Posted by Avanhizzle in Hand Me Down tuesdaY | 0 Comments
Hand me down tuesdaY: What was once rough….
I simply love it when an artist takes a song that was born with a jagged edge, a sonic sharpness, or a ton of attitude and reworks it into a beautiful new landscape. The lyrics become clearer and the new version will often put a whole new spin on the original inscription. I suppose that is the overall reason why cover songs exist. Homage and a hardy nod are paid to the artist by staying lyrically faithful, its just that the sound is manipulated. Oftentimes sweeter, sometimes dirtier, but albeit, different altogether.
Today I will give you two songs recorded by Modest Mouse and then let you compare them to reworked versions by Mark Kozelek of Sun Kil Moon for his album full of Modest Mouse covers, Tiny Cities. I will tell you that I absolutely love both versions of “Neverending Math Equation.” MM’s Building Nothing out of Something was my introduction to the band and this track that hits lead off on that record is a big reason as to why I continued to buy their music. While it is extremely possible to speedily belt out the words to the original, notice how Kozelek’s slowed down rendering brings the lyrics to life. His great voice is a wonderful addition as well. Both songs have an incredible amount of replayability.
The second song, “Trucker’s Atlas,” is a bit of a horse of a different color. I met Sun Kil Moon’s first and have remained completely faithful to it ever since. I remember going back through my Modest Mouse files after realizing it was a cover and I was quite surprised. True to the tale of the ugly duckling growing up to be a beautiful swan, the original version, in comparison, is a tad ugly. I can’t dislike it because it contains all of the qualities of a great MM song(multiple guitars that lead your ears through a maze of sound, incredible amounts of rising and falling action, and Isaac Brock signature scream) However, it’s busy, too spread out (10:57), and tries to create a feeling that never appears. That ghost appears in Sun Kil Moon’s. Kozelek voice and new arrangement add another dimension. A thick layer of fog that is a joy to traverse your way through. In his hands it becomes a contemplative and thought provoking. Lyrically and musically it seems a better match. Put it on and go kick your way through some piles of leaves.
MP3: Modest Mouse- Neverending Math Equation
MP3: Sun Kil Moon- Neverending Math Equation
MP3: Modest Mouse- Trucker’s Atlas
MP3: Sun Kil Moon- Trucker’s Atlas
Buy: Modest Mouse-Building Nothing out of Something/Lonesome Crowded West
Buy: Sun Kil Moon- Tiny Cities Cd/ rare LP
