Stereogum critiques various covers of "There Is A Light..."

This was posted on June 1 and seemed to have slipped through the cracks. It is interesting to see how some of the covers work better than others. Of course, covering a great song is sometimes harder to pull off than covering a mediocre one: how do you match the original?

Gotcha Covered: “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” - Stereogum
 
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This was posted on June 1 and seemed to slip through the cracks. It is interested to see how some of the covers work better than others. Of course, covering a great song is sometimes harder to pull off than covering a mediocre one. How do you match the original?

Not.
But did you really like one or more of those covers?
Just interested.
Cheers Poet :thumb:
 
Not.
But did you really like one or more of those covers?
Just interested.
Cheers Poet :thumb:

I like the Mikel Erentxun one, although I guess he changes the lyrics and loses the poetry (My Spanish isn't good enough to notice). I think the Divine Comedy slows it down way too much. Regarding the "emo" Braid cover, I must guiltily admit that I kind of like it. I think that kind of 90's American adolescent angst actually suits Morrissey's lyrics and Marr's melody surprising well. I also have a strangely soft spot for electronic music, so the robotic German cover kind of works for me. Of course the robot is alienated! It's a robot! The Americana version by Joseph Arthur doesn't do a lot for me, although I usually like Americana. The Noel Gallagher version is heartfelt and soulful, but it doesn't add anything to the original for me. I think the Dum Dum Girls version is kind of brilliant in a nihilist riot-grrl kind of way. As for the Miley Cyrus cover, well, the less said about that the better.

What's your favorite Smiths cover?
 
I like the Mikel Erentxun one, although I guess he changes the lyrics and loses the poetry (My Spanish isn't good enough to notice). I think the Divine Comedy slows it down way too much. Regarding the "emo" Braid cover, I must guiltily admit that I kind of like it. I think that kind of 90's American adolescent angst actually suits Morrissey's lyrics and Marr's melody surprising well. I also have a strangely soft spot for electronic music, so the robotic German cover kind of works for me. Of course the robot is alienated! It's a robot! The Americana version by Joseph Arthur doesn't do a lot for me, although I usually like Americana. The Noel Gallagher version is heartfelt and soulful, but it doesn't add anything to the original for me. I think the Dum Dum Girls version is kind of brilliant in a nihilist riot-grrl kind of way. As for the Miley Cyrus cover, well, the less said about that the better.

What's your favorite Smiths cover?

There was once a band called The Ukrainians doing a cover of, I believe it was Bigmouth.
It was on a cd-single and I liked that one. Don't know if they were Ukrainian.
I still must have it somewhere in a box in my storage but haven't found it yet.
And then there were the two lesbian Russian girls who did the Eurovision contest in 2006 or sometime.
When asked about that Moz famously said, Well, aren't we all? It is known of course here.
He seemed to be proud about it but very modest as he felt it an honour anyone covering a song by him, and he never said anything remotely hostile of any cover, even if they were bad.
 
There was once a band called The Ukrainians doing a cover of, I believe it was Bigmouth.
It was on a cd-single and I liked that one. Don't know if they were Ukrainian.
I still must have it somewhere in a box in my storage but haven't found it yet.
And then there were the two lesbian Russian girls who did the Eurovision contest in 2006 or sometime.
When asked about that Moz famously said, Well, aren't we all? It is known of course here.
He seemed to be proud about it but very modest as he felt it an honour anyone covering a song by him, and he never said anything remotely hostile of any cover, even if they were bad.

Oh yeah, I like that Ukrainians cover too! As for the T.A.T.U. cover, it's fine, but it doesn't really add anything to the original does it?
 
I like the Mikel Erentxun one, although I guess he changes the lyrics and loses the poetry (My Spanish isn't good enough to notice). I think the Divine Comedy slows it down way too much. Regarding the "emo" Braid cover, I must guiltily admit that I kind of like it. I think that kind of 90's American adolescent angst actually suits Morrissey's lyrics and Marr's melody surprising well. I also have a strangely soft spot for electronic music, so the robotic German cover kind of works for me. Of course the robot is alienated! It's a robot! The Americana version by Joseph Arthur doesn't do a lot for me, although I usually like Americana. The Noel Gallagher version is heartfelt and soulful, but it doesn't add anything to the original for me. I think the Dum Dum Girls version is kind of brilliant in a nihilist riot-grrl kind of way. As for the Miley Cyrus cover, well, the less said about that the better.

What's your favorite Smiths cover?

What's your favorite Smiths cover?

this just might be my favorite ....

 
Oh yeah, I like that Ukrainians cover too! As for the T.A.T.U. cover, it's fine, but it doesn't really add anything to the original does it?

No, that's true, but there was something about it I liked.
It was just a different take on it then many other covers and I guess I felt some kind of sympathy for those girls.
Let's just say the kind of sympathy I felt for the pussy riot girls.
Cause hey, to be that honest and showing openly your love was a brave thing to do.
I don't know if it made life harder for them then it already was.
 
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Here's a few Smiths/Morrissey covers I like. I think they all add something surprising or new to the originals while retaining some beautiful essence of the song all the same:





And, I like just about everything by Mexrrissey. For example:
 
Here's a few Smiths/Morrissey covers I like. I think they all add something surprising or new to the originals while retaining some beautiful essence of the song all the same:





And, I like just about everything by Mexrrissey. For example:


The Joan as Police Woman, is probably my favorite out of this batch.
'This Night..' is such an amazing song really, don't think many artists can reach those heights/depths just in one song, ORIGINAL would be an understatement.

also the Mexrrissey one is cool for the instrumentation and arrangements, nice.
 
Braid are or we're great with frame and canvas. Hey Mercedes we're also great. That said I always liked Neil finns cover
 
Braid are or we're great with frame and canvas. Hey Mercedes we're also great. That said I always liked Neil finns cover

Hadn't heard Neil Finn's version, but I just checked it out. Very good, and also very faithful to the original. Still, it doesn't really add anything new does it?
 
Hadn't heard Neil Finn's version, but I just checked it out. Very good, and also very faithful to the original. Still, it doesn't really add anything new does it?

that's the problem really. How to do something new with it without just being ridiculous or in bad taste.

Came across this... had to laugh.. BUT ..It's really nice with the piano... jazzy !



Didn't know this existed.. belts it out.. to a dated backing track.. not bad.



Laughed at first.. then kinda liked it... actually, yes.

 
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Hadn't heard Neil Finn's version, but I just checked it out. Very good, and also very faithful to the original. Still, it doesn't really add anything new does it?

Musically no but I think the way he plays/sings it adds a layer of resignment and sadness to the song where morrissey and marrs is all in the moment and tortured melancholy yet resilient and hopeful. the the line there is a light that never goes out being in there context resilint while in finns version I feel it sung more in a tone that evokes remembrance and passion spent and the lines sung in his version feels like he's saying there's is a pain and it'll never go away. Anyway slightly different emotional tone for me in finns version and of course he sings it well. Tatus version I think I is blah because it over dramatizes the emotional tone until I'm thinking ok sure. Makes it feel fake and plastic emotionally. I also liked the skaters version of charming man which I think contains members of Carl's band dirty pretty things. Carl from the libertines that is. The vocals aren't great but I thought the guitar part fun. It was just neat to hear a smiths song still retain its energy but be loose and sorta tossed (in a good way) which is of course very unlike the smiths
 
that's the problem really. How to do something new with it without just being ridiculous or in bad taste.

Came across this... had to laugh.. BUT ..It's really nice with the piano... jazzy !



Didn't know this existed.. belts it out.. to a dated backing track.. not bad.



Laughed at first.. then kinda liked it... actually, yes.



The third one is my favorite! Who says reggae is vile? ;) It works! :thumb:
 
The third one is my favorite! Who says reggae is vile? ;) It works! :thumb:

Moz once said it, you know, until he did Redondo Beach. Then it wasn't no longer vile! :lbf:
I'd say many of his comments have to be seen as tongue in cheek.
Firmly, and we can see him do that literary in " Who Put The M In Manchester? "
Cheers Poet :thumb:
 
Musically no but I think the way he plays/sings it adds a layer of resignment and sadness to the song where morrissey and marrs is all in the moment and tortured melancholy yet resilient and hopeful. the the line there is a light that never goes out being in there context resilint while in finns version I feel it sung more in a tone that evokes remembrance and passion spent and the lines sung in his version feels like he's saying there's is a pain and it'll never go away. Anyway slightly different emotional tone for me in finns version and of course he sings it well. Tatus version I think I is blah because it over dramatizes the emotional tone until I'm thinking ok sure. Makes it feel fake and plastic emotionally. I also liked the skaters version of charming man which I think contains members of Carl's band dirty pretty things. Carl from the libertines that is. The vocals aren't great but I thought the guitar part fun. It was just neat to hear a smiths song still retain its energy but be loose and sorta tossed (in a good way) which is of course very unlike the smiths
Most of the "anonymous" posters on this site are haters or trolls, but you are very thoughtful and articulate. Why don't you create an avatar so we can recognize your posts?
 
Would have loved to hear Francis Albert sing a cover of That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore. The great interpreter meets the great wordsmith.
Arranged by Nelson Riddle of course. No, on second thought, make that arranged by Gordon Jenkins.
 
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