BTW, there’s a great website named The Covers Project that attempts to track every instance of one artist covering a song by another.
The Covers Project is great, though far from complete (I need to mail them a few additions). The Bobs covering anything is good, IMO. Willie Nelson did a great cover Hallelujah on his newest album (with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals providing backup on the whole thing) as well as a good rendition of Cake’s “Sad Songs and Waltzes”.
That’s funny — it was exactly that cover that made me list “Hallelujah” and, in fact, gave me this idea for a 5ives list. I heard it on Coverville and really loved it.
Speaking of TMBG and covers, have you heard this? http://www.acme.com/jef/singing_science/
it’s where the original “The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas” comes from… good stuff. Wish I’d heard it as a kid. “Zoom a Little Zoom” is my favorite, I think.
also, what are your feelings about Scarlett Johanssen’s upcoming album of all Tom Waits covers? (not a joke)
Speaking of TMBG and covers, have you heard this?
Years ago, on some radio show. Probably WTJU. That’s awesome. :)
what are your feelings about Scarlett Johanssen’s upcoming album of all Tom Waits covers?
I just read about that yesterday! On the one hand, I love to see somebody covering Waits — I’m yet to hear a Waits cover that I didn’t like. On the other hand…Scarlett Johanssen? Let’s chalk me up as “irrationally optimistic” — it’s Waits, so how badly could she screw it up?
Do you think it’ll suck?
Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah” is still my favorite since I first heard the song in the last episode of The West Wing’s 3rd season.
Oh man, Hallelujah is right up on top of my list of favorite songs. SPOILER ALERT: I first heard it at the end of “Smoke” and it blew me away.
Still love Leonard Cohen’s version best.
From Diane:
Oh man, Hallelujah is right up on top of my list of favorite songs. SPOILER ALERT: I first heard it at the end of “Smoke” and it blew me away.
Still love Leonard Cohen’s version best.
:::clapping hands:::: Which Cohen version? I’m a fan of his 1994 “Various Positions” version, though I think my mom prefers the version on his “More Best of…” live album.
Blogging about Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen! Waldo, are you trying to draw me out of my cave of blogging inactivity? (You obviously know the right bait.)
“also, what are your feelings about Scarlett Johanssen’s upcoming album of all Tom Waits covers? (not a joke)”
James, for real?
Yeah, it’s not a joke. Try googling both their names.
I mean, she does have a decent singing voice. She could probably do well on several Waits ballads. If we’re really lucky I think she might be capable a killer version of a song like “Blue Valentines” or “Little Trip to Heaven” or even “Picture in a Frame.” On the other hand, if she tries anything from “Nighthawks at the Diner” or “Blood Money,” that should put and end to her singing career pretty quickly.
So, I’m curious to hear it.
Well, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” might work out pretty good actually. But yeah, stuff like “Top of the Hill” should be avoided.
John Cale does ‘Hallelujah’ the best, IMHO.
James,
Actually, I was just thinking the other day that ‘All the World is Green’ could easily become a standard. ‘The Part You Throw Away’ or ‘Coneny Island Baby’ could also both be covered to good effect. ‘Blood Money’ is easily among Tom Waits’ strongest albums ever.
I just looked up “Hallelujah” on the Leonard Cohen Files site, and it’s been covered (on recordings) 79 times. I think it’s in a category by itself.
The uber-fan site (the Cohen version of nancies.org) lists only 4 Cohen recordings of it. I thought there were 5 — I don’t know why I was so sure there was one release prior to “Various Positions.”
“Particle Man”? Has anyone covered that? No one else could do it right.
Oh, yeah. Perhaps most famously, The Bobs cover it. And here’s a website that tracks (among other things) people covering TMBG.
BTW, there’s a great website named The Covers Project that attempts to track every instance of one artist covering a song by another.
The Covers Project is great, though far from complete (I need to mail them a few additions). The Bobs covering anything is good, IMO. Willie Nelson did a great cover Hallelujah on his newest album (with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals providing backup on the whole thing) as well as a good rendition of Cake’s “Sad Songs and Waltzes”.
That’s funny — it was exactly that cover that made me list “Hallelujah” and, in fact, gave me this idea for a 5ives list. I heard it on Coverville and really loved it.
Speaking of TMBG and covers, have you heard this?
http://www.acme.com/jef/singing_science/
it’s where the original “The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas” comes from… good stuff. Wish I’d heard it as a kid. “Zoom a Little Zoom” is my favorite, I think.
also, what are your feelings about Scarlett Johanssen’s upcoming album of all Tom Waits covers? (not a joke)
Years ago, on some radio show. Probably WTJU. That’s awesome. :)
I just read about that yesterday! On the one hand, I love to see somebody covering Waits — I’m yet to hear a Waits cover that I didn’t like. On the other hand…Scarlett Johanssen? Let’s chalk me up as “irrationally optimistic” — it’s Waits, so how badly could she screw it up?
Do you think it’ll suck?
Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah” is still my favorite since I first heard the song in the last episode of The West Wing’s 3rd season.
Oh man, Hallelujah is right up on top of my list of favorite songs. SPOILER ALERT: I first heard it at the end of “Smoke” and it blew me away.
Still love Leonard Cohen’s version best.
From Diane:
:::clapping hands:::: Which Cohen version? I’m a fan of his 1994 “Various Positions” version, though I think my mom prefers the version on his “More Best of…” live album.
Blogging about Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen! Waldo, are you trying to draw me out of my cave of blogging inactivity? (You obviously know the right bait.)
“also, what are your feelings about Scarlett Johanssen’s upcoming album of all Tom Waits covers? (not a joke)”
James, for real?
Yeah, it’s not a joke. Try googling both their names.
I mean, she does have a decent singing voice. She could probably do well on several Waits ballads. If we’re really lucky I think she might be capable a killer version of a song like “Blue Valentines” or “Little Trip to Heaven” or even “Picture in a Frame.” On the other hand, if she tries anything from “Nighthawks at the Diner” or “Blood Money,” that should put and end to her singing career pretty quickly.
So, I’m curious to hear it.
Well, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” might work out pretty good actually. But yeah, stuff like “Top of the Hill” should be avoided.
John Cale does ‘Hallelujah’ the best, IMHO.
James,
Actually, I was just thinking the other day that ‘All the World is Green’ could easily become a standard. ‘The Part You Throw Away’ or ‘Coneny Island Baby’ could also both be covered to good effect. ‘Blood Money’ is easily among Tom Waits’ strongest albums ever.
I just looked up “Hallelujah” on the Leonard Cohen Files site, and it’s been covered (on recordings) 79 times. I think it’s in a category by itself.
The uber-fan site (the Cohen version of nancies.org) lists only 4 Cohen recordings of it. I thought there were 5 — I don’t know why I was so sure there was one release prior to “Various Positions.”
6. Louie, Louie