Cover Lay Down

Occasionally I stumble on another MP3 blog which is so astoundingly good that I want to tell everyone about it. Can you see where I'm heading here?

Last night I happened to find the truly excellent Cover Lay Down blog. This US-based site showcases, "Folk covers of familiar songs" and "Reimagined versions of folk song". Now, this is so far up my street it's virtually living in my back bedroom. I have an unhealthy level of interest in cover versions and as regular readers will know, I'm an unashamed folky to boot. Have a look at Cover Lay Down - it's a fantastic site with some great tracks to listen to.

Inspired as I am by that swanky blog, I thought a nice way to accompany this hefty plug would be to post a couple of cover versions myself (that's not cheating, is it?).

First up is Christy Moore covering Woody Guthrie's The Ludlow Massacre. This emotive song tells the story of the 1914 Ludlow Coal Massacre, at which the Colorado National Guard attacked a colony of striking miners and their families, killing 25 people - including 12 children. A cheery story it may not be, but it's a startling song and needs to be heard. Also worth looking up is Ramblin' Jack Elliott's version (and Guthrie's original, of course). Christy's version comes from his first solo album, 1972's "Prosperous".

Download: Christy Moore - The Ludlow Massacre

Whilst trawling through the Cover Lay Down archives yesterday, I came across Patti Smith and her sublime version of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit. That reminded me of another excellent version of the same song.

In 1992, Tori Amos released the 5-track EP, "Crucify". Three of the five tracks are cover versions (Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones are the other two). As a whole, it's a fine record, but the standout track is easily Smells Like Teen Spirit, wherein Kurt Cobain's grunge megalith is transformed into a stark piano/voice ballad. It might not be genius, but it's not far off...

Download: Tori Amos - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Finally for today, here's a slice of classic psychedelia from 1968. This is Deep Purple, from their very first album "Shades Of Deep Purple". Those unfamiliar with the Purple's first two albums may be surprised at the sound - it would be a while before they evolved into the rock behemoths behind Smoke On The Water and Black Night. Anyway, here they are doing a song by some band called The Beatles.

Download: Deep Purple - Help!

That's all for now, folks. Catch you again soon.

Artist web links:

Christy Moore
Tori Amos
Deep Purple

Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow

Some 80-odd years ago, A.P. Carter (or to give him his rather flamboyant - though rarely used - full name, Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter) penned "Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow". It is doubtful that he would have had even the slightest inkling that this song (and many of his other compositions) would become a folk standard. Yet, here we are today and it remains an extremely famous folk song, recorded by just about every man and his dog. Actually, in all fairness, I am not sure whether or not any dogs have ever recorded the song, but certainly quite a few human beings have. I may have made up the bit about the dog.

Anyway, I'm rambling, and I'm not dressed for it, so here we go. Here is the original version of the track, recorded by The Carter Family back in 1920-something.

Download: The Carter Family - Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow

In 2003, Natalie Merchant released "The House Carpenter's Daughter", an astonishing collection of folk songs (traditional and contemporary) delivered beautifully, with that voice allowed to shine. It's a magnificent album, with some moments of genuine brilliance and not a single second of filler. It's THAT good.

A polished version of "Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow" is one of the album's (many) highlights. Radically different to the Carter Family sound, it introduces some wonderful bluegrass fiddle into the mix and the result is a rollicking good listen.

Download: Natalie Merchant - Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow

Enjoy!

Sonic Dick Verucas!

Hello again, and here we are with the first batch of MP3s for the New Year. Yeah, it's 2008! Since the last post I've been music shopping again, and the latest Amazon delivery (when it gets here) will have some spiffing CDs by Sonic Youth (who I've long had a love affair with), Whipping Boy and most excitingly, a trip back in time with baggy demigods Flowered Up (the "Best Of", which has been on my Wants List for some time now).

All things considered (well, maybe not all things, but certainly the last paragraph for starters...) your first track for today would be the mighty Sonic Youth (pictured). Lifted from their "Dirty" album (their second for Geffen), this was a minor hit, and as such I really should've come up with something a little more inventive. But hey, this is a bit of a classic, so why not...

Download: Sonic Youth - 100%

Continuing in a similar alt.rock vein (and with an equally brilliant song), here's a track which I used to hear week in and week out when I worked in a certain nightclub in these parts. That nightclub was called "Spiders" and it was quite a significant part of my life (sadly, it's shit now, but that's the way it goes). There were a few tracks which used to get spun all the time. Some I loved, some I hated. This was one of the ones I loved, a forgotten gem from Veruca Salt.

Download: Veruca Salt - Seether

And finally (for now), as it's a New Year, let's make a wish. My wish - peace and love, etcetera. Best illustrated I feel, with some mid-80s U.S. hardcore, in the shape of the rather brilliant (and shockingly unknown) Dicks. This is the seminal "No Fuckin' War", and as an anthem to a new beginning, ain't half bad.

Download: Dicks - No Fuckin' War

Okaaaaaaaaaaay then. It's 2008.

Some heavy stuff here - next time I think we'll turn the volume down a bit and go for something a little more chilled... hmmm... what will it be...

Happy New Year!

Greetings one and all, and welcome back to Musicus Eclecticus.

Sadly as it's been holiday season we have not had time to update the blog, preferring instead to spend most of Christmas and the New Year drinking alcohol until blood seeped from our every orifice. No, of course not. That only happened the once. And it wasn't really blood, but rather some strange form of other-worldly ectoplasm normally only emitted by certain extraterrestrial lifeforms. Or was it all just a dream? Who knows?

On a musical tip, we did find time to see The Pogues and Billy Bragg live in Manchester, met three Pogues and one Bragg, and also (in a separate incident) somehow managed to agree to see Jack Penate sometime in February, which will probably involve being surrounded by nubile young students making this writer feel very old indeed. Ah... the things you do for love.

Through Christmas, onto our Welcome mat dropped CDs from Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Donovan, Gil Scott-Heron, JJ72 and The Carter Family, among others... as well as some nice shiny vinyl from the rather brill Reverend & The Makers.

Check back in a day or two for some nice MP3s for you to download. As they'll be the first of the year, we'll make 'em good ones.

Catch yez later.

House Of Love - Shine On

A bit of visual loveliness for you today, with (gasp) a music video instead of the usual MP3. I just thought it would make a nice change. Back to MP3s for the next one, probably.

Here, then (care of YouTube), is one of my all-time favourite tracks by one of my all-time favourite bands, the criminally-underrated House Of Love. The track, their finest hour, is "Shine On", a classic single from the golden age of jangly indie kids. They just don't make 'em like this anymore...

Love Music Hate Racism

No MP3s today kiddiwinks... just this advert which fell into my Inbox today. Free gig in the afternoon, cheap gig on the evening. Course, it helps if you live in Hull. But I do, so that's a result, eh?

Folk n stuff

I promised after the last post that the next one (that's this one, yes?) would be a bumper post. And, since it's been an eternity since I last posted, so it shall be. Three tracks up today, not exactly linked as such, but I'm in a folky mood so here are some folky songs.

First up, is Odetta (pictured) with her sublime reading of "Gallows Pole". It always amazes me that when talk turns to the origins of modern folk, Odetta never makes it into the same paragraphs as the likes of Dylan and Pete Seeger. Her part in the genesis of US folk is undeniable, yet eternally underplayed. Listen to this track, and you'll see exactly what I mean.

Download: Odetta - Gallows Pole

Whilst we're on a folk trip, the second of the three tracks I'm posting today, is perhaps by an unlikely outfit. The name Chumbawamba usually conjures a painful grimace and memories of THAT song but their recent rebirth as Chumbawamba Acoustic has seen them garner critical acclaim as a slimmed-down four piece folk band. I've seen them live twice in the last couple of years, and they are far, far better than you might imagine. Their last studio album, 2006's "A Singsong And A Scrap", is a veritable masterpiece, and our second track today is taken from that. It's best explained by the introduction the band themselves gave it when I saw them in 2006 - "It's a bit like Onward Christian Soldiers, but with irony!".

Download: Chumbawamba - Walking Into Battle With The Lord

Last, but certainly not least, we're carrying on the a capella theme started with the Chumbawamba track. Here's a piece of brilliance from the mighty Billy Bragg, who I'm seeing live next month as well, so it's nicely appropriate. This is "Tender Comrade" from his superlative "Workers Playtime" album. For no real reason other than I think it's ace.

Download: Billy Bragg - Tender Comrade

As always... enjoy.