Which Version Do You Prefer?

[Lori]

Anberlin- featuring Damon Salvatore.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



!!

Nic - you naughty vixen...

!!






(I used to run to the 2nd version, so it rings nostalgic for me. I was running to expel the pent
up energy so I would not quiver noticeably in public.)

Spoiler:

Oops. I'm back. I may still have a problem...

[Lori]

Nic - waiting until you return to save me from myself.

[Dee]

I'm not in love... flying it in here from Lori's Desert Island.

Let's see how this brilliant song fares in other people's hands stripped off the synth wrapping?

The original:



The Pretenders:



Tori Amos:



An acoustic cover by Janet Devlin:



Such adorable accent. I love the accompaniment. (Ukulele?)

Verdict, ladies?

[NurseRatched]

Gosh, Janet has my tie vote with the original! She has such a sweet voice & accent, I fell in love (even though she's not in love ) And I try to like Tori Amos, I just don't enjoy anything she does-am I kicked out of the Harbour? The Pretenders version is too much---overproduced? Is that what I'm trying to say? I prefer the airy, stripped down versions...

[Dee]

Oh, the tiny voice again! Lol. It makes me laugh.

I'm no big fan of Mz Amos but I don't really know her work well. She's quite a little oddball. I don't like this cover, even though I am quite intrigued with the percussion and electronica she's using to accompany her singing, but it's all rather sinister, and doesn't fit the song, imo. And the singing is just plain weird, like she's trying way too hard to sound peculiar. However, I can't help being taken by this:



I mean, she has something about her that is engaging, and the chorus of this song is just gorgeous, and you can see how much it is taking out of her to sing it.

I see what you mean about the Pretenders cover being overproduced. It's way too upbeat as well. I don't mind it, I just don't think it's quite working with the lyrics. I am going to second your tie for the original and Janet's cover, Mz NR.

[Lori]

Oh, sweet little Janet's is a lovely cover. I approve because she honors the melody so closely. I'm glad you bonded to the song, Agi. I have to go with the original for many reasons. Partly, because it is part of the fabric of my past....one of my husband's favorite songs from the past, and its unique feel. (P.S. I so agree about the overused synth - a sign of the times.) Me votes for the original.

Tory Amos is an acquired taste. I also have trouble bonding. She is the favorite of one of my sisters. I do like a couple of her songs, however. I don't like the feel of the Pretender's version, though I like me some Chrissie Hynde. I don't know quite why I like her brash personality. In interviews she is over the top 'too cool for school' to the point you want to say get over yourself, but still - she is a tough and talented cookie. I knew her boyfriend back in the day...she is a bit of a mess - but I still dig her. Do we still dig people? Is that archaic? Or is the word archaic archaic...

Fun to listen to these renditions. I vaguely remember the Pretenders covering this song.

[Lori]

Here's another one I like, but still lacking that sense of mystery:

Diana Krall (love her)



This is one of my favorite songs of hers:

[Dee]

There are quite a few different ways to measure how good a song is. One is, when it comes up on the radio, how quickly do you reach for the volume button to crank it up? How happy does it make you to sing along? How many layers of emotion it manages to trigger?

The TenCC original delivers top scores on all these fronts. It's one I had bonded with as a youngster as well, and nostalgia is certainly one powerful player in how we relate to music. It makes you easily forgive overused synth and corny lines like "big boys don't cry".

But another way to measure how good a song is:
Strip it down to its basics. Melody, lyrics, chords... a simple accompaniment. Does the song still stand up strong? And again, "I'm not in love" stands proud. Janet's rendition is proof. Diana Krall's starts off like another attempt to do the same, just the piano and her, and I couldn't help wishing she had kept it that way. I didn't need the orchestration to sip in.

The other song though, that's a little fireplacey jazz treasure! Love it. Taking it right over nexdoors for winter nights.

Regardining Chrissie Hynde, I've just caught the back end of a recent documentary with her, and she came across fun and down to earth, .... and a real hermit! See if I can find it, I always meant to go back to it and watch the whole thing.

[NurseRatched]

Thanks for posting "Winter"-I listened to it with a wide-open mind. Her delivery is just too precise and affected for me-can Janet sing it instead? I really love the song and the words. Guess it's not meant to be with Tori and me

Chrissie Hynde is a badass. I "dig" her too, Lori! I appreciate that she's not into the dog and pony show for interviews. She does seem like the real deal; a devout vegetarian & probably a truly loyal friend.

I seem to be swallowed by work & need to save all this music appearing in the Harbour for the holiday!

[Dee]

Yes, I know what you mean, something feels a bit off, a bit contrived about Tori, I sense that too. I can't put my finger on it. I like it and don't like it at the same time for various reasons I can't even explain. It is a strange ambivalent feeling she conjures up in me. I can perfectly see how she can be "Marmite" for a lot of people. (Marmite is an English yeast based spread, and the expression means you either love it or hate it...)

Sorry about work overload, NR. It's about to get a little crazy for me too now, with all the Christmas concerts coming up.

But it seems I cannot have enough music in my life. I playing music in the car, in the bathroom, by the ironing board, whilst cooking and cleaning... basically I'm carrying around my sweet little speaker and iPad wherever I go in the house.

[Dee]

Which one? I've heard Mz Obel's cover first...but...this is pretty awesome in its simplicity:

Original:




Agnes Obel cover:

[Dee]

Mz DF has posted Bang Bang in her Desert Island Discs, also sweet little Angelina singing it...so it's been on my mind past few days.

Here is the original sung by Cher (written by Sonny Bono)



Then years later she revamped the song in a "what-the -hell-was-she-thinking" outfit and stage performance:



Crikey.

And then there was the chilling Nancy Sinatra's cover:




Quite an unsettling feeling to listen to Angelina singing it, it's such an adult song, yet she does it so brilliantly:



And then there was Lady Gaga giving it a really good college try. I really like this, though she has messed with the words, naughty, naughty :



There are endless covers, even in very recent dance music. But for me, the essence of this song will always be

Spoiler:

Nancy's interpretation.

How about you girls?

And that's not all about this song. I'm actually gonna open a new topic thread...