Thursdays and Covers

[MP3] Barenaked Ladies - Fight The Power

Never would I have predicted the day to come where Dan Aykroyd, and his prosethically enhanced cranium nonetheless, would indirectly lead me to a song that I would've probably never discovered otherwise. Without Coneheads needing a soundtrack, Barneaked Ladies may have never been approached about doing a cover of the Public Enemy hit "Fight The Power". Although the acclaimed #9 rap song of all time loses a little bit of it's raw edge in the process, the band does a great job of twisting their alternative pop sound to squeeze out a funky, uptempo rendition that makes for an enjoyable listen.

[MP3] Tori Amos - ...Baby One More Time

Some might muse that it's sad Tori Amos has been nominated some nine different times for a Grammy Award while Britney Spears has one resting on her mantle for Best Dance Recording. Amos has created beautifully layered music for years and has, as evidenced by her onslaught of critical praise, shown that a golden gramophone is nothing more than a paperweight in the creative realm. Her concept covers album Strange Little Girls has some real gems (some of which I'll soon feature) but this Spears cover, all irony aside, is a classy twist on one of the biggest #1 hits ever. Amos tosses aside the array of sythnesized instruments, overproduced vocals, and melodies that look better on video than they sound on disc for a darker piano ballad.

[MP3] Aretha Franklin - Bridge Over Troubled Water

"Bridge Over Troubled Water" is a fantastic song that people like for many different reasons. Although not my only reason, there is a part in the song that not only grabs the attention of my ears but also locks physically draws my entire body into the music. A part that Garfunkel didn't have the words to compose and Simon didn't have the voice to expel; holding out the final word in his last line of "Like a bridge over trouble water, I will ease your mind", Garfunkel belts his voice over billowing instrumentation that compliments the strength of his voice - it gets me everytime! Aretha Franklin, meanwhile, holds her notes out with just as much strength and skill but in a unique way that makes classic rock double as classic soul.