The Waitsing Room is a Muslim
Why is The Waitsing Room a Muslim? Because it’s all covered up of course! Get it, get it? Fuck me that was poor, apologies to absolutely everyone involved – shambolic rubbish. What prompted that garbaggio? Well this week me old mate DC (who has taken somewhat obscure exception to my post about Eaten by Monsters – I don’t understand it, but then he is Welsh) has done something I don’t think I would have the courage to do: tackle a whole show based on covers of Tom Waits songs.
The Waitsing Room – Cruel Variations
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Why wouldn’t I have the courage? Well to paraphrase Bill Hicks, I’m like a kid with a sore tooth with Tom Waits covers – it hurts, but I can’t quit pressing. Any cover of a Tom Waits song, I just have to hear. I’m fascinated, compulsive, I just can’t stop myself, despite the fact that almost without fail the only emotions they inspire in me are a mild frustration and immediate desire to go and listen to the original. I don’t know why, exactly, maybe he’s just too idiosyncratic, maybe my relationship with his music is just too close to pedestal-based worship, maybe I’m being a blinkered idiot, and maybe a little of all three.
What is it with cover versions anyway? So many are so incredibly poor, and yet we’re fascinated by them. Is it a traditional thing, where people used to cement communities by playing songs and trading stories and such-like, or is that just far too Oprah fucking Winfrey for everyone’s taste?
I’m downloading the show as I type this, and will be playing it all afternoon at work, to take my mind off the tedious grind of Proper Job and I am sure that by this time tomorrow the Tom Waits score on my last.fm count-o-meter will have jumped by another hundred or so. So toddle on over to The Waiting Room and download this week’s episode of his show, which airs live on Error FM on Wednesdays at 10pm, mostly, or nine sometimes.
A.A. Bondy – Hang Down Your Head (Live)
The Wedding Present – Red Shoes by the Drug Store
I saw jo mango do Innocent When You Dream at cab vol and immediately wanted to cut off my ears and flush them down the toielt. So I guess I know how you feel – but I tend to feel this about most cover versions of songs – hence why the kays very rarely do cover versions – we did lips like sguar by echo and the bunnymen once which I admit was fun but I wasn’t a fan and didn’t know the song so I wouldn’t have felt bad if we’d murdered it! anyways, completely understand your take on things.
Well I don’t hate cover versions exactly, I just usually hate cover versions. But no matter how much I am sure they will make me cringe, I am always mad keen to hear a new one for some reason. No idea why – I almost always end up punishing myself.
Woohoo! Bring on Scarlett Johansson!
Yes, yes he does. He brings her on, slaps her down and sends her packing. GOOD! The useless old slapper has nothing to contribute to the world of music whatsoever.
Excepy maybe her withered old man clam could be used as a 7″ Vinyl holder?
I reckon you’d easily get a couple of 12″s in there by now mate. Ka-CHING!
You just lob ‘em in, I’ll swing for the boundary.
I’m sure I’ve said it before, but Micah P Hinson’s (live) cover of Old Shoes and Picture Postcards is beyond reproach. Exception that proves the rule etc…..
And that reminds me – new album out a week monday. Huzzah! You going to the Voodoo Rooms tonight? Might be along for a wee bit late on. Rory & Gill are DJ-ing……
I am indeed going along, although I may have to restrain myself from baiting the Proper Journalists. I did know about the new album actually – that one snuck up rather quietly, eh?
MIcah P Hinson has a new album out???? why was i not informed til now?!
well each version of WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE for each new season of THE WIRE has it’s own merits.
season 1 : http://youtube.com/watch?v=J3t6io0vW-c&feature=related
season 2 : http://youtube.com/watch?v=ipaV4k2n__I&feature=related
season 3 : http://youtube.com/watch?v=N4u6XdlM6pE&feature=related
season 4 : http://youtube.com/watch?v=3QE1VEsXSmc&feature=related
season 5 : http://youtube.com/watch?v=PnkBD37fggg&feature=related
Eyes on the ball, kids. This show was a fucking doozie – all but one or two were very enjoyable, passable, covers; thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I understand where you’re coming from Toad but I see covers as a very interesting, sometimes duplicitous, creative means. Apart from the very thin line where an absolute note for note facsimilie can either be genius or unimaginative, where complete re-invented re-interpretations can either be genius or ill-advised, & where vanity meets band-wagonning or respect meets competence, apart from those, sometimes a cover version gives you more than you heard in the original & you recognise (musical) phrases or structures hidden by the way in which Waits delivers it. I’m not talking about you appreciating the original more in comparison to some awful/mediocre/great variation; I’m talking about listening to what someone else, often, but not all the time, far more musically competent than you, hears from the source matwerial & how that then comes out in the version they produce. More often than not, for me, cover versions expand the music & reveals & peels away more layers.
Okay, getting to sound a little too wanky there. But I hope you get my point.
I don’t dislike the Scar-Jo faetal bucket because it’s old famous off the films her, or that it’s a transparent marketing stunt; I despise that piece of shit because (a) she seriously has a voice that should have ever got beyond the drunken idea stage, (b) the obviously grafted on ‘too cool for school’ decision to not only audaciously do a Tom Waits cover album (neatly plopping a ’self-penned’ in the midst to cement the ‘I’m as serious as cancer about this direction in my career’ message), but to also have some (perceived) edgy, youth-tapped, left-field choice of a producer contemporise the interpretations by ripping off the last 25 odd years of generationaly important music genres. I may have made up a few words in that last, long sentence.
I hate Rod Stewart’s choking rapes because he thought he’d found something (i.e. a cash cow) no one else had ever stumbled across. It’s his fucking arrogance, I can’t stand, that all he has to do is hire a string section, a pub blues/jazz band populated by Dads in their wasitcoats & slicked back ponytails, & then croak & indiscriminently maul delicately chosen words & melodies.
I will also add, for the sake of non-sequitor, I also dislike Stewart because he made it ok for Kelly Jones to be where he is today (a very rich, multi-million record sales-propped angry little Welsh Valley Dwarf).
The point, for there was one, has since slipped out the back door & hoofed it in the direction of away.
I’m off to bed. My jetlag is still messing with my mind a week later.
Toad,
How about a ‘covers that are better than the original’ toadcast?
Hmmm?
There are none.
Actually, of course that’s not true, but it’s not far off. I’d struggle, but I reckon I could throw something together.
I’ve never seen that, Strath. What a brilliant idea.
Did you not know that Toad? It’s kinda been a ritual for the last however long for each season. I don’t watch the show myself, but I am aware of the whole theme song thing.
Also, Toad, there are many covers far better than the original. You just have to take your snobby blinkers off long enough to recognise them
P
&, back to the ball, how about everyone just tune into the fucking show/podcast & listen to that? Isn’t that enough covers for you? Jesus, you skin a fucking cat & the mouse still wants to run up the fucking clock.
Three-post mentalism!
Gibber…
Ah, but one could argue that Mr. Toad’s ’snobby blinkers’ rather maketh the man, could one not?
We all have our snobby blinkers in one way or another. Our ‘refreshing’ opinions and funny little ways. One could call it character.
Enter Toad blustering “I’m quite adept at sticking up for myself, thank you very much! And enough of you and your sideways insults or compliments or whatever the fuck that was anyway!”
(Sorry – I’ve been to the pub at lunchtime.)
Fucksake, both of you.
Ah, I get it!
All COVERED up!
Ha.
with regards the wire. i love that show and each season does indeed change Way Down In The Hole. Season 2 is best – when it’s the original version!
See Bart, good eh? How long before the BBC come calling – it can’t be more than a week or two.
Yes, Toad. What The Bloggers Say is just around Commissioned Corner…