Tom Thumb and the Latter Day Saints - "Atlantic City"
Bruce Springsteen sings "Atlantic City" breathlessly, like he's in the midst of something desperate. Tom Thumb breathes the song, like it's a distant, secret memory. The quick strum of Springsteen's acoustic guitar is replaced by sparse piano chords, tremolo guitar and malleted toms. Whereas the original chorus was marked by anguished reverb-drenched vocals, Tom Thumb opts for crescendoing high-hat and cymbal swells instead.
Tom Thumb and his new band add a cinematic grandeur to the tragedy of "Atlantic City." I dare him to cover Louis Malle's great film, Atlantic City. Or to cover Atlantic City itself (in a giant piece of red fabric (Christo styles)). [Buy]
***
George Jackson - "Aretha, Sing One For Me"
A meta-love song, "Aretha, Sing One For Me," is a love song about the powerful healing properties/manipulative potential of the love song. Jackson simultaneously professes his love for his ex-girlfriend, music in general, and the great Aretha Franklin in particular. Of the last he sings, "Your records have touched many lovers in many towns." Poetry. [Buy]
Posted by Jordan at May 10, 2005 3:33 AMThe Tom Thumb cover is surprisingly fantastic. I always emit a groan when I hear someone's about to play "Atlantic City" (aside from an acoustic Springsteen, that is,) but I like the way that this ramps up and down, the sudden flourishes of drums, the undecorated longing in the vocals.
I dare him to cover Louis Malle's great film, Atlantic City. Or to cover Atlantic City itself
Yes!
Posted by: Sean at May 10, 2005 3:52 AMEep! The George Jackson is heavily sampled on Ghostface's _Supreme Clientele_'s adolescent love song. It is very strange to hear something like this that you know very well but not where it comes from.
Posted by: Hillary at May 10, 2005 1:53 PMI anticipate your groan, Sean, and raise you a "How dare he!" We debated the propriety of attempting a good cover of a great song, as opposed to a great cover of a bad song. I've been known to cringe upon hearing that someone has covered a song I love. I hope there aren't too many cringes, groans and cries of indignation when people hear this one.
Sean- Thanks for giving it a chance.
Jordan- Thanks so much for putting it up. And don't tempt me with the Christo challenge; my ambition is boundless.
Posted by: tom thumb at May 10, 2005 5:23 PMI think the most important thing when covering a song, a good one or a bad one, is to bring something new to it. It's about interpretation, mutation and elaboration... Yo! And if you're covering a great song, putting a whole different spin on it gives the cover its own merit comletely seperate from the original.
I also think that the better a song is, the more potential for excellent covers it's likely to have. Like Shakespeare, ya know? That's what you've got going with this Spingsteen cover, Tom.
Posted by: Aurora at May 10, 2005 11:43 PMOh, damn. Completely. Springsteen (Why do I only aquire an eye for typos after the post button has been pressed?).
Posted by: Aurora at May 10, 2005 11:48 PMThat Tom Thumb song cover all kinds of ass.
Posted by: Tuwa at May 16, 2005 12:44 PMUm, right. Deleted "kicks" instead of "song." ^"cover kicks all kinds" etc.
Posted by: Tuwa at May 16, 2005 12:45 PM