Thursday, January 12, 2017

It's Covers Week (Part IV): Special Faux Fab Edition

From 1975, please enjoy the great Procol Harum (produced in this case by the equally great Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) and a cover of The Beatles' classic "Eight Days a Week."



It has come to my attention that I am all but alone in my fondness for this one, but what the heck -- I'm sure you guys will let me know what you think.

7 comments:

buzzbabyjesus said...

I'm afraid I can't figure out why this needed to exist. It says about the band, "We're out of gas."

Gummo said...

Sounds like a suburban Geezer Band rocking out for their friends at a weekend barbeque.

And in case you're not sure, no, that wasn't a compliment.

Allan Rosenberg said...

A rather lifeless cover from a very uneven album.

For whatever Leiber & Stoller may have added to this recording they sucked much of the life out of the album. They didn't "get" Procol Harum. On the recently reissued version of this album there is a "raw" version of "Unquiet Zone" that blows away the official recording of the song. This is more what the album including "Eight Day" should have sounded like.

We didn't know it but not to far off in the distance was the end of this great band.

Captain Al

Steve I'll send you the raw "Unquiet Zone" recording. Enjoy.

Anonymous said...

Sucks ass. Possibly the worst moment of Procol's career. Also a low point for Leiber & Stoller who insisted it be put on the album over the band's objections. Not only are they outta gas, they're pushing a '65 Cadillac up Waipio Road with heart failure and emphysema, farting all the way.

VR

pete said...

I like the vocal, though.

buzzbabyjesus said...

Ha! I know the Waipio Road. That's saying something.

Anonymous said...

I love this band.

BJ Wilson is rock's most under-rated drummer. Keith Reid's lyrics were dark before Nick Cave was born. Gary Brooker has one of rock's all-time blue-eyed soul voices. The catalog, in the main, holds up really well.

Having said all that. The reason this song exists eludes me to this day. Truly pointless.

I'm all for covering the Beatles. But you must do it with some wit, creativity, anger, edge or something.

ps: special props to Steve for making Grand Hotel a pick of the month back in the day at that old mag formerly known as SR. Although didn't you take it back in a later issue as an over assessment?