Micah P. Hinson – All Dressed Up and Smelling of Strangers
I am probably the wrong person to be reviewing this, because I find covers albums to be utterly pointless and generally frustrating. I can understand the fascination, I can understand the urge to do one, but ultimately the results absolutely always leave me bored and completely indifferent. I can’t think of a single one I actually like, although I’ve not exactly made an exhaustive search.
This is a really interesting one too, with a tremendous variety of song choices and artists. This Old Guitar is a song I have heard Hinson play live and absolutely loved, particularly the poignant story which accompanies it about how the song itself and the playing of music in general anchored his relationship with his father, and salvaged it, to a degree.
I still don’t really like this album though. There are none of the gorgeous orchestral flourishes of Hinson’s own work, and precious little of the furious guitar whirlwhinds either (In the Pines excepted, which is scorching). He has produced a potentially fascinating record which is basically just a bit boring. I know this is likely to be down to my completely dysfunctional relationship with covers records, but what else can I say? A couple of them I do like – Suzanne is goooooorgeous and We Almost Had a Baby is interesting – but the whole album strikes me as one more interesting to the artist himself, as is almost always the case with these things, than to the listeners.
I think I am more frustrated than I should be by this record. I absolutely love Micah P. Hinson, and so I think that plays a large role, and some of this is really good, but ultimately I wish artists would keep covers to single one-off curiosities because large albums full of them really don’t do anything for me at all.
Micah P. Hinson – This Old Guitar
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I also absolutely love Micah P Hinson. Don’t see the point in cover albums. And this record bores me immensely. All it does is show me that he can play other peoples songs. And I don’t care about that. I care about the music that HE produces. So yes, I’m with you. Dull. Still love him and it’s not a criticism of the songs he chose. But dull.
There are definitely sone corkers here, but no more than an EP’s worth in my opinion. So yes, meh, more real songs please.
Trying to think of covers albums I do like:
Siouxsie and the banshees – Through The Looking Glass
Nick Cave and the bad seeds – Kicking against the pricks
Jennifer Warnes – Famous Blue Raincoat
although not technically a covers album, Johnny Cash’s The Man Comes Around is a majority of covers and i like that, too…
I’d say Vetiver’s covers album was good but mainly cause the songs were so obscure that I knew none of them and that made it feel less coverish. That said, I will always prefer original music from artists I love.
how’s that for timing – I’ve got a review of this ready to go today too! My feelings are very similar. Agree that the good tracks are no more than and EP’s worth.
Ah yes, Vetiver, good call. I feel similarly about Christopher Bell’s gorgeous EP which I reviewed a little while ago: the covers were so obscure it didn’t matter.
very similar reaction – found myself mostly just listening to the dylan and the cohen (ie songs i already liked) – i think i am interested in hearing covers of songs i like, but not covers just because they’re done by an artist i like (excepting mark kozelek perhaps) – one would hesitate to say self-indulgent with respect to an artist of his quality, but this does seem one for ardent completists only – in contrast, i am relishing the chance to acquaint myself with gospel progress, opera circuit and red empire orchestra
I find it some what interesting and normally enjoyable to listen to one artist cover another’s song.
In other news, that’s a bloody lovely cover.
His art work is always brilliant.
I was just about to say I love the title. Clever without being too clever-clever.
Great cover art too, though. Love the retro logos.
Another covers album which succeeds by containing covers of less-well known songs: To Willie by Phosphorescent from earlier this year. A tour though some of the more obscure parts of the bio-diesel lovin’, spliff smokin’ country superstar’s back catalogue. Never heard any of the songs before and I love Phosphorescent, so double win.
I’m sure this has come up on here in the past.
I think covers can work if done well – but it really can depend on your relationship with the artist, and with the original song.
I don’t think anyone would quibble over the two covers that appear on Withered Hand’s album – mainly cos the originals were rather obscure themselves, and because his versions are complete reinterpretations, rather than straight note-for-note covers. And because they’re both incredible.
Having said that, I can’t think of any full albums of covers that I own.
wonder when his christmas greatest hits will be out
well at christmas id have thought.
Bart, the other point about those is that they are two songs out of a whole album, and his previous covers have been isolated songs in a long setlist. In this case, all together, it changes things a bit and I personally don’t think it really works. Event though a few are very, very good.
Your hype machine link is broke…
Well if you’re still unconvinced about the value of the covers album, I’ve got two words for you:
‘Robson’ and ‘Jerome’.
Ker-fucking-ching.
Cover albums are narcissistic. And just because good people do them doesn’t make them excusable. It’s basically the musical equivalent of tracing someone else’s painting and colouring it in. Basically admitting that you are out of ideas for a bit. Grr.
It is one of the best album covers I’ve ever seen though.
At least that wasn’t traced.
Hype link fixed, thanks George B.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is an abomination and almost prompted me to write my first ever negative review. I would rather be gang raped by death-row Tryanasaurasus Rex axe murderer inmates than have to listen to that thing twice. There’s not even a prominent guitar solo on the fucking thing! And the vocals approach the dismal drone of an opium addict, at best. Turned me off the entire record for good and I LOVE covers, grrrrrrr
i love covers, in fact i heard a great one last week…..awesome!!!
all songs are cover versions!
it annoys me, this type of review, along with the one on Euan’s!
It just strikes me with some form of snobbery….music is music is music.
You love this guy, but don’t like this album cos it is other people’s songs?
I love to hear other people do covers, sometimes they are car-crashes, Leona Lewis’s cover of Run and others actually improve on the original, Ryan Adams doing Wonderwall for one.
i just find it strange you want write this off as you like the guy so much, he obviously, put a lot of thought into it, else i doubt it would have seen the light of day.
Strange, very strange!
All songs are cover versions? Right. All of them. Except the ones that aren’t.
I like the occasional cover, I really do, but most of the time I am just left pining for the original. I am always really curious to hear them but in fact, nothing to do with snobbery, no matter how openly I try and approach them, I just rarely ever end up liking covers. It’s like posh karaoke. I could happily do a podcast of covers I love, but the pile of ones I really dislike would be massively bigger.
Irrespective of whose songs these are, this album does very little for me indeed. Those three songs I posted above are bloody great, I think, but the rest are pretty indifferent.
I’m sure this has come up on here in the past
Every subject known to man has been discussed at length on here. Each on numerous occasions.
Don’t pick on Chutters, he’s ill. Evidently.
MIchael wins the funniest comment award so far. Forget “lol” in text speak, that actually made me laugh out loud for real.
I’m with Ed ‘Through the looking glass,, is how it should be done and only on vinyl .
“but most of the time I am just left pining for the original”
- unless you find yourself in the odd situation of first getting to know and like a song as a cover – has happened to me on a few occasions – in which case you find yourself in the very strange position of feeling that the original somehow doesn’t quite measure up
“music is music is music”
oh good, chutney-puss has reviewed all of music for the rest of time forever.
“all songs are cover versions!”
super! something that be-littles every musician ever and makes no bloody sense what-so-ever. i love those.
“You love this guy, but don’t like this album cos it is other people’s songs?”
yeah! perfectly viable reasons for not liking stuff sucks! DOWN WITH THE SNOBS!!! PEOPLE WHO LIKE MUSIC SLIGHTY MORE THAN OTHER PEOPLE HAVE NO PLACE IN THE MODERN WORLD!!!!
That comment made my morning. Good fruit, good structure… mmyes, excellent!
People get all crotchety when they’re ill. Isn’t it great?
I’m going to go down the old folk’s home and poke them with sticks.
I like the fact that no matter how angry Mr. Bear gets, his unbearably cheery Fozzy avatar makes everything sound like he’s having the best day of his life.
Especially when he uses a mixture of sarcasm and block capitals.
No pun intended.
None taken.
Anyway MPH is shite so I’m past caring…..
big huffy beardy baby
I’m going bear hunting, and the bear im looking for is wearing ska socks!
You guys shouldn’t make such sweeping statements about cover albums. I’d never really heard the emotional power of Tom Waits until Scarlet Johansen covered him.
Have you never heard the Bonnie Prince Billy and Tortoise covers album “The Brave and the Bold”?
It’s fucking fantastic and you’d never think that it’s a cover album. They actually make the songs their own, which is something that I really appreciate.
But yes, the list of covers that I don’t like far out-weighs the list of covers that I can bare to listen to, and may actually enjoy more than the originals.
bring it on chutney-mod!
Joking aside, I’d really like to be covered by Scarlett Johansson.
Ha ha
I would like to cover her
I must not have a dirty mind because I just had an image of Scarlett Johanssen singing Motherfucker.
It would probably be quite good..
Nah it wouldn’t Dylan it would be shite……remember you need to toe the party line!
Having it pointed out to you that your arguments are full of shit and then being mocked for turning the playground trick of ‘well like I care anyway’ is not about toeing the party line.
Scarlett Johansson covering anything would be shit, not because covers are shite, but because she is.
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone do some fine covers.
I would listen happily to Micah P. Hinson sing the Duluth, Minnesota, telephone directory. Covers are great, and anyone who sez otherwise is stoopit.
My arguments are not full of shite, you just don’t agree with or understand them, I can handle this fact. This album is now my album of the year!!!!
Don’t understand them? Jesus fucking Christ. You quite literally said that ‘all music is just covers’. Irrespective of agreeing with anything, that’s just nonsense.
Paperback Writer really is just a cover of Beethoven’s 9th, but reinterpreted through the lens of 20th Century mores, and subverted with contemporary instrumentation.
If only you weren’t so intimidatingly clever we could discuss this, but your arguments would presumably be so subtle and deep that they would make my puny brain explode. At least I assume that’s what “I’m past caring” and you just don’t … understand them, I can handle this fact” are supposed to imply.
How do you manage to even brush your teeth in the morning without stabbing yourself in the eye, when the banal mechanics of using simple toothbrushes and tubes of paste were designed by normal people with some sort of pedestrian, ordinary mental capacity in mind, and your brain is capable of so much more. Is it even possible to drive a Formula 1 car at five miles an hour, or does it just stall?
I thought this was your album of the year, Chutters.
I can feel a lot of hate floating about.
Music is just noise at best.
There’s no such thing as music really.
There is no hate Daniel…..I really like Matthew, he’s is greatly missunderstood gentleman.
But he is being very literal here!
Misunderstood? I thought I was universally popular. Are you telling me it ain’t so Chutters? You heartless, cruel bastard.
Won’t someone think of the children?
Matthew! How dare you. Paperback Write is most not a cover Beethoven’s 9th!
It’s Bach.
Yeah well. Bach’s just Beethoven.
I’d explain, but you’re too stupid and I can’t be bothered.
Whatever.
I’d explain, but you’re too stupid and I can’t be bothered.
Finally. You make a sensible point on you blog.
Also, more accurately Beethoven’s just Bach.
Let’s all go and troll the message board on the Newton Faulkner page I linked to earlier.
That would be well funny.
Why bother when we’ve all been trolling the living shit out of this thread already.
I was disappointed to find out that out ‘See the Day’ (highest chart position number 9 in December 2005) by Girls Aloud (off their platinum selling number 1 album ‘Chemistry’) was originally written and released in 1985 by someone called Dee C. Lee.
Still, any band that can write a tune as good as ‘Biology’ (number 4 in the UK singles chart in November 2005) is alright by me…
Darling!!! Have you listened to “While My Guitar FUCKING Weeps”????
Honestly, I don’t understand how anyone can defend this.
Tho I totally agree with whoever said that Mr. Bear cannot be taken seriously for his avatar only makes him seem maddenly jolly xoxo
A few of them are really good though, Tart. Are you in too much of a tantrum with the album as a whole to be able to hear any of the good stuff?There’s not much, but there are a couple of saving graces.
Yes, I’m in a snit over this because if you’re going to let someone do a classic like that you sure as hell better give them a FUCKING guitar. So no, the rest of the album could be Johnny Depp moaning my name to the sounds of his hand … well you know the rest … and I’d not buy the stupid thing.
I’m in a snit, you’re throwing your toys out the pram in another room, where I’m not setting foot in. I feel we’re unevenly even, darling xoxo good luck!
In the Pines is fucking loud, Tart, you might like that one. Give it a go, go on!
Dee C. Lee was a session singer, notable solo artist during the 1980s and a member of the Style Council, during which time she was married to Paul Weller.
I didn’t know Girls Aloud had covered arguably her best-known song.
God I’m old.
Mrs. Toad is currently in the States, so I am currently enjoying masturbating to most of Girls Aloud.
Aren’t you in work?!
Dylan: you really must keep up to date with the charts. Otherwise, how will you know what to buy?
Matthew: I have a nice collection of Girls Aloud nip-slips and upskirts which I would be happy to lend you.
Sorry to come late to the party again, but my hooves don’t move very quickly these days. Anyway, I actually loved this album. If anyone is interested (doubtful, admittedly) my review is currently feeling a little neglected at http://dylanandthemule.wordpress.com/2009/09/28/micah-p-hinson-all-dressed-up-and-smelling-of-strangers/
I know the album isn’t perfect, and a few tracks don’t really work, but overall I enjoyed the highlights as his voice can do things that other artists cannot. He makes these songs sound new without sticking two fingers up to the original artists. Although, I have yet to hear how George Harrison felt. Apparently he has been slow to react…
just little more than a year ago you were licking the mud off micah p. hinson’s wellies at end of the road, and now here you are acting like giving your opinion on how you hate all records covers is an actual review of the record itself, which it is not. you did not review anything, you merely stated that you hate covers albums, didn’t mention half of the songs which leads me to believe that you’ve never heard of half of the songs or the people who wrote them or covered them to begin with. thereby making my initial point that you failed to write an actual review of a record. thereby making it ridiculous that anyone is replying to your review with their own uneducated opions of a record they have apparently only listened to 3-5 of a 16 song record. besides the fact the micah p. hinson can write and sing his own songs and that you’ve loved every record he’s done up to this point and you’re obssessed with his life and personal background as a reason for the songs you so dearly love, i would imagine that it would be of some curiosity to you as to why he would choose these songs as they are the songs and artists that have influence his music the most. but if, as some of you say, you don’t “give a shite” about micah p. hinson, then why write a “shitty” review and make a “shitty” comment about someone you claim to have no care or thought for?
covers albums are not narcissistic, they are an opportunity to share with the world songs that have influenced you. they are not to be sung exactly like they were originally intended or in the voice originally sung or the instrumentation in which you already know the coverer sings his own personal music with. it is a chance to expose your fans to people you’re fans of and hope to give them a chance of more decent music in the world.
by the way, i agree with the “all songs are covers” because all songs, including micah p. hinson’s, if you listen closely, are influenced by those whose music came before. the beatles original records were all covers. you wouldn’t know the beatles if they hadn’t covered other people’s music. jimi hendrix: all covers. janis joplin: covers, the rolling stones: covers (shocker!: they even cover the same song that the beatles cover too, neither band’s original song), nirvana: covers, every band you have ever heard in the world: one of your favorite songs by them is a cover, guarantee it.
if you think this is an educated review of a well-made covers album, my sympathies to you and your patheticness.
maybe you should write a follow up to this that includes some real thought and a real review of each of the songs as well as the man who chose them and why.
Good grief. Considering Toad’s somewhat lowly status in the taste formation league, the enduring and downright perverse independence of his audience who will listen to whatever the fuck they like and think of it what they will, and the fact that the author would clearly still chow another course of mud off Micah’s wellies given half a chance, I think you protest too much.
If the review lacks insight into Hinson’s rationale for producing the album, its perhaps because he’s not the sort of scale of artist that features on the average blogger’s speedial button and Brits, for all their odd affectations, have yet to develop ESP.
Hmm, not sure where to start with all this.
Licking the mud off his wellies? Oh come on, that’s both silly and childish, to begin with. Hero-worship is not something I suffer from, particularly, but then you were just trying to be insulting weren’t you, not trying to actually make a point of any sort, so never mind.
This is a review of this record only in the sense that it represents my personal relationship with the album itself. That is the same for every review on this site – I don’t make any pretence at dealing in objective absolutes, because I am not all that convinced that’s possible when discussing music, never mind arrogant enough to believe that I am the man to dispense this kind of ultimate truth.
Basically, though, if you want my honest opinion, I find this record kind of boring. It’s the tenth song before you get much variation in the arrangements, which might be why, and most people won’t show that much patience with an album if they are not engaged by the tenth song. And before you get your back up about that statement, that is just my personal opinion, and I never pretended otherwise.
So given that, I tried to come up with reasons why I find it boring, so that my readers might get a bit of context and therefore know whether or not to pay any attention to my opinon. Generally speaking, I tend not to like cover songs, so maybe the reason I don’t like this album is nothing to do with the quality of the album itself, and down to the fact that I don’t usually like covers. I don’t know that for a fact – maybe it’s just down to the arrangements and the fact that I only like a handful of the actual songs themselves, but I do accept that it could be down to some weird and completely unintentional reaction I have to covers.
Incidentally, I don’t hate them on principle – just the opposite in fact. Generally I would say that covers tell us something about the artist, give us a picture of their musical and emotional history and the chance to understand their relationship with music we probably also know and love, amongst other things. In theory, I’d go so far as to say that I think they are good things, but in practise I rarely ever like them that much. Believe me that’s not on purpose, and not due to me being intentionally narrow-minded.
So there you go, I could have been more detailed in why I don’t like most of the songs, but I think that might, if anything, have been less informative for people because the reason I don’t like it might be more to do with me than with the album. This is the point I was making when I talked about rarely liking covers, and it is also why I talked more about that than I usually do with album reviews.
So that was my reasoning. I hope it answers some of your questions.
Your assertion about all music being covers, by the way, is just plain silly, however, but that’s a whole different discussion. Do you really think there’s no difference between starting a piece of music with a pre-defined melody and lyric, and starting a piece of music with nothing; irrespective of how many influences you then end up mashing into the work you finally create.