If you read this blog, you may notice the weird scattershot way that I approach popular culture. Wide breadth, filled with peculiar gaps. For example, Radiohead.
I’m sure I must have heard “Creep” when it came out in 1993. I just don’t remember it. When The Bends came out in 1995, I really liked “My Iron Lung.” Then, of course, I kept hearing about how OK Computer (1997) was one of the best rock albums of all time, but I never heard a note of it. Or any of their other stuff. For a ten-year period, I knew exactly one song by one of the biggest bands in the alternative scene. Eh, I stopped listening to radio and I wasn’t watching MTV. Maintain radio silence.
When Hail to the Thief came out in 2003, a lot of the reviews talked about Radiohead’s entire career. A lot of people made lists of their best songs. Thanks to the Internet, I laid my hands on almost everything they recorded, including live stuff, B-sides, remixes, and so on. I became totally hooked on the band.
I also tracked down a bunch of cover versions, which I will be featuring this week. My interest was prompted by Fluxblog, who posted a new cover last week, Mark Ronson and Alex Greenwald’s version of “Just.”
John Mayer is viewed as a pretty square pop performer. But I find his cover of “Kid A” totally hysterical. It seems like an odd choice for him. And the bleepy electronics of the original would seem hard to tackle with acoustic guitar. But he gets the rhythm right and his delivery totally nails the humor of the lyrics. The song appeared on a Heavier Things promo EP.
Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Slean liked “Climbing Up the Walls” so much she covered it on her first EP Universe (1997), which came out the same year as OK Computer, where the song came from. Slean’s version has a nice organic world music vibe to it, a tad like fellow Canadian Sarah McLachlan.
John Mayer – Kid A
Sarah Slean – Climbing Up the Walls
One Response
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a PLAGUE of ANGELS Says:
You picked a great band to get obsessed about. Nice post.