Mix CD #5 - Covers Vol 1. Such Great Heights.

Everyone loves a good cover version. Whether it's a band you like doing something unusual or someone unusual doing a song by a band you like or maybe even if it's just to scoff with derision because "Don't they have any of their own songs?". For a lot of bands a covers album is a contractual throwaway; much like a Best Of or a Live album, it's a way to take up one of the slots in their 4 album deal etc. I love it when bands do them though, it gives an insight into the band, the stuff they like, they stuff they used to like and whatnot. It also gives me a chance to see what songs they picked and either be excited or disappointed by their choices. Hey, I take my thrills where I can.

I have many petty rules and regulations for music that I listen to, cover versions escape unscathéd not. I don't like lazy or safe covers. I don't want to hear something that sounds exactly like the original only with a worse singer, where's the point in that? Another aspect of laziness I dislike is to pick from a selection of songs I have on a list (not an actual physical one. I'm not THAT sad.). It's a list of songs that get covered all the time, ALL THE TIME. Songs like Enjoy The Silence. Songs like Tainted fucking Love. We don't need another version of those songs now thank you please, stop it.

Anyway.

I decided I wanted to do a Covers theme this time. When I compiled the songs I ended up with hundreds , even more then I did with the B-Sides mix I did last time. I'll almost certainly be doing more of these. Hence the Vol. 1 bit.

HERE is the link to download the Mix and a brief overview of the tracklisting. Click on the Page Break thing to find out more info, like original artists and an uninteresting anecdote from myself about every song.

Ben Folds - Such Great Heights
Danny Frye & The Devil Dolls - Back Of My Hand
Within Temptation - Paradise
Peace Brothers - Frozen
Devin Townsend - New York, New York
Jenny Owen Youngs - Call Me Maybe
Machine Head - Negative Creep
Eels - Get Ur Freak On
Tarja - Still Of The Night
Snuff - Wanna Be
Hot Buttered Elvis - Candle In The Wind
Gigantor - 29 x The Pain
Wolfsbane - Born To Run
Hellsongs - Seasons In The Abyss
The Baseballs - Chasing Cars
Million Dead - Pretty Good Year
Chvrches - Stay Another Day
Eureka Machines - We Didn't Start The Fire
Tim Timebomb - Summer Of '69
Pearl Jam - Daytime Dilemma (Dangers Of Love)
Malukah - The Dragonborn Comes
The Gourds - Gin n' Juice


Ben Folds - Such Great Heights
Originally by The Postal Service

There are dozens of different covers of this song, I own about five, and every one that I've heard has been decent. I guess it's a testament to good song writing that so many different acts can cover it in their own distinct style and it still sound worthwhile. Ben plays it in his usual upbeat, Piano Popppy kind of way.
It's strange that it's covered quite so much as The Postal Service are reasonable niche and it's not their most well known song.

Danny Frye & The Devil Dolls - Back Of My Hand
Originally By The Jags

The original of this was one of several songs from the 70's I used to love as a kid. My Sharona, Turning Japanese etc. I came across this version of it by accident, I got sent this album as a freebie when I bought some other stuff and ended up liking it way more than the rest. Danny Frye played (He died due to compications with Diabetes a few years ago) a Rock n' Roll flavoured brand of sleazy Punk and this song perfectly suited his gravelly sneer.

Within Temptation - Paradise
Originally by Coldplay

I'm really not a fan of Coldplay, I find their songs incredibly dull, safe and forgettable.  That said, when other people cover them they sound quite good! Paradise is perfectly suited to Within Tempation's epic Gothic Rock and would sound great echoing around arenas. Can't go wrong with a god Woah-oh every now and then

Peace Brothers - Frozen
Originally By Madonna

I have no idea who this band are, I've not heard anything else by them and know nothing other than they're German. I had a Punk Covers compilation years ago and this song was on it. They completely turn Frozen around and, yes, really make it their own. I don't think they've kept anything other than the lyrics and it's all the better for it.

Devin Townsend - New York, New York
Originally by Frank Sinatra

This is perhaps not the most sincere of tributes to Ol' Blue Eyes but it's a chaotic mash of Progressive Metal and fun. It sounds glorious.

Jenny Owen Youngs - Call Me Maybe
Originally by Carly Rae Jepson

Jenny has a habit of stripping back pop songs to bare bones and exposing their most inner parts. This is one such example. It's a ridiculous song but this version of it is beautiful.

Machine Head - Negative Creep
Originally by Nirvana

Nirvana's heaviest song made even heavier; it's a short, sharp blast of aggression that's in contrast to Machine Head's fondness for six minute plus songs. 

Eels - Get Ur Freak On
Originally by Missy Elliott

I love Mr E's morose songs of heartache even more than I hate the original version of this song. Together though, they make this weird and creepy thing that's uncomfortable but compelling.

Tarja - Still Of The Night
Originally by Whitesnake

Tarja Turunen is the former singer of Nightwish, the Opera Metal superstars from Finland. Her take on David Coverdale's sleazy machismo sort of works I think? 

Snuff - Wanna Be
Originally by Spice Girls

Zigger zagger, zigger zagger. Oi oi oi!

Hot Buttered Elvis - Candle In The Wind
Originally by Elton John

Another quite obscure band but it's too good a cover to pass up. I bought Dinner And A Monkey, the debut album by this American Grunge band, way back in 2002/2003 and enjoyed it a lot. There's a handful of covers on it, including this one. There's a great riff throughout this song but it also flits through styles, much like Live And Let Die did, though there wasn't a beatdown section in that. 

Gigantor - 29 x The Pain
Originally by The Wildhearts

There are a few bands called Gigantor about but this one are another German punk band. I have no idea how I came about them but I'm sure this cover of a song by one of my favourite bands had something to do with it. Anyway, I've got a few of their albums and they're pretty good. This was never my favourite Wildhearts song but it's rare to find anyone covering them so I included it. It's a song about growing up listening to music and a list of bands that influenced Ginger Wildheart so it's an odd song to cover but there you go. 

Wolfsbane - Born To Run
Originally by Bruce Springsteen

It's hard not to mention Wolfsbane without saying that Blaze also used to sing for Iron Maiden but it's really not fair to do so either. Wolfsbane were/are a great rock band in their own right. Iron Maiden would have sorted him for life but it's maybe a shame he didn't continue recording with Wolfsbane as they could have done marvelous things. Tramps like us and all that, 

Hellsongs - Seasons In The Abyss
Originally by Slayer

Hellsongs are a Swedish covers band that play twee, Indie versions of Rock and Metal songs. Their take on the title track of Slayer's 1990 masterpiece is haunting and completely different, obviously, to the original.

The Baseballs - Chasing Cars
Originally by Snow Patrol

I don't like Snow Patrol very much, for pretty much the same reasons as Coldplay. They're of the same, boring ilk. The Baseballs however, are a lot of fun. They give modern Pop songs a 50's Rock and Roll twist. The first time I heard their version of Robbie's Angels (and through it allllllll...) I thought it was Elvis and how strange it was that nobody had cottoned onto that. 

Million Dead - Pretty Good Year
Originally by Tori Amos

The band that started Frank Turner's rise into popularity. This is a slow dirge of a song, much removed from the original and it's taken from a Peel Session. The man himself introduces them and it caused a twinge in my heart to hear his voice again. Oh my god, am I gay for John Peel?!

Chvrches - Stay Another Day
Originally by East 17

I've seen Chvrches name around for a while but wrote them off as 'young people music' and left them alone. I've recently discovered one of them used to be in Scottish Post Rock band Aereogramme, who I used to like, so I did some listening and it turns out I quite like Chvrches too. I still want to pronounce that V though.
This version of the awful Christmas hit is taken from a radio session of some description, there's a voiceover at the end that cuts off abruptly. Same for the Million Dead song above actually, forgot to mention that.

Eureka Machines - We Didn't Start The Fire
Originally by Billy Joel

When Eureka Machines were in the process of crowd funding their fourth album Brain Waves, they gave away a free ep of covers to those who pledged called Remain In Eighties. The title was a play on their previous album Remain In Hope and the fact that, yes, the songs covered were all from the Eighties. This is one of them. 

Tim Timebomb - Summer Of '69
Originally by Bryan Adams

Tim Timebomb is the solo project Tim Armstrong off of Rancid fame. It gives him a chance to do stuff that's unsuitable for the Street Punk of Rancid. Some of it is... peculiar. This song gets covered loads and loads and loads. So much that it's one of the songs on my naughty list. Tim's version is special though, I'll let him off. 

Pearl Jam - Daytime Dilemma (Dangers Of Love)
Originally by Ramones

There were dozens of Pearl Jam covers to choose from, some live bootlegs, some studio recordings so I dunno why I chose this, fairly obscure, Ramones song, for the mix other than it's quite good. That's reason enough isn't it? 

Malukah - The Dragonborn Comes
Originally from Elder Scrolls IV: Skyrim

If you're pathetic cool enough to spend a multitude of hours exploring the mighty plains and tundras of Skyrim, home of the Nords then you might have come across a few inns and taverns along your travels. Inside those establishments there is often entertainment in the form of a Bard who will sing a selection of songs. The Dragonborn Comes is one of those songs.
Malukah is a Mexican singer (real name Judith De Los Santos) who mostly writes/covers songs from and about video games and the ilk. This was a hit on youtube a while ago.

The Gourds - Gin n' Juice
Originally by Snoop Dogg

This is one of my favourite ever cover versions. The Gourds are a Bluegrass band that are decent enough in their own right but this absurd cover of Snoop's biggest hit is perfect. It's catchy and fun, the incongruousness of the lyrics sung with a redneck twang accompanied by banjo's sounds ridiculous, as do the cries of Biatch! halfway through. I love it.