Cover Me Volume 3

Here's another cover comparo:

It's the great "Are Friends Electric?" by Gary Numan's band Tubeway Army. In this country, everyone  remembers Numan for "Cars", but "Are Friends Electric" was a #1 hit in England and the first synth chart-topper in the post-punk era. Numan, it should also be noted, had a string of great tracks including "Down In The Park" as he became the first true synth rock star.

Thirty years later, Jack White formed the band The Dead Weather in Nashville with fellow Raconteur Jack Lawrence, Alison Mosshart of The Kills, and Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age. One of their more inspired efforts was a re-imagination of the Numan classic.

So it's Tubeway Army's 1979 original (from "Top of the Pops"):

Versus The Dead Weather's cover:

For me, it's not even close. It's the original all the way. And while I respect The Dead Weather's choice to cover this song, I can't get past the overwrought drumming by Jack White on this track, especially starting at the 3:06 mark and continuing through the end of the song. He just takes over and decides he's the biggest thing about the song, and it just kills the whole thing for me.

I may actually prefer Weezer's cover version better:

A follow up on all that is Foo.

What an ironic post title (Everyone Hates Foo Fighters,) considering they are, probably the most beloved rock band out there today. 

You stand somewhat alone on this subject  - but I’m with you.

I really liked their first two records.  “This is a Call,”  “Big Me, “Monkey Wrench,” and even “Everlong” were cool songs.  They even covered Gary Numan with a  version of “Down in the Park.”  I liked that Dave Grohl was able to come out of the shadows of Nirvana and assert himself saying “look at me, I’m not just some lame drummer.”  He could play various instruments, sing, and write quality rock songs.  Then three things happened that I am not sure how, affected the band:

1. Pat Smear quit the band.  Hard to put my finger on what he brought to the band.  He didn’t play on anything for the first album, for it was almost Dave Grohl’s entire demo that was used.  He helped with The Color & the Shape, and subsequently left on national television’s MTV Music Awards.  He is, somewhat back in the band, but doesn’t play consistently with them live, or, even a whole show.  I do like that, while on hiatus from the FF, he produced the debut album form VH1’s “Bands on the Run”  runner-up, Harlow. 

    2.  “My Hero.”  A song that was supposedly about Kurt Cobain.  From all I read, Cobain was not overly fond

         of Grohl, being quoted, as hating him – and this was not even coming for Courtney Love, who said similar

        things about him earlier. I felt it was phony, and was turned off immediately.  I was given the next CD, and I 

        still think it is in the cellophane.  

3. Taylor Hawkins – who is this guy and why is he celebrated?  I think he is a fine drummer, and love that he plays in a Police cover band, but for a band where the main guy does the drumming on record, he should be somewhat expendable, and instead is pushed to the forefront.  He is the second most recognizable member after Grohl.

I know I’m in the minority, but I just don't get all excited about them, and their videos -where they are either silly or angry. 

Funny, one of my closest friends is a hug fan of the FF’s, and even had them play at the  release party for one of his videogames.  

I won’t criticize Dave Grohl for believing in the idea of authentic rock.  Some (most) of the best music was created this way, and I respect that he feels that rock has become a lost art form. 

I just don’t see the FF's putting anything out there that has been meaningful in a while. 

Fujiya & Miyagi Not Japanese, Not a Duo

Thanks to "The Mighty Boosh", my renewed interest in Gary Numan has piqued my interest in the British band Fujiya and Miyagi. Their latest album Ventriloquizzing was released back in January, and it has a dark, synth sound reminiscent of Numan and some of the Krautrock bands like Can from the 70s. No surprise on the latter -- F&M have made no secret of their love for those German bands. Here's the kinda creepy video for "Sixteen Shades of Black & Blue".

The Mighty Boosh!!!

Clearly, America is lacking for good television. And equally clearly, Britain gets all the really good stuff. Like "The Mighty Boosh", the surreal comedy series from 2004-2007 that's part "Flight of the Conchords" and part "Pee Wee's Playhouse".

I've watched one episode -- the sublime "The Power of the Crimp" -- and I'm hooked. And I'm posting the YouTube clips here so you can watch, too. Even if you know nothing about the show, the basic premise is there are two friends named Vince Noir and Howard Moon who work in a boutique by day and make music by night. They seem to keep some very bizarre company -- like Naboo the Enigma and an anthropomorphic ape DJ named Bollo. And there's a sleazy American nightclub owner named Bob Fossil -- and he's fantastic, too. Here are the clips:

There's great little references all over the place -- like Vince Noir's love of Gary Numan. In the episodes posted above, Howard keeps Gary Numan in a closet to cheer up Vince. In another episode, Vince and Howard are driving and are debating what to listen to. Vince pulls out one cassette and says "This is the best of the sixties." He pulls out a second cassette and says "This is the best of the seventies". Finally he pulls out 20 cassettes and says "And this is Gary Numan." Brilliant! Watch it here:

This is seriously must-see TV. And the complete series DVD has just shot to the top of my Christmas list.

Video Vault Friday!

We're digging deep into the Video Vault today for a classic that will make a lot of folks very happy. Get those death stares ready, here's Gary Numan's "Down in the Park".