Cover 71: Aleister Einstein cover "Creep" by Radiohead

 I did not have high hopes for this one, as most of the other covers on the tribute album Anyone Can Play Radiohead:  A Tribute To Radiohead are not very good.  Some of these covers are just not very capable cover attempts, while others sound like the artist is trying to put out a sort-of remix sounding cover.  In the end, almost none of the covers on this tribute album works (I'm sure I'll get to some of the others eventually).  For me the highlight is the Aleister Einstein cover of the one Radiohead song most people know, aka the "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" of Radiohead's cover.

   This cover fits in the sort-of remix sounding cover style I mentioned above, and it works decently.  The first part of the cover spreads out the famous guitar noodle in and out of the landscape on top of the kind of electronic beat that was somewhat common in the 1990s but you rarely hear these days.  The famous distorted guitar parts around the chorus are still here, but cleaned up and sanitized.  Then, for reasons unknown, there is a bit of French dialogue in the latter third of the song.

   A great cover?  No.  But points for making a decent effort, especially considering how incredibly lame the rest of this soggy tribute album is.

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Cover #70: Caroline Polacheck covers "Breathless" by The Corrs

 All the cool kids are going ape shit over Caroline Polacheck these days, and while I got the memo, I don't really understand the hype.  She's a good singer and I appreciate that she avoids the diva screams and squeals, but I'm trying to figure out what is new or fresh here.  Case in point, her cover of this corny song by The Corrs isn't a whole lot different than the original.  This version shucks the 80s keyboard ornamentation, but Ms. Polacheck's vocals have that annoying studio treated quaver so while the original is a little cheesier, this cover is actually more annoying.  A pox on both versions.

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Cover #69: Exit Eden cover "Separate Ways" by Journey

   Oh my, I honestly don't know if this symphonic hard rock version out of Germany in an improvement or not.  I suppose it probably is, but I can't stop thinking of that ridiculous music video that accompanied the original.  Sorry, I know I'm supposed to focus on covers here, but...  

✅✅

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhk5qS0VnCs

 

 

Cover #68: The Gories cover "Castin' My Spell" by Johnny Otis

   I couldn't think of a better band than The Gories (except maybe The Dirtbombs) to cover this lesser known track by Johnny Otis (technically, The Johnny Otis Show with guest vocals by Marci Lee), originally done in 1959.  Normally I don't get too excited about covers that stick really close to the original (why bother then?), but I like this one.  It doesn't even sound updated, just a great garage band from Detroit doing a respectful, if not original, cover of a forgotten single.

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Cover #67: Car Seat Headrest covers "Scatterbrain" by Radiohead

   As much as I love Radiohead's Kid A and Amnesiac, I find myself reaching for Hail To The Thief more often.  In some ways, it pairs well with OK Computer, with a wide palette of sounds, moods, and subject matters.  Though "Scatterbrain" is not the last song on the album, it feels like the closer and even shares some sonic similarities with "The Tourist" on OK Computer.

   Why does any of this matter?  Well, to cover Radiohead well, you really have to understand that mood permeates everything-  it soaks through the lyrics and music like a tres leche dish, which can be a tiger pit for anyone who just wants to casually do a Radiohead cover.  Car Seat Headrest nails this cover, with the plaintive vocals hovering over a gentle keyboard that replaces the 3-note guitar articulation of the original.  CSH leaves out the drums and bass, which is a bold move but it works.  Radiohead can never be equaled, but in special circumstances they can be covered well.

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Cover #66: Arto Lindsay & Marc Ribot cover "Children Of The Revolution" by T. Rex

    You never know what you are going to get with the supremely talented and wildly imaginative guitarist Marc Ribot.  His output across his own releases and guest roles and collaborations is enormous, and the results show that he is capable of the most beautiful and sublime guitar work as well as experimental shrieks and sounds that will challenge your notion of open-minded listening.

   Here, though, Ribot sticks very close to the script which honestly is pretty cool- sometime it's nice to hear how such a wild and crazy guitarist approaches "expected" rock and roll.  The rhythm riffs are much crunchier and distinct than those of the original, and the guitar solo will satisfy any classic rocker or metalhead.  This version rocks out more than the original, and I love it.

 

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Cover #65: Spider God cover "I Want It That Way" by The Backstreet Boys

    Hoh, boy.  Today we have Spider God, a self-described (accurately, I will add) "hyper-melodic English black metal" band covering the Backstreet Boys super mega hit.  I just read about the all-covers album that this comes from (Black Renditions, if you are interested), and honestly I can't take this seriously.  I don't want to hear the original, not ever again, but somehow this cartoonish version is worse.  The chorus parts are okay, but the verse parts are painful to listen to.  Stupidly fast BPM with the scream-growled vocals make it hard to know what's even being covered.  Beyond the novelty, this is not good.

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