Song covers that are better than the originals

I love the first three Procol Harum albums (pianist Matthew Fisher left after the third, Robin Trowers’ guitar playing turning PH into just another blues-based riff band. So sad.). Those first three PH albums WERE (and still are) filled with great music. But PH’s Shine On Brightly (one of) the first real progressive album(s)? Why not their first album? Are you including Brian Wilson’s Smile? Or Frank Zappa’s Where Only In It For The Money? Or the first Pink Floyd? Or Van Dyke Parks’ Song Cycle? Or the many other obscure albums I have no doubt you are unaware of.

That you would state Electric Ladyland is the best album recorded in the 60’s says all that needs to be said. So sad ;-)

A musician’s opinion of Bogert and Appice is a very effective "filter" when looking through applications for band members. Oh, they are SO bad. They never heard, contemplated, and took to heart what Duke Ellington, a very tasteful musician, said about musicianship: "What you don't play is more important than what you do". Wisdom from an old, though not 100 year old, man.

Old boots dull? You haven’t seen my closet, but then you may not care for any boots, old or new. You sound more like a sneakers kinda guy. I’ve seen & heard both Dylan and Hendrix live multiple times, and have my own personal impression and opinion of both. It may differ from yours and everyone elses. So what? I sure DO find some of Hendrix’s playing to be vulgar. I used that term quite deliberately! I feel the same about Eddie Van Halen and numerous other "show-offs", whose guitar playing serves no one or nothing but themselves. Selflessness---that is the viewpoint of a 100 year old, though I have viewed Jimi’s playing as I have since I was 19 years young. And I’m older than that now ;-)

Weird. As I was editing this, apparently so was Harold, as his post now shows up below mine. Mine was obviously in response to his, so how that happened is a mystery to me.

I have played with a lot of guitarists who, of course, love Jimi’s playing, and one bassist who holds Jimi in as high esteem as John Coltrane! I freely admit I have never understood, nor had the sensibilities to appreciate, most Jazz. It is a foreign language to me, still. I am interested in what Hendrix may have evolved into, had he lived to do so. I like Junior Brown, who obviously loves Jimi’s playing, but the element of Hendrix in Junior’s playing is what makes my liking of him not without reservations.

There is another drummer whose playing is astonishingly technically developed yet also musical---Steve Gadd. Currently playing with Eric Clapton (who has what I consider excellent taste in musicians, save his bandmates in Cream ;-), he came to fame with his snare drum part in Paul Simon’s "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover". Very cool!

Speaking of The Who, they were (past tense) masters at the art of creating and releasing energy. They are by far the most dynamic band I’ve ever seen, absolutely bristling with kinetic energy. The song "I Can See For Miles" was their high water mark in that regard. That ability was last heard on the Tommy album, the band displaying only release on Live At Leeds and all following albums. I lay the blame for that squarely at the feet of Keith Moon, who lost his "forward momentum" playing style as he grew older. To make matters worse, Daltry starting holding his notes at the end of a lyric line faaar tooo looong, creating a drag on the band’s propulsion. Those two factors is what makes their version of "Summertime Blues" the mess it is (imo ;-). Much better than the version by Blue Cheer though!

Random thoughts:

- Vinnie Colaiuta’s abilities on drums is notable for his technical chops, which is of course a different thing than musical sensibilities. Different players value chops more than do other players, and chose their drummer accordingly. A drummer from the recent past also respected for his technical abilities was Jeff Porcaro. Jeff was best known as Toto’s drummer, but he had been an in-demand studio drummer for many years before that. Jeff’s parts are both technically sophisticated and also very musically appropriate, effective, and tasteful, something technically-inclined drummers all often not known for (think Vinnie Appice. Oy!). So we have in Jeff a great drummer, and yet he was involved in making some of the most insipid music ever made while in Toto. Yet The Beatles, with a technically "challenged" drummer, made some of the best music ever made in the opinion of many (I have mixed feelings on this subject, finding much of their work not to my liking. For that I blame LSD and the Sitar ;-).

- In regard to opinions, I myself find those of a person with a strong point-of-view, even if it is one I do not share, of more interest to me than those of one whose taste is more in line with mine if that taste is not deeply felt or is reached for questionable reasons. When I offer opinions on music, it is done so in the spirit of celebrating what I consider great music, and hopefully providing some insight into what makes that music great. No smug superiority here, honest!

Good point ghosthouse. Vinnie is RIDICULOUS! Jeff can afford the best now (Vinnie is expensive). But I don’t consider myself on Mt. Olympus, any more than anyone else. I always qualify my opinion as personal, mine acknowledged as not infrequently being in the minority. There is no right or wrong, just preference depending on taste (or lack thereof ;-).

Speaking of which.....The Who’s version of "Summertime Blues" preferred to Eddie’s?! Daltry’s whoary bluster is absolutely unlistenable, in my house anyway.

What happened with "Superstition" is that Jeff somehow heard the song, and asked Stevie if he could record and put out his version first. Jeff says Stevie agreed, but then put out his own before Jeff could. Jeff was very not happy. Perhaps when Stevie recorded it he realized how good it was! By the way, I consider Jeff a ridiculously talented guitarist (I think his playing single-handedly changed the direction of guitar playing by white men), but he has what I consider very bad taste in accompanists. Bogart and Appice? In musical-sociological terms, pure white trash---no class.

onhwy61, I readily admit my dislike of Jimi’s playing puts me in a true minority (I actually may be alone!). It may even be irrational. I absolutely detest his tone, which is a brittle, nasty, ugly barbed-wire mess. I have heard a Strat sound magnificent in the right hands (those of Ry Cooder, for example), so it’s not the guitar. I saw him live twice, and found him to be okay the first time, bored and lazy the second---just going through the motions. His playing lacks poetry and emotion, being very cold and lacking "humanity"---soul. Plus his playing seems to have very little connection to the song itself---it doesn’t serve the song in any way, if you know what I mean. It’s all about itself. And if that weren’t bad enough, it sounds frivolous.

I am hesitant to comment on Harold’s post, but sheesh!

Hendrix not only turns a beautiful, subtle, personal prayer into a crass display of vulgar guitar pyrotechnics (okay, I admit to not caring for Jimi’s playing. I know, a minority opinion), but he also obviously has NO idea what the song is about. Just awful.

"Superstition" by Beck, Bogart & Appice better than Stevie’s own?! Wow---I’m speechless. Beck’s worst band, he absolutely butchers a song done magnificently by Mr. Wonder, who plays every instrument on his recording. On this, Harold, I do believe you may be alone in your opinion. Nothing wrong with that (in principle)!