Like pretty much any band that doesn't suck, Nirvana has a bit of a Velvet Underground influence. They do this song honor by making it both rough and pretty, in that Nirvana way. It begins as clean, bright power pop, then escalates into a very characteristic Cobain vocal workout as the guitars pound harder and harder, where the original got jammy and jazzy. The Velvets make for some good cover material, their songs being so deep in the DNA of all that follows that it's easy to pick them up and put them back together in a new style that doesn't damage the original. They're that strong.
Showing posts with label Velvet Underground. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Velvet Underground. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Cover: Nirvana, "Here She Comes Now"
Like pretty much any band that doesn't suck, Nirvana has a bit of a Velvet Underground influence. They do this song honor by making it both rough and pretty, in that Nirvana way. It begins as clean, bright power pop, then escalates into a very characteristic Cobain vocal workout as the guitars pound harder and harder, where the original got jammy and jazzy. The Velvets make for some good cover material, their songs being so deep in the DNA of all that follows that it's easy to pick them up and put them back together in a new style that doesn't damage the original. They're that strong.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Serious Contenders: Adventureland Triple-Feature, Velvet Underground/Crowded House/Replacements
I have a lot to say about the movie Adventureland, since I'm a sucker for "manic pixie dream girl" movies, particularly those that uncover the flaws in that archetype. What really interests me is the music: all the best MPDG films have awesome soundtracks since the people that make them (and therefore usually the characters) are music aficionados who let their love of tunes guide their feelings and actions. This one begins with this classic Velvet Underground cut, which mellowly slips you into the film's disenfranchised white middle class aesthetic:
Jesse Eisenberg's main character is a bit of a music snob who frequently extols the greatness of Lou Reed, whose music runs throughout the film, but that doesn't stop them from using some great tunes contemporary to the film's late-80's setting. Later during one of the warmest moments of the film, the main characters watch the July 4th fireworks and this gem wells up, crystallizing this moment of yearning, of being with someone and yet somehow separated:
It's funny how context can rescue a song for you, because I never thought much of Crowded House before then, but the thought of those characters in that moment with that song underscoring the moment really does it for me. Of course, the film ends with a song that is truly excellent no matter the context:
"Unsatisfied" features one of those great, dreamy acoustic intros that melts into a powerful electric verse and rough vocal, driving the film toward its climactic scene. All these songs are serious contenders in their own way, and their usage in that one film is spot on.
If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. If you've seen it but wrote it off, well, it's not for everyone. But for me, it does a great job exemplifying what music can mean to a person, to our relationships, to our everyday lives.
Jesse Eisenberg's main character is a bit of a music snob who frequently extols the greatness of Lou Reed, whose music runs throughout the film, but that doesn't stop them from using some great tunes contemporary to the film's late-80's setting. Later during one of the warmest moments of the film, the main characters watch the July 4th fireworks and this gem wells up, crystallizing this moment of yearning, of being with someone and yet somehow separated:
It's funny how context can rescue a song for you, because I never thought much of Crowded House before then, but the thought of those characters in that moment with that song underscoring the moment really does it for me. Of course, the film ends with a song that is truly excellent no matter the context:
"Unsatisfied" features one of those great, dreamy acoustic intros that melts into a powerful electric verse and rough vocal, driving the film toward its climactic scene. All these songs are serious contenders in their own way, and their usage in that one film is spot on.
If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. If you've seen it but wrote it off, well, it's not for everyone. But for me, it does a great job exemplifying what music can mean to a person, to our relationships, to our everyday lives.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Cover: Cowboy Junkies, "Sweet Jane"
If Johnny Cash's "Hurt" is the greatest cover anyone ever did of anything... and I'm not one to rank such things, but it has a strong claim to that honor, if it's possible... then here's a notable runner up. It takes the ragged, streetwise character sketch and turns it into a glossy, dreary romance, and sounds gorgeously sad.
Sweet, sweet Jane...
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