Note: Google, and thus YouTube, is down. So the video is unavailable at the moment. Please check back later. The entire online world seems to be suffering from rolling outages right now. I don’t know why.
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I love good covers; always have. There’s something about hearing a familiar song in a new context that can make me appreciate both original and cover all the more, if the artists remaking the original put something new into their interpretation. On the other hand, there’s nothing more boring to me than a band trying their best to make their version of a song sound exactly like the original. I want to say, “I already know what they sound like-what do you sound like?”
The best covers are those that completely re-imagine the original; canonical examples in that category would include Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” and Devo’s “Satisfaction.” The Scissor Sisters’ “Comfortably Numb,” which transforms Pink Floyd’s bloated classic into a spangly glitter disco romp, is another in that group. Even if the genre is not your cup of tea, you’ve got to admit that recording a disco cover of Pink Floyd–as a serious enterprise, not just a goof–is creatively daring.
[youtube]s9GUpM3l2so[/youtube]
Or at least I’ve always thought the Sisters’ take on the song was serious, in the sense that it is composed of all glam surface and icy detachment, which fits the alienated and solipsistic theme of the lyrics far better than Floyd’s grandiose symphonic original, which is the size of an ocean liner and about as maneuverable. But reading Tricia Romano’s Village Voice article characterizing the song as a “flamboyant punchline” makes me wonder if I’m the only one who takes it seriously. To me, the escapism of the package resonates with the content of the song. Doesn’t that make it more than just a goof? Or am I being unnecessarily pedantic?
Lance: I think they meant it as both. In fact it is a bigger goof that it is serious. It transforms and mocks the original at the same time. I think the disco aspect is not only a great counter to Pink Floyd’s take, it also is appropriate for the Scissor Sisters to bring the sound of gay club music to the subject. Maybe I am making too much of that, and someone more intimately involved in the gay club music scene than I have been might disagree, but for a gay man or woman alienation might be attached much more fully to the disco and dance music than to someone like Roger Waters. Is there an element of camp? Sure, but camp is also a serious part of much of gay life, both as defense and as affirmation, as setting one apart and declaring solidarity.
[tags]Scissor Sisters, Pink Floyd, camp, Comfortably Numb[/tags]
Well, as a gay music nerd, I can say that I consider this the best track on that album – for precisely the reasons you both mentioned: translating Pink Floyd into BeeGees-style disco not only takes balls, it transforms the message of the song into a more appropriate context.
It might even be telling that the Scissor Sisters bracketed the song with “Take Yo Mamma Out” about partying with Mom, and “Mary,” which blatantly rips off Elton John about the morning after… forming something of a miniature story arc.
Or I’m reading too much into it. Their second album, by the way, is a sterile, bloated mess.
I was hoping you would weigh in Joshua and tell me if I was full of %^&#. You know, speculating about motivations and experiences that I know of only through my friends and hanging out. Always dangerous, even if you are right.
Eh, I say go for it. Far easier to ask forgiveness
I actually almost put a link in the piece over “someone more intimately involved” to your site, but I chickened out. Some good stuff lately by the way. Though at the moment you are one of the sites that I can’t reach. QandO is up though.
That’s weird, I loaded it just fine. And go ahead and link whenever you feel like it. I’m in no position to turn away traffic!
Also, a bunch of comments of mine at QandO about the “support” issue on troops were deleted. That made me very sad.
I just got off it. It is loading fine now. The entire web is really spotty. My work connection was down for a while as well. Instapundit is back up. I couldn’t get Marginal Revolution for a while either and Google is back up. Maybe the problem is solved.
I knew that, I was being a bit of a tease:^)
Hah! Jerk.
Might have something to do with the DNS server attack a few days ago. Perhaps this is round 2?
As far as covers, I’m a bit more of a hard rock guy, and also young enough not to like any disco music. I liked Gary Jule’s Mad World cover. It is, in a word, chilling. Nirvana of course, did a great cover of Bowie’s Man who sold the world. Tool also did a great cover of No Quarter. Also I have the ultra rare mp3 of Maynard of Tool on stage with Jane’s Addiction performing Kashmir. Greatness.
I do know some of the worst covers I’ve ever heard. Searching on some p2p network for some music one time a few years ago I came across a file called “Limp Bizkit – Opiate”. Feeling masochistic, I downloaded it and it was as bad as I had feared. Of course that is not the worst. Also browsing through searches I found one titled “Avril Lavigne – Chop Suey”. Like the bottlenecker passing by a 3 car fatality on the high way, I found myself compelled to look. It’s been a sadder world ever since.
I’ll one up you: Look up The Used and My Chemical Romance trying to do Bohemian Rhapsody. Or Britney Spears croaking out “No Satisfaction.” Yuck!
I covered some other good covers (heh) in a mix I posted a while ago on my blog:
http://www.conjecturer.com/weblog/?p=3003
Goody, lots of music stuff. I’ll be wandering around looking for mp3′s all weekend.
Economics question: if identical copies of an item can be made at no cost, what does it mean to call it “rare”?
It means they haven’t been copied yet to be as ubiquitous as other mp3′s are. Though they still have the potential to not be rare.
What I really meant was that I spent a lot of time looking for the track.
Thoughts on covers: either mimic the original or take possesion of it. I entirely agree that Devo’s version of Satisfaction is the quintessential example of the later. (Husker Du’s version of 8 Miles High and Social D’s Ring of Fire come to mind as well as Run DMC’s Walk This Way but none are as much of a departure as Devo’s).
That said, while I’d agree that Scissor Sisters’ Comfortably Numb cover is a departure, it is a departure using the sound of another band – the BeeGees. And since I really dislike that sound, I’m just a bit biased. To further my bias, I disagree with your assessment of the original Pink Floyd arrangement. To understand the symphonic undertones, Comfortably Numb has to be listened to in the context of the fuller work (Another Brick in the Wall). Built-up tensions culminate in an explosion of escapism. The song is, in my mind, the perfect musical manifestation of a drug induced high/stupor. It’s not bloated, it’s stoned! Bul like I said, I’m heavily biased towards all things Pink Floyd.
I think Lance nails it though with this:
For that, high praise for the Sisters.
And I thought I was being smart… I see Joshua already revealed the BeeGee’s aspect.
Bains,
I really like Pink Floyd, and not just the Syd Barrett stuff that all the cool kids like. Animals is underrated even by most Floyd fans, and I like most of The Wall, although “Comfortably Numb” has never been one of my favorite moments on it.
The Sisters cover clarified for me why the Floyd original hasn’t rung true for me–it’s so soaring and heartfelt that it conveys the opposite of numbness, more like a very stoned and heightened engagement with one’s immediate surroundings. The fine Gilmour solo, for example: it cries! How can you cry like that if you’re numb?
That reminds me, Wall Of Voodoo’s Ring of Fire. Definitely a good one.
I thought of Wall of Voodoo’s version Lance, but Stan Ridgeway’s voice takes on an almost Cash mocking timbre. Not that I don’t like their version, just that Social D did to it what Husker Du did to the Byrds song, and frankly what the Sisters did to the Floyd tune. In this, I fully agree with Robby.
Take possession and make it your own.
But back to Comfortably Numb in specific, and the Wall* in General. Like most similar concept album, particularly the two disk variety, I do find some of the tracks tedious. Almost as if they needed to fill vinyl and took what should have been a transitional riff and strung it out into a full blown dirge. I see your point about the lugubrious nature of the original, and subsequently the revelatory nature of the Sisters version, but for me it is that very dichotomy between the initial and underlying stupor with the crystal clear crying in Gilmour’s solo. Clarity out of confusion and despair. But that’s just my opinion. Oh, and I’ve always liked Animals
*(which I incorrectly used the song title rather than the larger work)
Oh I agree with you on Social D, but I always loved Wall of Voodoos version as well. I also want you to know, you can spout all kinds of idiocy here just for being a Husker Du fan. I pretty much give myself the same pass.
That was cool, in a weird kinda way. Sorta like what would have happened if the Bee Gees dropped acid.
“Comfortably Numb” was the perfect song to describe my, and my friends, teenage experience. All about alienation, anxiety, angst, and apathy. We were resigned that the world was going to end, and didn’t care much about it.
We were far enough away from any “scene” that were weren’t heavily influenced by any of them. Disco was on its death bed, and punk was something you could see if you went to NYC. So, we just hung out, cruised between the beaches and the arcades, and stayed out of any serious trouble.
I first heard of the Scissor Sisters last year from a concert review in the Austin Paper. I like most of the songs of theirs I’ve heard since then. My kids know all the lyrics to Take your Mama Out. But God I hate this song. Soaring and heartfelt? It’s one of the most sterile, robotic songs I’ve ever heard. Is being high awful like that for gay people? Egad. The review in the paper noted someone in their audience with a sign reading “You killed Pink Floyd.” Now I wouldn’t go that far, but to my (admitedly unsophisticated) ears and (even less sophisticated) music sensibility, they sure broke this song.
The “soaring/heartfelt” I meant to refer to Floyd’s original, but I see how that wasn’t clear in my comment. So, Yes! Sterile and robotic. I think that’s the point, a feature not a bug.
Kinda like that emo-folk, heart-on-its-sleeve confessional poet band, Kraftwerk.
I thought of Kraftwerk too. Kraftwerk abducts Barry Gibb, jacks him up on amyl nitrate and commands him: Singen!
Bahn bahn bahn, Aut… oh nevermind.
Robby, how much do you think videos malign the actual music? Listening, eyes closed style, to Scissor Sisters’ rendition, I’m almost becoming of another mind. The BeeGeesque falsetto still permeates, but there are some intriguing undertones…
Can the video ruin the music?
I think so, though I am not sure in this case. Generally videos are not good enough to add much. Probably it would be best not to hear something with a video fist for sure. Thus, I doubt seeing a video for Eight Miles High by Husker Du would change my mind at this point either way.
Video Fist… I like it…
Der Video Fist. Even better!
Well I’ve listened to this song six or seven times now today. Before today I couldn’t even listen to it long enough to get to “ha-ha-ha-ha part they ripped off from “Staying Alive.” But it’s not because the song is working any magic on me. Rather I’ve been trying to get these blasted Elliott Smith songs out of my head. I just discovered him for the first time last week after hearing Waltz #2 on the radio. I’m slowly realizing that discovering Elliot Smith during a dark, cold, dreary winter week isn’t good…
I second Peter…
Der video fist is what interests me. For background, I first heard U2′s New Years Day on the radio, I then saw it performed in concert, then I saw the video on than new channel MTV. A longer way of saying we heard the tune before seeing a video interpretation of the music.
To rephrase the question then, does der video fist significantly alter our valuation of “music” solely because of its provocative visual packaging?
I still didn’t ask that right. Do you think that der video fist significantly affects how people value music?
And to qualify, by people I’m refering to those who dont know what EP or LP stands for, or in other words those who have grown up in the non-vinyl video age.
bains!
You know, it’s kinda weird. Now that I think about it, I can’t think of a song I ever liked but disliked the video. I guess for me at least the song must be the primary element of the video, or at least for the songs I like.
But on the other hand I’ve had my interest in a musician piqued by video beyond what the song did for me. For instance, I seem to remember liking “Nothing Compares 2 U” when I heard it on the radio, but when I saw Sinead singing it in the video I fell in love…
yours/
peter.
I’d say a video can ruin something for you if you let it, and as Peter says, it can also enhance the experience.
(In this particular case, I linked the video because it was readily available so I didn’t have to bother with downloading and then uploading the song. Just pure laziness. Plus Look! YouTube! Pretty!)
When MTV first came out, I remember a lot of bloviation about how it was ruining music. That it changed the way music was marketed is undeniable, but did it ruin music? Hardly. Instead, MTV’s launch immediately preceded a great flowering of indie/underground/non-mainstream music in the mid-80s to early 90s. Whether or how much MTV had anything to do with that is debatable, but to say that it ruined music is to argue implicitly that the era when Christopher Cross and Air Supply ruled the top 40 was some kind of golden age.
I would argue instead that music is always already ruined, and that condition provides the impetus for new and original stuff, which of course gets inevitably ruined (see “alternative” music post-Nirvana).