Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Cover: Aerosmith, "Come Together"



I think this clip should be self-explanatory, but if you want some context, I'll continue.

Famously, this cover hails from the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Now, say what you want about the plot of Across the Universe, but you can't fault the recordings on that one. The soundtracks is pretty great. Sgt. Pepper is the predecessor to that: a jukebox musical cobbled together from Beatles songs. Since most of the musical weight is carried by the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton, the musical numbers range from bland to, in the case of some of the guest performers, baffling (Alice Cooper plus mustache = Because? Steve Martin's positively Shatnerian take on Maxwell's Silver Hammer?) Watching the film all at once, as I did one fateful night some 10 years ago, will be pretty much be the worst time you can have listening to some of your favourite songs.

BUT

In the thick of it all is Aerosmith. The greatest American rock band is onscreen not a second longer than that video, but they play the supposed villains of the piece, "Future Villain Band" or, if you're pressed for time, "FVB." The poorly laid-out plot had the FVB sending their henchmen out to steal Sgt. Pepper's instruments because:

  • They love money, and somehow this will get them more of it
  • They hate joy, of which the instruments are apparently a great source
  • They're one-dimensional bad guys with nothing better to do and not especially creative.


Admittedly, though my status as a music critic-lite and committed Beatlemaniac insists I trash the movie, its ridiculousity and nonsensical sequences (at one point a weathervane transforms into Billy Preston, who dances around shooting lightning out of his hands and turning people into nuns) nudge it into "So Bad It's Good" territory if you're not looking for high art and willing to risk critically overdosing on the BeeGees.

So that brings us to the climactic battle sequence: Frampton and the Gibbs against Aerosmith. Despite outnumbering the Lonely Hearts by one (two if you include Brad Whitford's bitchin' porn 'stache) Aerosmith gets overpowered and Frampton manages to knock Steven Tyler off the stage to his death, while all those hypnotized Boy Scout zombies, and the two henchmen do nothing. Since Aerosmith in general and Steven in particular are known for having very active performances, it was probably not a wise idea to have them perform on a platform the size of a card table, nor to stick Steven in a pair of surplus Prince heel boots. Especially since he's pretty obviously coked off his nuts. I mean, I don't think it's a big stretch to assume that: it was 1978 and he was Steven Tyler.

But all this is sorta prelude the the basic rudimentary fact that Aerosmith rocked the shit out of that song. I don't think it's a particularly easy Beatles song to cover either, with its nonsensical lyrics and odd funkiness: but Tyler makes as much out of them as Lennon did, and the band cuts just the right place to rock it up a bit more than the original without losing any of its subtle groove.

Regardless of the context, this cover stands up as one of the all-time best takes on a Beatles classic: fits with the original sound, but adapts well to the new artist's style. It's become, over the years, a warmly-recalled part of Aerosmith's repertoire. It also helps to put things in perspective. No matter what Steven Tyler says or does on this season of American Idol, it will never be as low a moment for his career as being pushed to his death by Peter Frampton while his bandmates just stand there and watch.

Oh well, at least the love interest also falls to her death. And it makes for a pretty rad villain song.

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