We begin with Friends of PowerPop The Weeklings having a high spirited go at the sure to be banned in Florida "Lola"...
...and then move on to New Jersey kids The Grip Weeds and their majestically psychedelic take on the haunting "See My Friends."
I haven't heared the whole album yet -- although I plan to momentarily, and I'll get back to you as soon as I do -- but both of the above covers strike me as terrific. I will confess, however, that I kinda miss the power-slide guitar and finger picking from the original Kinks version of "Friends." Then again, I think that's a perfect, once-in-a-lifetime record, so I'm prejudiced.
In any case, you can -- and obviously should -- avail yourself of the album over at Amazon HERE. And toot sweet.
5 comments:
1. Lola: Way too similar to the original to be interesting. A copy, not a cover.
2. See My Friends: This is more like it. Great version of a great, haunting song. I like the juxtaposition of the crunchy power chords with the multipart vocal harmonies.
On the whole, though, tribute albums leave me cold - they make me just want to pull out the originals.
I don't like either of them. Weeklings turn in a neutered performance. The Grip Weeds take on "See My Friends" is overblown.
VR
I dunno, Yogi... You'd have a hard time finding a better Kinks kover better than the Pretenders' Stop Your Sobbing.
Hard to argue with Chrissie. She always chooses great covers and kills them.
I like Human Drama's take on "I'm Not Like Everybody Else," as far as Kinks covers go.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76tfDctEhXs
VR
The Records (whose major song was "Starry Eyes") did a very good version of "See My Friends" back around 1979 or '80. It was on a 4-track 7"-inch single of them doing covers; the single also featured their version of Blue Ash's "Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)".
Post a Comment