The sharp-eyed among you may notice songs in today's set from two separate Bee Gees tributes. And if you're thinking that we already featured a Richard Thompson tribute, you're not wrong: 1993's The World Is A Wonderful Place was followed by 1994's Beat The Retreat. Hell, there were two Merle Haggard tributes released in 1994 (the pop-country Mama's Hungry Eyes and the alt-country Tulare Dust).
If it sounds like I'm tired of tribute albums, rest assured that I'm not. I love the way that artists add their own personalities to a cover song. For example, "Yesterday Once More" is faithful to the Carpenters' hit, and yet it is most definitely a Redd Kross song. And I love discovering new artists (hello, Rank Strangers!)
It's good to catch up with old friends like Alex Chilton and the aforementioned Redd Kross. When's the last time I listened to Scrawl or the 3D's -- back in the Nineties? (No, I went on a Scrawl binge and bought all their records just a few years ago, and "Beautiful Things" by the 3D's is a song that I always return to, year after year.)
And it's extra cool when cool artists collaborate. Tony Gilkyson trades licks with David Hidalgo on X's version of Richard Thompson's "Shoot Out The Lights". Syd Straw is backed on one song by The Skeletons; and on the other by Marc Ribot. Lemmy and Mick Green do a "Blue Suede Shoes" that would make Elvis and Carl Perkins roll over in their graves. The artists highlighted in this paragraph have been featured on this here blog (as have Alex Chilton and Redd Kross, with links in the penultimate paragraph above)!
Tribute To Tribute Albums, volume 3: https://pixeldrain.com/u/hZVb8rG8
ReplyDeleteVolume 2: https://pixeldrain.com/u/GGCKmEQt
Volume 1: https://pixeldrain.com/u/gHa131Ma
Those look fantastic! AND you've managed to ferret out a track that TONY GILKYSON plays on that got past me when I compiled two volumes of his stuff!
DeleteAnd I own the CD it came from! A tip of the hat to you, good sir.
Son of a Gilkyson! Thanks for the reminder -- I edited this post to include a link to your Tony Gilkyson comp.
DeleteIf anyone finds dead links, POLITE requests for re-ups will be honored!
DON'T say "link doesn't work" or "any help?"
DO say please, thank you, and/or "I would be super stoked if you could repost that, my dude"
That tribute to The Buzzcocks includes one of my favorite tracks from any tribute collection (and, Jonder, I don't think you have used this one, but I could have missed it).
ReplyDeleteIt's Porn Orchard's version of "Why Can't I Touch It." I guess I shouldn't spoil what's great about it, for anyone who hasn't heard it, but I almost fell over laughing the first time I listened to it.
That is a good one! There's some sadness around the history of Porn Orchard (from Athens GA), but I don't want to spoil the song for you, either!
DeleteAnd thanks for turning me onto Porn Orchard, James. Sharing what you love is what these conversations are good for, and why I bother to scroll down on a blog.
Deletegrateful for great stuff, as always
ReplyDeleteThanks! Didn't think to even look for a Buzzcocks cover album and glad you found Rank Strangers! I had first couple CD's when I was a scenester in MN and even put some live in the studio trax from Radio K on one of my comp.'s! Cheers and watch out for WHAM! today when I post(I warned ya!)...free stuff I would never buy!
ReplyDeleteOh yah -- Rank Strangers are from MPLS! That weird swagger in their Raspberries cover is something I can't get enough of. It reminds me a bit of the Grifters. And I see that Rank Strangers are on one of the many Replacements tribute albums! Here are the ones I've found.
DeleteSorry Ma, Forgot To Let Out The Cat (Athens bands)
"So What" A Tribute To The Replacements (Austin bands)
Swingin Party (A Musical Nod To The Replacements) (Twin Cities bands)
I'm In Love.....With That Song! (Australian bands)
Left Of The Dial: A Pop Tribute To The Replacements
Let the Bad Times Roll - A Tribute to the Replacements
We'll Inherit the Earth... A Tribute to The Replacements
Treatment Bound - A Ukulele Tribute to The Replacements
Lullaby Versions of The Replacements
Hey Man, forget Wham! You posted HEINTJE Down Underground.
DeleteThe Replacements' friends Husker Du have at least two tribute records, that I know. One of them is a song-for-song cover of Zen Arcade.
DeleteSometimes songs jump to mind, even when they are not heard for in 40 years. I had such a flash, this morning, and it did hurt. Tribute extravangaza. Here is a song that payed tribute to the then abdicating Queen Juliana of the Netherlands in 1980. The great Willy Alberti sung Juliana Bedankt (Juliana Thank You). That was a top 40 hit. One month later, Willy Alberti Bedankt charted, paying tribute to the tribute. The voice imitates the husband of the Queen, Prince Bernard and was made by the famous Dutch comic André van Duin
ReplyDeleteThis being a parody, do you know any songs that pay tribute to the tribute acts
Good question -- a tribute to a tribute band? First thing that comes to mind is Tenacious D's song "Tribute" (a tribute to the greatest song in the world). But of course that is not the same. Or maybe Mambo Kurt's "Schnulzen Medley" (which includes "Candle In The WInd") would come closest to your example.
Delete