Cover Me in Roses

So it's not the most original idea for a post, but I was listening to my iPod on shuffle the other day, and I realised just how many cover versions of songs I have. On my old radio show we used to do a feature where we would get the listeners to vote between two versions of the same song, and I always used to struggle to think of cover versions. However, now I'm not doing the radio show, I can, of course, think of many.

This may become a regular post on Tricks, but I'm reluctant to post cover versions unless they're something really special. A good cover can totally transform a song, taking it in a new direction, exposing something different about the song. It's pretty standard indie fare to cover a well known song in an acoustic fashion, highlighting the 'meaning' behind a pop song, singing it in a conciously detached, ironic sense. While the best of these can be great, others remind you that, actually, production can make a track.



One of my favourite covers of the moment is the Flaming Lips' version of Borderline, originally by Madonna. The zany Lips take what was a decent 80s pop tune and turn it into an indie epic, with fuzzy bass lines, organs, and a soaring, pulsing guitar solo. along with an underlying sense of dread. It was for the Covered: A Revolution in Sound compliation that Warner Bros have put together to celebrate 50 years in the business. I have a feeling that the Michelle Branch version of A Case of You, also on the record, won't be making this post, however, if the compliation proves to be as good as this Flaming Lips cover, then I shall eat my words. You can watch the psychedelic video here, and listen to the track on hypem here.

[Artwork courtesy of Papa Goiba on flickr.]