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BAD COVER VERSION 015: I’M GONNA TAKE MY PROBLEM TO THE UNITED NATIONS
This week’s cover song is a rockabilly classic and a rock’n’roll standard that’s been covered by everyone from Canadian power trios to Japanese multi-instrumentalists. But only one band has ever really made a hit out of covering it – let’s see how they fare against the original.
THE SONG: “Summertime Blues”
THE ORIGINAL: Eddie Cochran
COMMENTS: Cochran was not only one of rock’s influential pioneers, he also wrote some of the most perfect songs to capture the spirit of teenage life at a time when “teenager” was emerging as an actual demographic category. “Summertime Blues” is teenage America in less than two minutes, and Cochran’s take is short, sweet genius.
THE COVER: The Who
COMMENTS: The Who’s version doesn’t just pay homage to their influences and turn the amps to 11 – it also injects a little more sarcastic anger into the song’s story, which also reflects the angst of the late 60s to some degree. Maybe that’s overintellecualizing, but either way the Who did a great job of taking a song from one era and shaping it for their own.
WINNER: I love both versions, but I have to give this one to The Who. Their version stands by itself, and it’s a top-notch example of how to pwn a song as yr own.
Next week: Vegas crooners vs punk icons!
Too young to vote,
This is dF
THE SONG: “Summertime Blues”
THE ORIGINAL: Eddie Cochran
COMMENTS: Cochran was not only one of rock’s influential pioneers, he also wrote some of the most perfect songs to capture the spirit of teenage life at a time when “teenager” was emerging as an actual demographic category. “Summertime Blues” is teenage America in less than two minutes, and Cochran’s take is short, sweet genius.
THE COVER: The Who
COMMENTS: The Who’s version doesn’t just pay homage to their influences and turn the amps to 11 – it also injects a little more sarcastic anger into the song’s story, which also reflects the angst of the late 60s to some degree. Maybe that’s overintellecualizing, but either way the Who did a great job of taking a song from one era and shaping it for their own.
WINNER: I love both versions, but I have to give this one to The Who. Their version stands by itself, and it’s a top-notch example of how to pwn a song as yr own.
Next week: Vegas crooners vs punk icons!
Too young to vote,
This is dF