The talented bunch of Canadians that are Arcade Fire had already succeeded in tantalizing my ear drums with the sorrowful album 'The Suburbs'.'The Reflektor' had already been 'leaked' (that word again!) online
but on Monday when rumours filtered through to me that Banquet Records, my local record store, were reopening their store at 9pm to release 'The Reflektor' I headed straight over. Half hour later I had my hands on hell of a gem of a 12"!
As in true Arcade Fire style, 'The Reflektor' can only be described as a shiny disco apocalypse'with a light sprinkling of the French language. Regine Chassagne has long been a favourite vocalist of mine and here she provides the single with a light edge by effortlessly singing high notes that contrasts beautifully with the darkness of the song. Although at 7 minutes 42 seconds long this song is not for the impatient.
Oh and did I mention that David Bowie lends his voice and stars in the video?
Very much looking forward to what Arcade Fire has to offer in the future!
I'm not always one that 'approves' as such of those who rip off other artists' materials and there is nothing more infuriating than when it does happen, but at the risk of upsetting many dedicated music fans, there are quite a few covers of classic song that (dare I say it) are better than the original. Maybe this is because sometimes it is easier to identify ways in which to improve a song from an outside perspective, or it's just been adapted to suit the tastes of a certain genre, deeming it more likeable to an individual's ears.
Below I have picked out a few of my favourite examples of where an artist has covered a classic, and in my opinion, have done a much better job of it.
Oasis: I am The Walrus by The Beatles
It is no secret that the Gallagher brothers admired The Beatles far more than they admire one another and this cover of the drug-fuelled 'I am The Walrus' is a fitting tribute to the four mopheads. Oasis released their live version of 'I am The Walrus' as a B side to their better known single 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' in 1994. Although I have always loved the original, there have been times when the imagery of 'yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye' combined with the monotony of Lennon's voice has made me feel as though the Liverpudlian lads were pumping funky-brownies through my speakers. For me it is the slow, steady guitar rhythm that makes me feel uncomfortably freaked.
However, Oasis did a fantastic job of adapting the track for us less hippy inclined rock 'n' rollers by including guitar solos alongside a heavier drum rhythm. This combined with Gallagher's vocals makes it ideal for those who would choose moshing over chasing dragons.
Nirvana: The Man Who Sold The World by David Bowie
Another iconic cover that was released in 1994 is courtesy of Nirvana covering Bowie's 'The Man Who Sold The World' which featured on their MTV Unplugged in New York album. The melancholic riffs and reflective, sombre lyrics is everything that Kurt Cobain was. Watching the performance we can almost believe that Cobain was The Man Who Sold the World'. Was Bowie bitter the cover was so successful that many thought that it was a Nirvana track? Not at all! 'It was a good straightforward rendition and sounded somehow very honest' he mused (although he did reportedly get a little peeved when fans told him that they liked that he had performed a Nirvana cover). Echo and the Bunnymen: People Are Strange by The Doors
The Doors originally released the lonely ballad of 'People Are Strange' in 1967 which managed to reach the top ten charts. Although the jaunty chord progression deems it worthy of being a blues anthem for all the lone wolves out there, it doesn't half tug on the heart strings. There is very little that differs in the cover by Echo and the Bunnymen, which was released as the soundtrack for the 1987 cult classic film 'Lostboys', except for a bigger emphasis on the guitar riffs which strips away the 'wild west' imagery which the Doors created in the original.
This time of year, all music fans seem to be sitting on the edge of their seats eagerly awaiting album releases from their favourite music artists and oh, do we like being teased with juicy snippets of news! Today I have come across two new demos from none other then Carl Barat and Noel Gallagher.
For those of you who are not a 'fan' of Carl Barat on Facebook then you may not have come across his teasing demo of 'War of the Roses' which would feature on his album in autumn. When I first came across the song and saw the title, my expectation was that it would be reminiscent of the slow, romantic tracks on his previous album such as 'Shadows fall' or 'So Long My Lover' however I was pleasantly surprised with the direction that Barat has taken his new material. War of The Roses punches the speakers with a kick-ass attitude in the bass line which he complements within his lyrics where he seems to have more confidence in singing then his previous solo work. The song takes us to his urban north London roots with its blare-out vocals towards the end and the catchy rhythm. All in all, although War of The Roses is much more daring then his previous solo songs, it will not disappoint Barat's fans as it has many of his characteristics with a healthy dosage of elements from The Libertines. However as I mentioned before, this demo is just meant to be a teaser and a bedroom recording which Barat 'let slip'.
Ok, so I may have grabbed your attention with the news of Noel Gallagher's demo of 'She Must Be One Of Us' but it seems I may have been a little too slow in checking out the video as I was met with a rather defiant declaration of 'This video contains content from EMI who has blocked it on copyright grounds'. At least we have a title and a very strong suggestion that there may be an album release in 2013 from the eldest Gallagher.
