Monday, November 21, 2016

There Are Some Songs It's Just Impossible to Ruin (An Occasional Series)

From 1990, and their sort of covers album Fakebook, please enjoy cult favorites Yo La Tengo...


...and a sprightly remake of that Cat Stevens song -- "Here Comes My Baby" -- we were discussing a few weeks ago.



Ira Kaplan, who's the auteur of this band, was originally a New York rock critic who came up professionally more or less the same time as me; a very good writer and a lovely guy (I can't recall specifically which press junkets we were on together, but I think one was The Who on the Quadrophenia tour).

That said (and I know some people whose opinions I respect absolutely LURVE Yo La Tengo) but at my age I have to be honest -- I've always found them a little bit twee, as the Brits say.

That said, this particular interpretation is really quite nice. There was a killer version of John Cale's "Andalucia" on the album too, if memory serves.

9 comments:

buzzbabyjesus said...

I've never heard or seen the album, but I hear there is a version of The Kinks "Oklahoma USA"mon it and I wonder if it's any good.

I have a couple discs by them I was never able to really embrace.

Anna said...

Twee? Agree.

Allan Rosenberg said...

No bad, but not so good either. The Tremolos original & the FloMo's versions are better.

Captain Al

Anonymous said...

Trems is the meat. Yo La Tengo does not have it. Unless you're craving nothing-burgers. Douchebag band.

BBJ, stick with Muswell Hillbillies.

VR

Anonymous said...

It's all a matter of opinion, ultimately, but if you want to hear a track by them that (at least in my judgment) is NOT twee, check out the ragingly beautiful cut "We're An American Band" (not a cover of the Grand Funk song), from their album "I CAN HEAR THE HEART BEATING AS ONE".

J. Lag

steve simels said...

Will do.

Alzo said...

This IS a wonderful album of covers. Their take on 'Oklahoma USA' is just as beautiful as the original. The real corker, though, is 'Emulsified,' a great Wooly-Bully-style workout. If you ever find the original by Rex Garvin and the Mighty Cravers, grab it-- it's raw RnB RnR worthy of Screaming' Jay Hawkins.

mainuh said...

I bought the Tremeloes single, Here Comes My Baby", at our local Ben Franklin store.
That will probably give you an age guess.
It's not a Todd / Faithful cover so what.
I enjoyed this cover - loved the sound engineering on it.
Listening to it made me think that this is the sound I would hear if they were in my living room.
rob

mainuh said...

Found it - Oct 6th post - The Mavericks, same cover TexMex'd.
Steve it would have been an interesting contrast.
rob