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Pop Rock Nation

Category: Videos

  • 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and I decided I had to check it out… and that’s when I discovered their very unusual version of “Super Freak”, a song originally made famous by the late funk star, Rick James.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    Cas Haley also does a mean version of “Easy”, a song originally made famous by The Commodores.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.

  • Still on a Styx kick…

    Still on a Styx kick…

    Days after I discovered Tommy Shaw’s bluegrass effort, I am still on a Styx kick!

    Sometimes, I think I must have been born in the wrong decade. I really love music that was popular in the 70s and 80s. My husband, Bill, was born in 1964, which is eight years before I made my debut on planet Earth. The music that was popular when he was in high school was popular when I was elementary school. I am really hooked on it, though. Maybe it’s because I have older sisters who indoctrinated me with their musical tastes early on. All I know is that I have a tendency to get obsessed with certain types of music sometimes and that seems to be what has happened with me and Styx over the past week or so. Hopefully by Friday, I will have moved on to something else.

    Last night, I was recovering from lawn mowing and drinking beer when I suddenly decided to download and listen to three Styx albums. Why? Because I remember at some time during the late 1970s, one of my sister’s friends came over to our house with what was then a brand new Styx album. At the time, I was seven years old and Styx was all the rage. She put the album on my dad’s then state of the art HiFi Panasonic stereo system and our living room was filled with the sounds of Styx playing what seemed like an odd song at the time.


    Styx plays “Borrowed Time” live at the Capital Centre in Largo, Maryland in 1981.

    I kept remember the part where they jam on the guitars and say “Yes”… “No”… Weird song. I like how Dennis DeYoung was rocking the porn ‘stache that was so popular in the early 80s. Seems like everybody had one. I also like how Dennis pranced about the stage.

    As I was listening to this last night, it occurred to me that Styx reminds me a lot of Queen in many ways. The music is very theatrical and kind of “epic”, lots of harmonies and elaborate arrangements. I think I like Freddie Mercury’s voice better and, in general, I like Queen’s music more. But I have to admit, Styx really reminds me of Queen in more ways than one…


    I’ve never seen anyone in Styx wear shorts like these…

    Based on the above clip, I think Freddie was a better dancer than Dennis DeYoung is too. Uh oh… watching this clip is making me want to download albums by Queen.


    “Renegade” is a pretty rockin’ Styx song, though. Great for a morning wake up call. And I have a horrible crush on Tommy Shaw. Need to get my middle aged hormones under control.

    Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to be on a Styx kick. I didn’t like some of their later stuff. With the exception of “Babe”, the softer songs like “First Time” and “Don’t Let It End” left me kind of cold. Actually, “First Time” kind of gives me the willies. Dennis DeYoung and that porn ‘stache singing all sensitively about the “first time” doesn’t quite take me back to my “first time”…


    I’m sure a lot of people lost their virginity to this song.

    I think I’d rather listen to Freddie Mercury sing this…


    This is such a beautiful song… I think Freddie is feeling every word.

    Hmm… I think maybe my Styx kick might be over now. I really need to explore Queen more.