SOUNDTRACK: LEMONHEADS-Varshons (2009).
This is a Lemonheads covers album. The amazing thing about this covers album is that mot of the originals are quite unknown (heck I didn’t even recognize some of the artists). But he manages to put a good Lemonheads spin on most of them (the later country/folk Lemonheads style) and it makes for an enjoyable listen. ALthough truth be told, most of the songs aren’t as catchy as a good Lemonheads song.
“I Just Cant Take it Anymore” and “Fragile” are folky/country songs, not too far out of line with the Lemonheads sound. “Living with Linda” is a strange choice on the disc. It’s a cover of a song by G.G, Allen, a performer who I know a lot about (he’s infamous) but who I have never heard. I assume that the original is a brutal punk song (it’s about killing an ex girlfriend, after all) but Dando turns it into something of a Johnny Cash type song (using his best deep voice).
“Waiting Around to Die” is a dark song, another good country ballad. “Green Fuz” has a cool backwards guitar solo. “Yesterlove” is a long, slow builder of a song that, intriguingly seems to move seamlessly from one section to another. I really like it. “Dandelion Seeds” is a trippy weird song that works quite well in the Lemonheads universe.
“Dirty Robot” is the really big surprise on the disc. After all of the folky country music, this song is a totally electronic song (and a very simple one at that). In addition to the electronic surprise is the fact that the lead vocals are supplied by Kate Moss (Dando has a robot-processed spoken verse).
The only song I knew here was the cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hey That’s No Way to Say Goodbye.” This is a fine but very quiet version which features a duet by Liv Tyler (!?). (It would be impossible to screw up this song). The final song is probably my favorite. It’s a cover of Christina Aguilara’s “Beautiful.” I’ve always liked the song (it’s quite touching) but I must say I like Dando’s version better. It’s very understated (and he changes the words to “I am Beautiful” instead of “You are beautiful”–interesting change or egotism?).
So this is a strange covers album, quite atypical for the world of covers. It’s not often that a covers record introduces yo to a whole bunch of new material.
[READ: December 30, 2011] “Succeeding in Business Through Marketing Fads”
I am running dangerously close to not having anything to post about in 2012. Not for the entire year, but on a daily basis. I have effectively caught up to all of the posts that I had planned to write. I have read all of the New Yorker and Harper’s stories that I had lying around and because of my new job it’s taking me considerably longer to read books.
I was seriously planning on having this post be about how I wouldn’t be able to have any more daily posts in 2012.
Enter Max Barry.
I’ve read all three of Barry’s previous books (indeed I read his first book years and years ago and didn’t even tie it into his other ones until his bio did it for me). I’ve enjoyed them all. He has a new book out that I am currently enjoying called Machine Man. Anyhow, reading this book made me want to see about his short stories and the like. Well, his website has a few short pieces on it. Enough to get me through the next week anyhow.
For you, dear reader, that means you’ll get a whole week’s worth of Max Barry before you can get to whatever else I manage to finish next year. (more…)