Floss the Ruined Verse

"I don't like playing ping pong
I don't like the Viet Cong
I don't like Burger King
I don't like anything" I'm Against It - The Ramones.

I was a bit inebriated the other night at a friend's when they decided we should watch "Across the Universe". I tried to be polite and warn that I hate when other people do Beatle songs (see my "Under the Coverz" blog for specific details), but I was outnumbered and told I would LOVE it.

Admittedly, I have an overwhelming personality at times, but the one girl making the case for this film is downright intimidating. I think if she pushed me into a corner and insisted that I was gay, I would immediately get online and send my mom a PFLAG sweatshirt.

I still mildly protested but then they drugged me, bound me to the couch with dental floss, and then put the toothpicks in my eyelids all Clockwork Orange style. Resistance was futile.

I don't think I've ever been told to "shut up" so much in my life, but I couldn't help myself. I did try to be flexible; I mean I've changed my mind before, but nope, not this time. The Jaws of Life couldn't pry open my mind. I'm glad they all enjoyed it, but seeing Bono dressed like Lemmy from Motorhead finally sobered me up. It was time to brave the dangerous, foggy drive home.

The second I got into my car, I grabbed my IPOD and caressed its black body in search of the real thing. No, no, no, you can't just go from that mockery straight to the MASTERS. No, one must cleanse the palate first.

Oasis. There couldn't be a better transition.

"Let It Be…Naked" had to be next, since I was feeling the PURIST in me. Even though I was a fan of Spector's early shit with the girl groups of the '60's, I like these recordings sans his "wall of sound" much better. See, I'm not completely against change =)

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The next day I was asked by someone else what the film was about. "Ruining The Beatles' songs," I replied.

Let them fucking be.

Currently listening :
Let It Be...Naked
By The Beatles

NT and the Beat........(les)

"Nothing you can know that isn't known. Nothing you can see that isn't shown. Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be. It's easy." All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

There really isn't anything I can say about The Beatles that hasn't been said, so pardon any regurgitation of ideas or feelings that have been probably more eloquently discussed by previous admirers.

They're my favorite band of all time, no question. The first song I memorized all the way through wasn't the "ABC's", it was "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (to this day my favorite thing to do is holding hands and be held by them, so blame the Fab Four for my handsiness).

Aside from their brilliance in musicianship, their humor was captivating. They brought my beloved sarcasm to the fore like no other preceding them, but knew that subtlety was the charm of charms. When you back that with a guitar, I am sold (no returns once you remove the tags, and no I won't tell you where those are).

They were four very strong individuals that were similarly unique (oxymoron alert), but without one, they weren't The Beatles. Each was irreplaceable.

I'm trying to pre-edit myself as I write this because the way I feel about this band could easily turn into a book. I've avoided them as a complete blog subject because in my mind, they're just too big.

It's the anniversaries of John and George's deaths (George's just over a week ago) but I don't want to go into the loss thing. They did nothing but ADD to existence as we know it, and I guess I just want to remind your senses of this fact.

I've decided to include a video of "Rain", a lesser known song (if there is such a thing), but definitely a fave. One of my old flames told me that he always thinks of me when he hears it because I played it for him on the beach some night a few lifetimes ago. To be forever associated with that song to someone just makes it even more meaningful to me. =)

Cursive 4/9/08

I'm in the most heinous of moods this week, I have a lot on my mind but I don't feel like yapping about it.

In fact, I'm feeling a tad anti-social yet, I wanted to get out last night. Since no one goes to see live bands here, I knew I could go out and catch a show and not have to chat and I was right.

I went to see a couple of bands that I have never heard of, or thought that I hadn't, from NY. I so needed a different venue to be pissy in, and I really wanted so see some musicians from the Northeast. Just CUZ. I'm glad I did too.

I got there as the second band was finishing up and my lack of sleep over the last week prevents me from recalling anything about them, so nothing there. While I waited for the last band, Nightmare of You, to set up, I played Galaga (got the high score AGAIN- I'm such a geek) and then sat by myself staring into space, dreaming up some new curses. Not like gypsy shit, but stuff I think of when I'm smiling with hate at someone after they've worked my last nerve and stabbing isn't an option:

May every beauty that speaks to you have the breath of an Nicaraguan bus driver's rectum after pulling a double in a vehicle with no A/C.

May your next condom be lined with sandpaper.

May you paper cut your penis (with photo quality paper).

May you wake up with an abundance of ingrown pubic (or nose) hairs.

May you be stuck in traffic on a bridge when the onset of the most fierce diarrhea overwhelms you.

Yeah I can't always be sweetness and light. =)

Okay, Nightmare of You, I liked 'em. What I liked was they know what VARIETY means, they can maintain a style without all the songs sounding the same and even though they don't bring something enormously unique to the table, they don't sound like that whole slew of bands out there now that I refer to as "brat" rock. Semi-whiney bratty singers that all sound the same.

I didn't realize that I did know one song by this band until they played it, "My Name is Trouble". Not bad. The bass player was very, very good. I love it when someone knows how to disco up the bass but can still DRIVE it home in the same song. The guitarist clearly is a fan of The Chameleons UK, effects wise, so some props there for taste. The drummer is new for them and you can tell he has a lot to learn about volume and the singer(who was quite charming) wasn't hiding that fact at all. Overall they were a treat live, not BRILLIANT, but I wasn't expecting as much.

They had a better turnout than most of the shows I've seen in the last few months, and the fans were REALLY into it, all 25 of them. That's fucking shameful, Tampa is…oh I had better not start on that. I feel a lot of words like "pretentious" knocking on the door. Let's not answer it.

NOY closed with an instrumental of "I Want You/She's So Heavy" by The BEATLES. F'Excellent.

The singer then announced, "Hey, if you want, my brother is selling our EP back there. OR you can go fuck yourselves."

I couldn't have said it better.

Under the Coverz 2/22/08

I’m extremely picky about cover songs, it’s music snobbery protocol that all musicians follow, I imagine. Nothing brings out the arms-folded-across-the-chest stance more than when an original band whips out a cover tune.

Whether it’s a tribute to your influences or a way to show off your "chops", as it were, the choice of cover is very revealing. When playing out, I always made sure the covers were of something unexpected like The Sex Pistols’ "Pretty Vacant", or "Do It Clean" by Echo and the Bunnymen which is older and somewhat obscure to most people. Then, of course, you have to occasionally go with relevance by doing U2’s lesser known classic "Running To Stand Still" after a heroin addict steals a PA system from your practice space (it happens).

One of the best live covers I ever witnessed was Supergrass doing "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)". Phenomenal.

Most live cover blunders are forgivable, but when one RECORDS a cover, oh I shiver just thinking of what can only be described as audio STAINS that some bands have offered up under the guise of "modernizing" a song.

Recorded covers of The Beatles’ songs should not be allowed without my approval. You can’t ever do The Beatles better than they did, EVER! It’s sort of sacrilege to let your tiny pea brain consider that you can even attempt such an endeavor. I’ve heard some recordings that don’t entirely piss me off (Candyflip’s dance version of "Strawberry Fields Forever" comes to mind), but I stand by the premise that outside of the former band members themselves, only George Martin can update their work via the studio.

If I ever hear of anyone redoing "Hung Up on a Dream" by The Zombies, or the Stones’ "Child of the Moon", I will most certainly be personally overseeing their sadistic execution - leave PERFECTION alone!

I threw up a little in my mouth when I heard Sia’s version of Radiohead’s "Paranoid Android", not only did it feel "too soon", but it also emanated the desire to slap that Anna Nicole-like vibrato right out of her quivering throat. Who allowed this? If only there was legal recourse one could pursue when their eardrums are violated thus.

Ok, so yeah, a cover can make people really hate ya, but it can also make someone respect you a little too.
This was the case with Pearl Jam, whom I’ve never been a fan of but I stumbled across their live version of "Throw Your Arms Around Me" by the Hunters and Collectors. It’s an old song that I really, really dig, so PJ gets semi-props for that one.

Covers of The Velvet Underground’s stuff have most always been alright with me, especially Nirvana’s rendition of "Here She Comes Now". I completely lose my shit every time he hits that higher octave bit. The build up...I wish I knew some compliments in Italian as I feel that language would properly exude more passion in describing it.

Obviously, Hendrix did Dylan just fine. Radiohead can do whatever they want and I’ll probably lick it up, geeze… there are so many great ones, I couldn’t possibly get to them all here. I’ve put a few on my profile play list, Ben Gibbard’s version of "They Don’t Know" is awesome. He must’ve been spying on me because I play it that same way, fucker! Stephen Malkmus (of Pavement fame) also did an ok version of my favorite Dylan song "Ballad of a Thin Man", it’s on there too.

The cover you do is a layer you put on a work that was considered finished by somebody else at some point, so don’t leech, it’s much more admirable to add something. Take a sad song and make it better. =)

Currently listening : VU By The Velvet Underground Release date: 25 October, 1990