversal of roles doesn't work for Britney Spears cos she sluts-it-up in such a choreographed, conventional and contrived manner that she butchers that interesting effect completely.

So, over to you... which do you like best?