The masters of the crazy rhythms crank up the tempo on this stellar cover of the Stones classic. Recorded in 1990 and included on the A&M reissue of their 1980 album “Crazy Rhythms,” though you’d never know it based on the energy they bring to it.
From the Velvet’s 3rd, self-titled album. Love the guitar and organ work on this song.
A smokin’ late 1970s blues-punk cover of the Rolling Stones’s flower-power anthem “We Love You.” Very reminiscent of Australia’s The Saints, Cock Sparrer were a terrific band that just seemed to never catch a break. Rumor has it that Malcolm McLaren was apparently interested in the band, but the band dismissed him because he wouldn’t buy them a round. They signed to Decca Records during that storied label’s final days and only managed to see their records released in Spain. They hung in there, recorded some good albums, but never quite achieved the commercial success they deserved. Highly recommended is the “Rarities” album which compiles all of the recordings they made for Decca. A truly underrated album for the ages.
OK, this is a lovely (sounding) song from the Stones’ terrific 1967 folk-influenced album “Between the Buttons.” I love the album and it’s highly regarded by many, but it’s an album which Mick Jagger allegedly dismisses these days as “rubbish,” except oddly (or tellingly) for this song. “Girl” sounds pretty, but arguably makes “Stupid Girl” and “Under My Thumb” sound like outtakes from Lilith Fair. Of course, Jagger and the gang could be doing an ironic Randy Newman-esque take on a sleazy, phliandering rich guy, which I would buy … except for the fact that I’m sure that the attitude of the song’s narrator is not far from the way they probably felt about women back in the day. A great song with contradictory and often troubling messages? Hmm … sounds like the Stones to me in a nutshell.
Another killer track from the “War Child” benefit album, “Heroes.” This time it’s Peaches doing a Neu!-style cover of Iggy and the Stooges’ classic punk song from hell “Search and Destroy.” Extra kudos to Peaches for doing a VERY non-standard, but stupendous version of this raver.
A cover of David Bowie’s best song, performed by a band Bowie handpicked to record the song for the War Child benefit album “Heroes” from 2009. War Child is a non-governmental organization founded in the UK 1993, which focuses on providing assistance to children in areas of conflict and post-conflict. So, if you’re looking to do something good and want some really killer music at the same time, purchasing the “Heroes” album provides a nice way to do this.
A rare (and very baroque) ballad by Mott the Hoople, from 1971. According to legend, lead singer Ian Hunter wrote it while he going through an early divorce, as Waterlow Park in North London was where he used to take his children. You can tell that R.E.M. likely took notes when composing “Drive.”
One of the three lovely, almost-forgotten country songs recorded for the Talking Heads’ underrated “True Stories” album in 1986. As snarky as the “True Stories” movie seemed, the music was anything but, including this gem.
Can you sense a theme here today? Sorry, but I’m just really digging late 1970s English variety power pop this lovely afternoon. Rockpile was a “supergroup” for the power pop era if there ever was one: Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams. And their album managed to squeeze into the US Top 40 back in the day as well. Too bad Rockpile didn’t record a follow-up, though according to Wikipedia, Lowe’s “Labour of Lust” and Edmunds “Repeat When Neccessary” and “Tracks on Wax 4” were technically Rockpile albums.
Written by Elvis Costello, but covered way better by Dave Edmunds in 1979. Those vocals, those harmonies, and that wonderfully sloppy late 1970s production style endemic of Costello and Nick Lowe from the period. A song that proves that even acoustic guitars can rock just as hard as electric ones.
Dave's Strange World 