Archive | Musical Interludes (Melodic thoughts from the Jester) RSS feed for this section

How Good is Willie Nelson’s Cover of “The Scientist”

15 Feb

By now most music lovers have heard a portion of Willie Nelson’s acoustic cover of “The Scientist” by Coldplay. The cover was featured in a stop-motion advertisement by Chipotle called “Back to the Start.” In the advertisement, an individual farmer falls into the trap of factory farming and then realizes the mistake in his ways and goes back to open, healthy farming. It is a wonderful advertisement, beautiful in its sincerity and simplicity, and effective in its message. It is somber and uplifting. I think it is one of the best advertisements I have ever seen. I love Chipotle’s Vegetarian Burrito Bowl and will most certainly continue visiting the establishment. But I’m not writing to share with you all how good the burrito bowl is (even though it is such an excellent post-gym Saturday lunch). One of the reasons the commercial is so successful is Willie Nelson’s passionate cover of “The Scientist.” Listen and watch the advertisement:

After its first primetime spot on the Grammy’s this weekend, the Youtube views for the advertisement have ballooned to 5 million, eclipsing viral status and entering legendary territory. It has over 22,000 likes and has sent the music news world into a posting frenzy. Of course, also, it has sparked the questions of whether Willie Nelson’s version is better than the original.  Even Coldplay fans are bowing to the 78-year-old country crooner saying that his version is superior. I don’t think it is possible to say which version is better. Despite that Nelson’s version is a cover, the two songs couldn’t be more different. Seriously, I have heard two original songs sound more alike than these two versions of the same song.

Coldplay leadman Chris Martin recorded “The Scientist” after a late-night rendezvous with an out-of-tune piano in Liverpool. He just happened upon the chords and thought they sounded lovely. He actually wanted to work on the George Harrison song “Isn’t it a Pity,” but found “The Scientist” instead. After being released as the second single from A Rush of Blood to the Head in 2002, the four-chord melody took off and today is one of Coldplay’s most beloved songs. Coldplay’s version is almost certainly about a failed relationship and a plea to try again.

Willie Nelson’s version, though, recorded in 2011 for the Chipotle commercial, takes on a completely different feel. Nelson has been a widely renowned critic of overly mechanized farming and the poor treatment of farm animals and independent farmers. The song, in this sense, seems to be a plea to tear down our modern farming constructs and work ourselves back to healthy food and family farming. It is a plea for health, and, in that way, may even make the lyric (while it doesn’t fit perfectly) stronger.

So what about Willie Nelson’s version is so fantastic. Let’s start with the Coldplay version (above). Chris Martin’s elegant falsetto is infectious and the simple piano fits his voice well. The song is stripped down itself, rising softly with some strings and drums, but remaining a true ballad throughout. It is celestial and boundless in its omnipotence. Listen to how it sets the nighttime scene.

Nelson’s version is more rural and pastoral. It sounds like it can be played on a porch while looking out on an open plain. Instead of a piano, Nelson favors a tuned-down acoustic guitar, picked delicately, with a haunting electric providing a passionate whine. The drums begin in the second verse and I like the addition. The sound remains soft, but full, with many tasteful elements.

The kicker in this song is Willie Nelson’s voice. There is no denying that Chris Martin has a wonderful voice, but Nelson’s worn croon is, itself, an American icon. His voice is stitched into the tapestry of America’s music tradition with musicians like Johnny Cash and Buddy Holly. At 78 years old, his voice painted with such tenderness and verisimilitude, I almost feel that I am with him seeing his farm turn into an intolerable operation.

Before this song was released, I, like everyone, would have probably said that Willie Nelson’s greatest cover is his version of “Always on My Mind” which reached #5 on the U.S. charts in 1982. But now, I think that “The Scientist” is clearly number one. And, I think it has a similar power that Johnny Cash’s version of “Hurt,” originally by Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails, has. Simple, passionate, and real. A musician who has been through it all giving a career performance (like a historical record). Reznor has publicly come out and laughed about how Johnny Cash’s version made his song a Johnny Cash song, and while the same may never happen with Nelson’s “The Scientist,” I do think Chris Martin may have to soon publicly acknowledge how legendary Nelson’s version is.

Tags: , , ,

Finally Getting a Little Respect – Hall of Fame Inductions – The Comets

13 Feb

When Otis Redding sang about “Respect” on his seminal album Otis Blue in 1965, he was backed by some members of the STAX records house band, Booker T and the M.G.’s (and a 23-year-old Isaac Hayes). In 1992, one of the most famous house bands to ever put their sound to records (they were the southern soul version of Motown’s northern soul Funk Brothers), was elected to the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. There was no doubt that they earned that respect.

But, for too long, backing bands have been left off of the induction list of the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and this annual controversial decision continued to anger music lovers. Thankfully, the Hall of Fame has finally admitted their mistake and added several backing bands that deserve their R-E-S-P-E-C-T (and yes, I know Aretha added that to the chorus in her 1967 version).

This year, the hall will honor Gene Vincent’s The Blue Caps, Bill Haley’s Comets, Buddy Holly’s Crickets, James Brown’s Famous Flames, Hank Ballard’s Midnighters, and Smokey Robinson’s Miracles. If you remember back to 1987 when Smokey was elected into the hall, there was a huge controversy because the Miracles, a pretty damn important part to the success of the band, was not elected with him. Artists are eligible for nomination 25 years after their debut release.

“These Inductees are pioneers in the development of the music we call rock and roll,” said Joel Peresman, president and CEO of the  Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “As part of our mission to recognize the most impactful, innovative and influential artists in rock, the committee brought forth these six groups that belong in the Hall of Fame.”

All I can say is the process to get some of these instrumental backing bands into the hall was arduous, but thankfully it is coming to fruition because they totally deserve it. Joining them at this year’s induction are:

Beastie Boys, Donovan, Guns N’ Roses, Laura Nyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Small Faces/The Faces, Freddie King, Don Kirshner, Cosimo Matassa, Tom Dowd and Glyn Johns. Thank you Rolling Stone for the neat list.

I am happy for all of the backing bands being honored. The Miracles deserved the honor with Smokey 25 years ago, but they will get it now. The Crickets (and all of the rockabilly and music world) would have been forever transformed if Holly didn’t die in a plane crash. While music was certainly changing and the British Invasion was on the horizon, I stand firm to my belief that Holly and his Crickets could have become the biggest band in the world for a long time if, as Don McLean eloquent states, Holly didn’t take the last train for the coast. Do you know who I’m really psyched for, though? These guys:

The Comets

Bill Haley and His Comets do not get enough credit for sparking the rock n’ roll craze in the United States AND abroad. They formed in 1952 when orchestral ballads topped the charts. The Comets took old-fashioned blues music and transformed it into a lively mix of brass and guitar. I do believe one can credit the Comets as being one of the first acts to successfully market this blend and I stand by my statement that “Rock Around the Clock,” written as a 12-bar-blues song by Max Freedman and Jimmy De Knight, is one of the most important rock n’ roll songs ever recorded. It served as an anthem to 50’s youth and was one of the first rock n’ roll songs I fell in love with.

So a big congratulations to:

JOEY AMBROSE, Saxophone
FRANNY BEECHER, Guitar
JOHNNY GRANDE, Piano
MARSHALL LYTLE, Bass
DICK RICHARDS, Drums

You all deserve this honor big time. Now let’s rattle some pots and pans and rock around the clock.

Yes. When we look back on music 50 years from now, people will hopefully proudly say this is simply Rock n’ Roll!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Superbowl Halftime Spectacular – Some Thoughts

6 Feb

Cee Lo Green - A Monk in disguise?

Tom Brady heaved up a last-second hailmary that hung in the air for a few seconds before coming down like a pinecone, hitting the back of a player, and landing just out of the reach of Rob Gronkowski, the highly touted 22-year-old Patriots’ tight end whose bad ankle was a frequent topic of discussion over the last two weeks leading up to the game. If the laws of gravity were not firm on this Earth, and for a moment they ceased on the football, levitating the ball after it hit off the player’s back for just a few moments, Gronkowski would have caught up to it, made the catch, and the game would have ended in the Patriots’ favor. But football is a game of seconds and inches. He was a foot away, and when people look back at this superbowl years from now the only thing that will matter is the Giants’ victory. As a Jets fan, I congratulate the Giants on an excellent run and superbowl victory, but admit my obvious jealousy – as I did in my last post about the superbowl. Here’s to hoping I one day see the Jets win!

In that last superbowl post, I introduced a poll that compared a Boston band and New Jersey band. In that poll, Bruce and the boys prevailed over the Tyler gang. New Jersey victorious twice. But what about the singer born in Michigan. Was she succesful?

Of course, I am talking about the woman above, Madonna, and she headlined a superbowl halftime show that was perhaps one of the most bedazzling displays of unbridled gaudiness I have ever seen. The pervasive theme was Egyptian queen, I guess, and Madonna, who is 53, played her part well, performing with energy and spunk, and hosting an odd concoction of musician cameos throughout, so much that someone commented that they were just about ready to expect Elton John, who is in a perpetual feud with the blonde Scorpion King, to stroll on stage in bedizened garb to accompany her…instead we got Cee Lo (he is awesome though, so, no complaints).

Suck it, Gaga

For more photos from the event go here. As I was watching it, I jotted down a few mental notes that I will now share with you:

– So, considering the Roman soldiers, and Madonna’s Egyptian throne, we are setting our tale in like 30 BCE or so after the Romans took over Egypt, I guess, wait, why the hell am I trying to provide a historical perspective on a halftime superbowl show. Ancient Romans would have watched the game for upwards of 10 minutes prior to getting exceptionally upset that masked men/wild beasts weren’t murdering prisoners on the playing field.

– “Vogue” and “Like a Prayer,” two predictable songs, but good choices from her diverse selection of pop hits. I approve. Also, smart move with the vocal track. After the Black Eyed Peas demonstrated a sharp lack of talent last year, they were not going to make a similar mistake.

– The projection on the field by the stage: INCREDIBLE. At one point, the video turns to the field being sucked in and, holy god, that is so freaking awesome. That made the show, but, wait…

The Bad-ass Richard Simmons

– This Guy! Madonna almost took a tumble on the bleachers in her 17-inch heels and the performance was becoming a little trite and then Andy Lewis, Slackline extraordinaire, started bouncing up and down on a tightrope dressed as the Greek god Hermes. The show became interesting again after he sprung himself up in the air and landed straight on his privates. OUCH. He is a professional, though, and said he was doing just fine.

– Singer cameos. LMFAO made an appearance – I feel like they always make an appearance – and they were comical to look at but they didn’t provide much.

– Then, Madonna took on her new song and by goodness it is awful. Like awfully awful. Like so fatuous and unhealthy that I had to look away. It is some play on cheerleading, I guess, and she was joined on stage by Roman-clad rappers Nicki Minaj and MIA, which brings me to my last observation and point (because Cee Lo’s appearance speaks for itself).

– CAN THE SUPERBOWL HALFTIME SHOW COMMITTEE STOP GETTING PERFORMERS WHO WILL INEVITABLY SPARK CONTROVERSY DURING THE HALFTIME SHOW! I put this in all caps for a reason. I feel like the committee is stupid or just completely ignorant. MIA is a known protestor and instigator who wants to make a scene. Her middle finger was tame. We should be lucky she didn’t expose herself like Janet Jackson. My point. If you are going to bring in a performer like MIA, you have a tape delay for a reason. Use it and censor the finger if you know it’s going to spark a controversy. Honestly, I don’t care that she exposed the bird. I thought the uproar over the Jackson boob-gate was idiotic as well. But people ARE going to make a big deal about it so obviate the issue. Don’t bring in performers like MIA if you don’t want it to happen.

Who do you want to see headline next year’s superbowl?

Feel Good Inc.

2 Feb

Hi everybody. The first week of school has been very hectic for me. I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off, one that is going to meetings and interviews anyway. Even decapitated chickens need jobs. So this week’s post will be rather succinct.

Everyone has heard of the Gorillaz song “Feel Good Inc.” right? Just in case you haven’t, here it is.

The song is an amazing rock, hip-hop fusion which become incredibly famous and rightfully so. The song flows so naturally from rapping to acoustic guitars that it actually allows rap haters to appreciate the art (yes me). Also, being the first band to really try something like this successfully has helped them become famous.

Now, I want you to compare the original version of the song to this cover, performed by a girl named Josie Charlwood.

The first thing you have to realize is that this entire song is done real-time with a couple of loop pedals and other hardware. Not only is this girl musically talented, but she is also technologically savvy. I am almost convinced by now that the cover is better than the original. The sound of her guitar mixed with her voice creates a milky sweet sound which does the original justice. The rap line blows me away with ending slur and the “hahaha’s”. There’s something incredibly attractive about a girl who can do that.

&)

-oko

P.S. I have new tunes in the works!

Tags: , ,

A Taste of Two: The “Superartist” – New Jersey vs. New England

30 Jan

There are two things that throughout my life have remained constant about the Super Bowl. If you are an alien, the Super Bowl is a debaucherous culmination to the National Football League (just Wikipedia that) season where hordes of individuals gather around televisions and view gargantuan, physically freakish men, attempt to get an oblong-shaped, prickled ball into the opposing team’s endzone (a small section at the end of a 100-yard field), all while gormandizing and drinking large quantities of a fermented beverage that often makes you say/do stupid things.

First, this massive event always comes quickly – even though the football season is several months long. Secondly, my beloved New York Jets are not a part of the event and instead are Super Bowl viewers like the rest of us.

This year’s Superbowl features the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. Can you tell that I’m a little bitter? The New York Giants, the Jets’ cross-conference counterpart, play in the same stadium as the Jets and share a fan-base of downstate New Yorkers. The Jets, like the Mets in baseball, are the new kids on the block, and often have the reputation as the gritty, hard-nosed younger brother of the classic, old-school Yankees and Giants. The rivalry between the Jets and Giants is not as heated as it is with the Yankees. More Mets fans and Yankees fans dislike their cross-town rivals than Jets and Giants fans. Why is this case? I’ll leave that to those who would like to think on the matter. It doesn’t really matter to me. I do possess a strong dislike of the Yankees, though, but many of my good friends are Yankees fans and we get along just fine. I am often jealous of their success, though, and I find myself in the same situation with the Giants. They deserve the accolades for getting into the “Big Game” and I only hope the Jets find a way to win the Superbowl during my lifetime – and preferably before I am in diapers again.

That is my spiel about football. On to the music. Since we are in the Superbowl eve week, I thought I’d try for a creative Superbowl-inspired post. As you can probably deduce from the title, we are going to compare some sort of music from New Jersey (Giants) and New England (Patriots). While the Giants have New York in their title they play in New Jersey so we are going to use the state they play in for our selection. The New England region encompasses several states. The Patriots play in Foxborough, MA, a little south of Boston so we will pick from Boston because it is a major city with deep musical roots. New Jersey vs. Boston, MA. What are we comparing?

Well, we are going to compare the best rock musical artist/band to come out of the area and then put them back-to-back in a one-on-one match-up for superiority. Who is the better band? Who will win our Music Court Superartist?

The best musician to come out of both areas ever (despite genre classification) is Frank Sinatra (from Hoboken, NJ) – but that’s just my opinion. He wasn’t a rocker though.

I will post up a poll at the end of this article and the voting will end on Saturday with the results revealed prior to gametime!

New Jersey

Boston

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band vs. Aerosmith. Who is it going to be? The troubadour from the swamps of Jersey or the Demon of Screamin’? Before anyone cries foul, yes, Steven Tyler is originally from New York City and was brought up there, but, Aerosmith was formed after Tyler (originally Tallarico) moved into an apartment with friends Joe Perry, Joey Kramer, Tom Hamilton, and Ray Tabano (replaced by Brad Whitford in 1971).  They are known as the ‘Bad Boys of Boston.’

I chose “Born to Run”  and “Dream On” to represent the bands because they were voted as the top hits from each band on www.the-top-tens.com. The songs were both released in the early-mid 70s and the musicians are of a similar age. It’s a good battle. So, folks, who wins. Bruce and the Giants or Aerosmith and the Pats?

Also, let us know in the comments who you are rooting for to win the Superbowl?

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →