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Pop Rock Nation

Author: Jenny

  • Oddly awesome covers…

    Oddly awesome covers…

    It’s time for another look at odd covers… Oddly awesome covers, that is…

    I don’t know where I’ve been, but somehow I just found out that Williamsburg, VA native Bruce Hornsby collaborated with bluegrass star, Ricky Skaggs on a couple of albums. I grew up near Williamsburg and I remember the stir Hornsby made in 1986, when his album The Way It Is became huge. I followed his career for awhile, but then lost touch with his distinctive brand of music, a mix of jazz, bluegrass, Americana, folk, and mainstream rock. A Facebook friend reviewed the studio album Bruce Hornsby did with Ricky Skaggs and I decided I had to check it out… and that’s when I discovered their very unusual version of “Super Freak”, a song originally made famous by the late funk star, Rick James.


    I have to admit, this version doesn’t make me recall the original. That’s not really a bad thing, since the original done bluegrass style might be truly ridiculous. But this is a pretty fun odd cover.

    A few years ago, I had a surreal experience while watching a morning news show. I heard the familiar stirrings of a famous Irish band’s 1987 hit, “In God’s Country”. Yes, it was an old U2 song, but who was playing it bluegrass style? Why, it was the Infamous Stringdusters! And I have to admit, I liked what they were doing with “In God’s Country”, but that may be because I really like bluegrass.


    The Infamous Stringdusters playing “In God’s Country”.

    The Infamous Stringdusters are also apparently fans of The Police, too. Here they are covering “Walking On The Moon”.


    I’m not sure I like this more than The Police’s classic take, but it does sort of add a little down home sensuality… and it could be considered an odd cover. Who would have thought a “newgrass” band would cover this?

    Another fan of “Walking On The Moon” is Cas Haley. I first became aware of the Paris, Texas musician in 2007, when he was the runner up on America’s Got Talent. He sang his awesome reggae infused version of “Walking On The Moon” and I immediately downloaded his album.


    I’m not sure the judges were quite ready for this…


    Cas Haley also does a mean version of “Easy”, a song originally made famous by The Commodores.

    Alison Krauss is no stranger to the occasional cover. She and her brother, Viktor Krauss, made a perfectly sensual version of “Big Log”, a song originally made famous by Robert Plant back in 1983.


    I love this version of “Big Log” so much…

    And finally, here’s Tom Jones doing his version of “Ring of Fire”, a song originally made famous by Johnny Cash. I was first alerted to this cover the last time I wrote about covers. The person who introduced me to this said she thought it was “horrible”, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I actually think it qualifies as an oddly awesome cover. I do like it, God help me.


    …but I’m not so sure I like the choreography that much…

    I like to do cover songs myself and I did actually do my own version of “Big Log”. You get extra points if you check it out!


    The video has nothing to do with the photos… and the track is done in the style of Robert Plant, only raised a couple of pitches. I had fun with it.

    Now I’m inspired to find more oddly awesome covers!

  • Bein’ Green…

    Bein’ Green…

    Spring has sprung here in Texas! It’s not that easy “Bein’ Green” when you have allergies!

    Fortunately, where we live in Texas, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of pollen, so my allergies aren’t flaring up too much at the moment. Still, I’m reminded of an old Muppets song about the color green. Why? Because the other day, I was listening to the many stylings of “Bein’ Green” on YouTube. I found some really good renditions of a great song. And it’s green here in Texas… or as green as it can get in a place where there are very few deciduous trees.


    The original “Bein’ Green” from 1969.

    There’s something very moving about the plain, melancholy way Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) sings this sweet song about being sad about being ordinary. Done right, this song becomes extraordinary.


    Big Bird sings “Bein’ Green” at Jim Henson’s memorial service in May 1990.

    I cannot watch this rendition of “Bein’ Green” without crying. When Jim Henson suddenly died of pneumonia in May 1990, I felt like I’d lost an old friend. Big Bird singing this at Jim Henson’s memorial service is just so incredibly moving. I can tell that he’s about to cry.


    The lovely Sophie Milman sings her wistful jazzy version of “Bein’ Green” live…

    I love the way Sophie Milman sings this, explaining why this song means something to her. She’s come a long way from being a picked on kid to a beautiful jazz chanteuse.


    Of course, “Bein’ Green” is not always done in such a sad way.

    CeeLo Green sings with Kermit on The Voice. It’s poignant, but not a tear jerker. I think CeeLo’s church lady outfit helps keep the levity alive.


    The folks on Glee sang “Bein’ Green” too…

    I like Glee, but their songs sound a bit auto-tuned sometimes.


    I think this may be my favorite version of “Bein’ Green”.

    Ray Charles just kills this song. The first time I heard this version of it was on The Cosby Show, when Rudy Huxtable got in trouble for trying to wear a summer dress on a chilly day. I love watching Ray Charles sing this while he plays piano. He turns a sad song into something triumphant and magnificent.


    Shirley Horn’s tribute to Ray Charles…

    Shirley Horn’s jazzy version of “Bein’ Green” is poignant and lovely, with elegant, dramatic piano playing accompanying her rich, velvety voice. Listening to this version makes me wish I had stuck with piano lessons. I’d love to be able to play this the way Shirley Horn does.


    And here’s the version that made me decide to write about this song today…

    Van Morrison gives this song more of an upbeat styling, with funky guitars, swanky saxophone, and his own assertive voice. While this version of “Bein’ Green” is not quite as shattering as some of the other renditions, I still like it. In fact, I liked what Van Morrison did with this song so much that I went looking for the album it came from, which is now out of print. I ordered a used copy of Hard Nose The Highway after listening to several tracks on YouTube and determining I had to have it.

    I have myself also sung this song…


    I need to learn how to play piano… and lose lots of weight so I look good on camera. *Sigh*… It’s not easy bein’ green.

    I hope your green days of spring are just lovely. Remember all the ways green can be beautiful! Especially if you have good allergy meds.

  • Guilty pleasures part 2… The 70s and 80s edition

    Guilty pleasures part 2… The 70s and 80s edition

    Sometimes you just have to write about guilty pleasures…

    Back in June of 2013, I wrote a blog post here on Pop Rock Nation about songs that are guilty pleasures. As I sit here on this April day, contemplating the week and the fact that here it is April again and people are going batshit crazy, I decided I needed to post something lighthearted. And so I’ve decided that today’s post will be about guilty pleasures and the artists who create them. And hell, you can’t get any more lighthearted than Air Supply…


    Okay, so many this isn’t a lighthearted song… It is, though, kind of a guilty pleasure for me.

    I was looking at SingSnap.com this morning for my daily dose of karaoke and “All Out Of Love” was one of the “featured” songs. I don’t like all of Air Supply’s music, but I will admit that a few of their songs were gems. I loved “Lost In Love” when it first came out. Of course, I was six or seven years old at the time… Anyway, having grown up in the 70s and 80s, I became well-versed in the magic of Air Supply. Some of their songs really were okay… sort of. They definitely count as “guilty pleasure” songs for me, though. I think it’s funny that Air Supply songs are featured on SingSnap, since they are basically male duets. I imagine most men worth their salt wouldn’t want to sing these “sensitive” numbers from the 80s!


    I have to admit it… I do enjoy a lot of Barry Manilow’s music. Here’s a nice medley.

    I was reminded of Barry Manilow last week as I was exploring Styx and Tommy Shaw made a comment about how he didn’t want Styx to start sounding like Barry Manilow. Granted, too much of his music may soon traipse into super annoying territory, but there’s a reason why the man was so popular in the 70s and 80s. He can sing and play piano and writes his own songs… though curiously enough, he didn’t write “I Write The Songs”. That song was written by Bruce Johnston in 1975, but Barry made it very popular indeed. Listening to the medley I posted here, I can’t help but notice that Barry has a flair for the melodramatic.


    Randy Newman is a definitely guilty pleasure…

    Randy Newman is not the greatest singer in the world and a lot of his songs have a very recognizable sound that immediately scream early 80s commercial to me. I like him, though, because he’s very witty and I get a kick out of his voice. He makes me laugh. Randy’s song “Short People” was such a hit that the Harlem Globetrotters sang it with Goldie Hawn. Talk about a guilty pleasure!


    Snicker… if this isn’t a guilty pleasure, I don’t know what is…


    Just about everything by Culture Club qualifies as a guilty pleasure as far as I’m concerned.

    I remember how much this song used to irritate me when it was popular. Boy George is a very talented singer, but in the 80s Culture Club’s music was so ridiculously catchy that it would get stuck in my head and torment me for hours. I haven’t heard “Karma Chameleon” in years, though, so I figure it’s safe to include it in this post about guilty pleasures. It’s nice and peppy anyway, right?


    Not really a hit, but definitely a guilty pleasure…

    Jermaine Jackson had a couple of hits in the 80s and for some inexplicable reason, he recorded a ridiculous song called “Escape From The Planet of the Ant Men”. I kind of wonder if he was trying to emulate his brother Michael’s song, “Thriller”. It fails, but in a delightfully guilty pleasure way. I have to admit that when I’m in a certain mood, I really enjoy this song.


    Oh my God…

    Wham! was another one of those bands long on talent and guilty pleasure chops. This song is so 1984 it’s not even funny. I remember how the video spawned the fad that had everyone wearing painter’s caps and t-shirts with big letters on them. Or was that Frankie Goes To Hollywood that did that? Don’t know… but this song is so infectious I need an antibiotic and a painkiller… preferably in the form of an alcoholic beverage. “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go…” That’s a hell of a title for a guilty pleasure song.


    Anything involving Menudo qualifies as guilty pleasure territory…

    Here’s a classic clip from the 80s era sitcom Silver Spoons. Although this episode was about Menudo, everyone my age had the hots for Ricky Schroeder. I know he goes by Rick now, but he’ll always be “The Ricker” to me. Is it me, or are these guys way off key? Egad!


    And finally, there’s “We Are The World” by USA for Africa

    This song is pure melodrama, but I can’t help but love it for the video alone. Look at all those celebrities! LaToya Jackson is in the choir, for Chrissakes! Yes, I loved it in 1985 and I love it now. It is a guilty pleasure, though. I get a huge kick out of Stevie Wonder’s jaunty solo interspersed with Bruce Springsteen’s constipated screaming at the end. It’s pure 80s magic! And sorry, the remake just doesn’t cut it.


    Justin Bieber is no Lionel Richie.

    This version sounds suspiciously auto-tuned. Okay, I admit it… it’s making me verklempt. I still like the original better, though.

    Have a great weekend everyone!