Review website Franco and I are part of

Our Reviews is a website started by Dinar Khayrutdinov which is based in the Only Solitaire facebook group. Franco and I are involved and basically it involves a group of people volunteering to review albums, where the person hosting the round puts them with another person. When this has been completed we assign the person we were giving an album to review, and the person who was assigned us an album does likewise.

It's a lot of fun and probably not as convoluted as I made it sound!

It's done an a Google Doc and the reviews are posted to the blogger I linked, so you can ago there and read a bunch of reviews by different people.

Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd- Jaz Coleman

1) Time 2) Brain Damage 3) Another Brick in the Wall Part 2 4) Comfortably Numb 5) Breathe 6) Money 7) The Great Gig in the Sky 8) Nobody Home 9) Us and Them 10) Time (The Old Tree with Winding Roots Behind the Lake of Dreams Mix) 

I've known about this album for some time but I must admit the main reason I'm reviewing it is as a corollary to Franco's Yes review. As can be glimmered through Franco's review the main problem with the Yes Symphonic album is that the title was slightly inaccurate, what with the songs having symphonic accompaniment rather than being fully done with orchestral instrumentation. 

Well this one is a total lie, there's no instruments at all! 

Okay that's not true, this one is fully orchestral and I believe is intended to get Pink Floyd fans into classical music, or something. It's also really good! The orchestral instrumentation really gives the music this grandiose, epic feel to it. That's probably due to conductor Peter Scholes getting The London Philharmonic Orchestra to perform on it. And who arranged it but Jaz Coleman, Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman! Based on what I've read he's received some accolades for his Classical work and he does a particularly good job here, taking the Floyd songs and carving them into something distinctively his. 

This can have drawbacks though, in that the paranoid and pissy mood of Pink Floyd is somewhat lost. Pink Floyd are a divisive band though so it's possible that with this aspect of Pink Floyd removed and their melodies played in this manner this could be an ideal way to enjoy the disputed genius of Roger Waters. Oh, and there's no lyrics as well. To continue further with this theme one thing that I see Pink Floyd accused of sometimes and that I can sympathise with a bit is that they weren't particularly good melody writers. I'm not going to hold up this album as indisputable proof as to the inaccuracy of this because I don't entirely agree with it and of but this really does make the melodies stand out for me personally. Maybe I'm being swayed by the sweeping arrangements but this album really does feel like something some posh guy could whistle and impress his posh family with. By that I mean it's tuneful. 

Another drawback is that the album only features songs from Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. For the most part the song choice is good and it does make sense to choose from their most famous songs but man an Echoes cover would have elevated this (assuming it didn't suck). 

So, how about the song choice? Well it starts off with a great version of Time. The opening in particular is great, with sweeping violin and cool sound effects, than a bit that sounds almost industrial! It settles pretty quickly into a Classical piece. It ends up sounding really sort of majestic, but in an almost snooty authoritative way, but it's varied and can sound pretty dreamy at some points as well, with some tender bits. Brain Damage is interesting as well, having a more whimsical tone than the Pink Floyd original, being quite sprightly and melodic. It could easily be used in a ballet, probably, I don't know, I haven't actually seen any ballet. Money is similarly interesting, sounding like it could have been used in the soundtrack for Brazil (the film, not the country). I should probably elaborate for those who haven't seen Brazil, and because just pointing out instances when songs could be used in a soundtrack is a pretty lazy way to do a review. Well, basically it's mischievous but also weighty, kind of sarcastic almost. Then they screw it up by making it tender and weepy towards the end. 

Not everything will make you wish your mother was a piano though, as surprisingly the version of Us and Them is kinda crappy. Well, relative to the rest of the album, I gave it a 7/10 in my notes. And those fucks at Allmusic liked it! In an otherwise negative review! Well that they liked it should be sign enough of its lack of quality. 

Oh okay I'll review it. 

Well although it is pretty it loses a lot of the uniquely blissed out atmosphere of the original, it feels less individualistic. This would already be enough to make me hold it in lesser regard but parts of it also sound really meandering and uncertain, like the conductor was giving this "oh shit I forgot how to conduct" face and the Orchestra had to compensate. It's definitely nice enough to listen to but it's the closest the album comes to sounding like bland classical muzak. 

There's also an unnecessary remix of Time at the end. 

Okay another paragraph of songs I like. Personally I like Clare Torry's singing but for those who don't the version of The Great Gig in the Sky here is a godsend. She's replaced by a violin! Has a kind of playfully romantic feel, which is new for Pink Floyd. Breathe has organ playing and a staccato trumpet and it's amusing that something previously so mellow and stones is now a brash and celebratory upbeat composition. Comfortably Numb translates about as well as you'd think it would, which is exquisitely, being moody and with a slightly sinister undercurrent, then it gets really epic when the classical equivalent of the chorus starts playing. It sounds like something that could play when someone accomplishes their life goal, like me writing this not at all repetitive and way overdue review! 

Hey, remember how Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 l was kind of a funky discoey song, well now it sounds like something that could be played by sad poets with their heads hanging down gloomily in gloom. Very brooding with a tender core, with some guitars it could almost be a Killing Joke song! 

So, I probably liked this album a lot more than I should. There's something intrinsically cheesy and tacky about converting rock songs to classical music, it feels almost dishonest and ultimately pointless, like remaking sitcoms without the jokes. However I think the highest accolade I can give this album and none which makes those potential criticisms null is that if I had heard this before hearing Pink Floyd, or if these had been original compositions even, I'd still like it a lot. It's tastefully done, conveys a good range of emotions and has memorable hooks

Stoned: A Psych Tribute To The Rolling Stones

1) What a Shame - Lorelle Meets The Obsolete 2) Sympathy For The Devil - The KVB 3) Under My Thumb - Shiny Darkly 4) Sway - Yeti Lane 5) It's Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It) - Clinic 6) Gimmie Shelter - Sons of Hippies 7) She Smiled Sweetly - The Vacant Lots 8) Child of the Moon - Celestial Bums 9) Take It or Leave It - Tashaki Mijaki 10) Stoned - Allah-Lahs 11) Satisfaction - Pink Velvet 12) Beast Of Burden - Pure X 13) As Tears Go By - Cheval Sombre 14) Wild Horses - The Tulips


Mmmm, The Rolling Stones. Not a while ago, there was a point in my life where I thought this group was the most overrated rock band in existence. As of recently, I have started to get into them, and I've realized that The Rolling Stones were more than just a generic hard rock band. They tackled many different styles, were willing to experiment and expand their sound, and overall were extremely versatile in more genres than you would believe. Nevertheless, when they played rock music, they played it with soul and grit, and no one rocked out better then they did.

So, here's this tribute album, which features a large amount of indie artists giving psychedelic treatments to songs by the Stones, resulting in an overall sound that is similar to the music of Tame Impala and Warpaint. Does this all work out? Let's fine out!


What A Shame - Lorelle Meets The Obsoleteor

Ah, I have not heard this song, so I don't know how it compares to the original, but I do enjoy this cover. It plays like a standard upbeat R&B tune, except layered with phased guitars and special effects. You would think this would result in a mess, but it all comes out pretty coherent, listenable, and tight. Nice job! 8/10

Sympathy For The Devil - The KVB

This classic is given a different spin, as the Latin-esque feel of the original is replaced with a style that reminisces Jesus and The Mary Chain. The vocals are shoved way back in the mix, with airy feedback laced guitars being placed in the front, which makes it sound as though the group is playing this in a large empty cathedral. It's not a serious improvement over the original, but it's fairly good. 7/10

Under My Thumb - Shiny Darkly

This is basically done in the same way as the last track, but I like this better, because while I enjoyed the other track, this one seems to sound better in thi style, and the group stays true enough to the original for the piece to sound incredibly catchy. A light 8/10

Sway - Yeti Lane

At first I didn't like this Stone's track very much, but now the piece has grown on me quite a bit, and so has this cover. Basically, the production is again almost identical to the last two tracks, except there seems to be a lot more emphasis on synthesizers in this case. Not sure what else to add, but I'll give it a high 6/10.

It's Only Rock And Roll - Clinic

I'm quite a big fan of Clinic, so I had set my expectations far too high before I heard this track. On my initial listen of this album, I hated this so much that I was actually going to give it a 0/10. However, I realized that, really, no one is taking this tribute album THAT seriously (other than me), so why should Clinic? They are clearly just having good clean fun. Basically, everything about the original song is changed. EVERYTHING. Gone are any traces of "rock n' roll" in the song, as the instrumentation is replaced with a drum machine, some synthesizers, and...yeah that's it. The lead vocalist, drenched in reverb, doesn't actually sing any the verses, just the chorus, which he doesn't so much sing but rather whimpers through it. Then, in the bridge of the song, he suddenly just says, for no reason in particular, "I'm a 45 year old man trapped inside the body of a 45 year old man, and I like it". In the end, Clinic's cover ends up sounding more like bizarre circus tune than anything actually reminiscing rock and roll, and while it's not good at all, it's so intentionally bad that I can't help but find this absolutely hilarious. So even though I'm giving this a 3/10, please do yourself a favor and listen to this at least once, because it should probably give you a good laugh. 

Gimmie Shelter - Sons Of Hippies

Hey this is a solid cover! Unlike much of the other tunes on here, this cover is very straightforward and polished, the trippiness of the sound being more subdued and less obvious than before. No way in hell does it even compete to the original, but overall, I would say this is a good cover! 7/10

She Smiled Sweetly - The Vacant Lots

I don't think I've heard the original of this song, but can't say I like this too much. The lead vocalist just sounds robotic and unemotional, reminding me more of the lead singer of Kraftwerk than Mick Jagger, and as far as it's musical texture goes, it's just more of the same, with there being a drum machine and some guitars and some synths and a lot of reverb. I like the beat of the song, and it still sounds catchy despite all this, but overall this doesn't impress me very much. 4/10

Child Of The Moon - Celestial Bums

Here we go, a song from the Stones psychedelic era! This is a great cover! Much like everything else here, there are layers of guitars, the lead singers voice is pushed back, and everything is soaked in reverb. However, they took what was once a three minute pop song and expanded it into a five and a half minute shoegaze epic. This is very well arranged, having a very gothic sound sound to it. A strong 9/10

Take It Or Leave It - Tashaski Miyaki

I like this cover because I really like the melody to this song, although not sure how to describe tit without repeating myself. It's soaked with reverb, there's lotsa guitars mixed in, and there some effects here and there...but the song has a great melody, the retro-psychedelic vibe seems to fit in very well. Not spectacular but adequate none the less. 6/10

Stoned - Allah-Lahs

This is different, but it still seems to fit in pretty well nonetheless. It has a more early 60s surf rock vibe going than a psychedelic vibe, but it's pretty fun, though not anything special. 5/10

Satisfaction - Pink Velvet

I'm going to go honest here, I try my hardest in my reviews to specifically explain why I like or dislike something, but this is a case where I am honestly stumped. Maybe, I think my issue with this piece is that sounds too sluggish, and, redone as a Motown-soul number, nothing seems to gel well together. Hmmm...I don't quite know, but I'm going to give it a 5/10 either way, because there's nothing truly bad about it.

Beast Of Burden - Pure X

This one is strange, but I like it. It contains a drum machine, layers of synths sounds, a whispering sound, and a falsetto voice singing the lead that I can't tell whether is or male or female. Overall, I find myself engaged by soundscape this piece builds, and while a lot of does seem pointless, they were probably just having fun and not trying to make a serious statement. So while not great, it's pretty fun. Probably not worth more than one or two listens though. a strong 5/10

As Tears Go By - Cheval Sombre

This one is too dreary for me enjoy. Unlike everyone else on here, this one is acoustic, with special effects being spiced in it. However, they phasers sound, with some of the effects almost sounding like tear drops. However, I don't feel anything out of the effects, and to me, they just don't fit into the piece.  So while it's not horrible, my feelings towards this piece unfortunately drift toward a 4/10. I do kinda wish I could rate it higher, since I get they are trying to create a gloomy atmosphere.

Wild Horse - The Tulips 

Saving the best for last, I see. Now this cover is different from anything else on here. It still fits in, but it's not over drenched in phased guitars or synthesizers, nor is in engrossed in special effects. Instead, there seems to be much more of a sad, but ethereal, indie/alternative rock vibe. The lead singer emotes the lyrics in a beautiful, mournful way, and as for the texture, there is a very moody, but upbeat, sound to it. Jonathan Moss describes it as sounding "Kind of like shoegaze but without the off the walls sound", and I couldn't agree more. I try not to hand out 10/10 too often, but I think this one deserves it. Not only does it do justice to the original, it manages to basically create a whole new masterwork of out of it.  What a great way to finish off this album.

Overall, while this certainly is not an amazing album, it's still pretty enjoyable. I do like how, rather than going for the easy route and just covering all the songs from their psychedelic era, most of the artists on here decided to branch and arrange songs from their 1963-1965 and 1968-1978 period. Overall, I would say that they were moderately successful, in that most of the artists stilll manged to preserve the greatness of the Stones even when they give their songs such different arrangments. Fans of The Rolling Stones may not enjoy this, but for fans who love indie and/or psychedelic rock, this is highly recommend, whether or not you are a Stones fan.

Acoustic Guitar Tribute to Yes- Acoustic Sessions

1) I've Seen All the Good Time 2) Heart of the Sunrise 3) Love Will Find A Way 4) Sound Chaser 5) Six Wives of Henry 8 6) All Good People 7) The Clap 8) White Car 9) Shoot High Aim Low 10) And You and I 11) I'm Alive 12) Machine Messiah 13) I'm Running 14) Your Move 15) Long Distance Runaround 16) Owner of a Lonely Heart 17) Holy Lamb 18) Starship Trooper 19) Our Song 20) Almost Like Love 21) Silent Spring 22) Roundabout 

Okay so this review was supposed to be in tribute to the recent death of Chris Squire but I’m not sure what type of tribute this will be, considering this might be the worst fucking album (figuratively, though even more so literally) I’ve ever heard.

To clarify, I would love to hear an acoustic tribute album to Yes. To clarify my clarification this is no such tribute album. The whole thing is synthesized! And there’s drum machines! Alright when I was 12 I got this cheap midi keyboard from a charity shop which could crudely synthesize other instruments. The sound in this album still sounds quite superior but it has the same fake mechanical feel. If I was lucky this is solely what I’d get- which shows my low opinion on luck- but in addition to that on certain songs these horrendous sound effects show up, like a jammed printer, or a group of avant-garde musicians jamming together with printers.

Oh and it’s two hours. Two hours of crappily synthesized pseudo-muzak.

However I do not want this review to be another hatespew like The Beatles Barkers so I will make some cursory observations. Okay so one of the things that I found appealing about Yes is missing here. That was the way the instruments would interact with each other, forming almost a dialogue. Now I honestly think with some effort this could have been re-created but rather than various acoustic guitars with different tones and timbres reacting to each other there’s two lifeless fake acoustic guitars playing different melodies with a drum machine underneath that sounds like it was programmed as music for robots to sleep to. Sometimes the ‘acoustic guitars’ sound like harpsichords. Maybe they changed the concept of the album halfway through.

Secondly the album doesn’t really have a mood. I could use the word laconic but I consider myself laconic and have no wish to compare myself with this album. It’s just so dull and lifeless. It’s soulless, it feels almost nihilistic, like no human being made this. To continue the robot theme- for my book of robot themed rock reviews- it sounds like a computer was fed a bunch of Yes albums and made to re-create them. Oh and it’s a broken computer and the CDs are scratched.

Okay I’ve lapsed into hatespew again. Allow me one histrionic declaration and I will continue the rest of the review properly. Alright:

THIS ALBUM IS THE SOUND OF THE UNIVERSE’S HEART BEING BROKEN.

Okay, now to concentrate on some individual songs. For the most part that’s pretty impossible. They all sound the same. Personally I find Yes to have been excellent melodicists so the album does contain the beautiful Yes melodies but in such an amoral form. This is the album that a misanthropic ex-hippie army would march to. It’s uniform. However some songs can be commented on. There’s three versions of I’ve Seen All Good People, the first one called I’ve Seen All The Good Time the second All Good People and the third Your Move. Did I say three versions? Sorry they’re actually the same song. Half of Big Generator is featured on this! Half!

One positive thing. There’s actually a semi-semi-semi almost kind of somewhat decentish cover of Machine Messiah. For the first half it almost manages to preserve the creepy mood of the original whilst retaining the eerie mechanic laidback vibe of the rest of the album, creating something of a contrast. It’s still awful though.

I can’t remember which but one of the songs me and Franco compared to video game music. The type of game it would accompany would be one where you’d have to feed a dragon every five seconds and that’s literally all the game was. No progression. You’re feeding it screaming fruit and the graphics are awful 3D with a black background. If you fail to feed it you go back to the beginning, no saves.

Um….more insights? Sure. Who the hell was this album made for? The lack of effort suggests the amount of passion a teetotaller would have for Oktoberfest but at the same time there’s no commercial appeal either. So really what’s the point?

Alright that’s it, I’m going to end this by quoting some of the more entertaining things I said to Franco on Facebook:

Here's my impression of this album: "hey, fuck you!" 

The whole album is like a placid, calm river of blood. 

This album is consistently....."um".......
This album is like being forced at gunpoint to read a book which is just the word teeth for one thousand pages and sometimes it's spelt wrong (paraphrased because at this point I'd lost interest in grammar).  

And now from a discussion of how this album could have been good with acoustic guitars and effort here’s the wisdom of Mr. Micale:

“BUT NO THEY DECIDED TO BE FUCKWARDS AND DO THIS PIECE OF SHIT FOR NO REASON GAAAHHH FUCK THEM FUCK THEM FUCK THEM” 

Symphonic Music of Yes

1) Roundabout 2) Close To The Edge 3) Wonderous Stories 4) I've Seen All Good People 5) Mood For a Day 6) Owner Of A Lonely Heart 7) Survival 8) Heart Of The Sunrise 9) Soon 10) Starship Tropper

(This and Jonathan Moss's review is dedicated to Chris Squire, bassist of Yes. His style was innovative and inventive, and he was a lot more influential than many give him credit for. May he rest in peace.)

This was a difficult album to review, because it took me a while to form my final opinion on it. First off, unlike most tribute albums, some of the members of Yes were actually involved in this album, with Steve Howe contributing to the guitar, Bill Bruford playing the drums, and Jon Anderson singing lead vocals on a few of the tracks. Second off, this album strikes me as a great idea that misses the mark of being well executed.

See, I don’t hate it, as I found the orchestra to sound gorgeous, and I can tell that sizable amount of effort was put into it. However, I can’t really like this much either, because it’s not like David Palmer really does anything different to the songs. For almost all the tracks, all that Palmer seems to do is replace certain parts of the song with orchestration, with the original rock instrumentation still remains intact. This bothers me, because if the idea was to make Yes sound like symphonic music, then this album to me was a failure, because the mixture of the rock instrumentation and the orchestra just doesn’t seem to blend in at all. It’s like there are two different styles going on at the same time, and they don’t seem to be interacting or supporting each other at all.


For example, let me focus on Close To The Edge. They don't anything to ruin this masterpiece, but it's difficult for me to think of a reason why I would listen to this version as opposed to the original. The orchestra doesn't add or take away anything from the piece, it's just there. The moment when the song gets into the mellowed down, soft atmospheric section in the middle, the orchestration suddenly slips right in perfectly, and it becomes absolutely beautiful, but aside from that, nothing really stands out.

That's more or less the entire album. Some interesting moments here and there, but overall nothing really grabs my attention. I like how Owner Of A Lonely Heart incorporates those quirky samples from the original into orchestration, and the first section of Survival does a good job at making the melody fit well into the symphony,  but the female harmonies in the chorus don't fit in and sound right. I could go on and on about how each song is done, but the style is so similar from one another that I can't really think of anything else to say. I mean, I could talk about Jon Andedsons appearances, but is there to say? Yeah, he does take the lead vocals on Roundabout, but other than the orchestration, it's not like the song is any different from the original, so it's really no big deal. I also find myself questioning the decision to use the second section of "I've Seen All Good People" instead of the first. I feels weird to hear a symphonic arrangement of the rocking section of the song, and the first section seem like it would have been much better suited for a symphonic arrangement, but whatever, their decision I guess. I also don't like how they added rock drums to Wondrous Stories, since first off, this piece never had any to begin with, and second off, without them, this could have easily been a highlight, since I always felt that Wondrous Stories always sounded dreamily symphonic to begin with.

There is an exception though to all of this though. Of these ten tracks, I would say the one that sticks out the most for me is Mood For A Day. I just LOVE how the orchestra plays along and interacts with the guitar, making it sound completely natural and comfortably fit in. It adds quite a bit to the piece, and I would recommend that every Yes fan hear this.

But, really, aside from that, the only other piece that sticks out is Soon…ugh, what do that I say about that one? You'd think that this piece would be MADE for a beautiful orchestral arrangement, since it already had a lush and symphonic atmosphere to begin with, but this version has so little cohesion that I feel no one really knew what they doing with this. I’m not able to tell whether they wanted it to be a straightforward rendition, or if they wanted to make it sound like a soundtrack written by John Williams. The strings at moments just sound REALLY over the top and sentimental, and ahhh, I just don’t like the acoustic guitar that takes over the lead melody. It sounds too plucky and feels out of place of everything else. Gosh darn it guys, this could have easily been a great rendition, how could you have messed it up so badly? Ah, damn it.

So, in conclusion, I have finally decided my opinion on this, and I believe that this is simply not a very good album. I actually really want to recommend this to at least someone, since there seemed to have been hard work put into it, and the band themselves are pretty involved in this...but it's a challenge for me to figure who I would recommend this to. Guitars, bass, and drums are STILL very present, so it's not really a full scale symphonic tribute, and the arrangements stick too much to the original to really make an impact towards anyone. The end result is a mixture of ingredients that don't blend well together, and that's too bad because I could have seen this working quite well if maybe the album was done slightly differently. Like, for example, maybe they should have just done a straight up symphonic album, with no rock instrumentation. I personally think that would have sounded COOL. But, anyways, if you really want an album that blends orchestration with the music of Yes, and does it well, go get Symphonic Live. On the other hand, I still highly recommend you check out the wonderful version of "Mood For A Day", and Jonathan DID like this album more than me...so I guess it wouldn't hurt for you to check this out if you are a Yes fan. Who knows, maybe you'll like this album.

When all is said and done, it could be MUCH worse. Go read Jonathan's review.

We're A Happy Family: A Tribute to The Ramones

1) Havana Affair- Red Hot Chilli Peppers 2) Blitzkrieg Bop- Rob Zombie 3) I Believe in Miracles- Eddie Vedder & Zeke 4) 53rd and 3rd- Metallica 5) Beat on the Brat- U2 6) Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?- Kiss 7) The KKK Took my Baby Away- Marilyn Manson 8) I Just Wanna Have Something to Do- Garbage 9) Outsider- Green Day 10) Something to Believe in 11) Sheena is a Punk Rocker- Rancid 12) I Just Wanna be Your Boyfriend- Peter Yorn 13) I Wanna be Sedated- The Offspring 14) Here Today, Gone Tomorrow- Rooney 15) Return of Jackie & Judy- Tom Waits [BONUS TRACKS] 16) Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love)- Eddie Vedder & Zeke 17) Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World- John Frusciante 

So debatably The Ramones started the punk rock genre of music. Now that I’ve started with that ‘important’ yet hackneyed opening sentence stating The Ramones importance I can talk about how much I like them. True I don’t listen to them much anymore but The Ramones really were a great band. Unique, catchy, DIY and most importantly fun as hell. And obviously completely deserving of a tribute album. But deserving of this one?

Well on the whole I’d say yes. To start with it’s filled with big named artists. Of course that’s no sign of artistic merit but hell it’s enough to give the album some relevance. However aside from that it’s fairly decent. Johnny Ramone in all his humbleness supervised it and smartly told the bands involved to do their own thing with it, because who wants to listen to a bunch of Ramones tributes that sounds like The Ramones?

So on the one hand this gives the album quite a bit of diversity. This is immediately evident with the first song which is a cover of Havana Affair by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I’m really not a fan of RHCP but this is a pretty solid cover. They go for a reggaeish tempo though it's really more laidback rock music. The guitar playing is laconic and clean but a nice crunchy riff shows up at some points. Anthony Kiedis’ vocals don’t do anything for me and the keyboard tone is pretty cheesy but hey Johnny Ramone liked it enough to put it as the first song.

On the other hand this can be a tad hindrancesome. So to get to the most negative portion of the review this, um, ‘originality’ really backfires with two tracks. I’m talking specifically about Rob Zombie’s cover of Blitzkrieg Bop and Marilyn Manson’s cover of The KKK Took my Baby Away. They appear to do their own thing with it until you remember the unoriginality of making bad music. That was cheap but I stand by it. Also I swear I went into this with an open mind, I didn’t set out to hate these. I was optimistic! Anyway in trying to put my thoughts on the Zombie song in a more concrete manner I realised maybe it would be wiser to give the visceral reaction from my notes:

“Hey it’s the Ramones most iconic song and the guy who directed the Halloween remake! So far it’s pretty unrecognisable. It barely sounds like the original riff. Oh Christ this is awful. Tuneless shouty vocals trying to sound glammy, generic hard rock guitar playing and an overall hilarious ‘tough' guy vibe. Ersatz shit. THIS IS FUCKING AWFUL. I think the guitar solo wandered over from a hair metal tribute album. Sluggish tempo, football hooligan asshole shouting the title, y’know, The Ramones! Really unpleasant and funny. Like watching a clown get run over." 

Fortunately Manson’s cover is awful in a more conventional way. Manson, having a reputation for doing serious music figures this is the best approach for covering The Ramones. Look, I’m all for artists trying to put their own visions on things, Christ I think it’s the best recipe for the potentially great tribute albums out there, but in doing so Manson completely misses the essence of The Ramones. Punk! Pop! He has slightly orchestral backing going on, plodding solemn piano playing and the vocals kind of stangle whispered in an attempt to sound…sexy? Ironically the original song- which was upbeat powerpop- manages to sound a lot more emotional due to the contrast between Joey’s tone and the happy music. It feels more honest. This feels contrived and dull.

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame and a band called Zeke do two covers, one a bonus track. They're both pretty good! Especially I Believe in Miracles. The backing music is bright and catchy, the vocals are passionate and...um...why does there always have to be a second description with me? Anyway the song is basically a mixture of hard and alternative rock but it's punkish enough. Oh and there's a Kiss cover. It's good but I can't help quoting what I said to Franco when listening to it: 

"Y'know re-listening to this Kiss cover it feels almost cruel. The Ramones- a band that strived for success whilst debatably creating a new genre of music and finding no success- being covered by Kiss, a band that done nothing new, were blatant about their love of money and became filthy fucking rich" 

Ideology aside the cover is nice but pretty obnoxious. 

I've always considered- and I know I'm not alone in this- Metallica the U2 of the metal world, so it's fitting that their covers are right next to each other. Metallica cover 53^rd and 3^rd. They manage to do it pretty well in the music department, which doesn't stray too far from the original- maybe a bit heavier and less street tough- but still punkish. The problem is with the vocals, James Hetfield doesn’t make any attempt to adjust to this, sounding like he should be singing over Metallica’s typically cluttered heavy proggish metal. It's not terrible but he does sound a bit silly. Same problem with U2 really. The band actually does a somewhat convincing punk impression but Bono still sounds like he’s singing Where The Streets Have no Name. They’re both enjoyable and worthwhile covers though.

You couldn't do a Ramones tribute album without some punk band though! Of course this results in songs that sound much closer to the original versions but there's nothing particularly wrong with this. The bands I'm referring to are Green Day, Rancid and The Offspring. I would call them the Pop Punk bands except I’ve never heard Rancid described that way. This might actually make sense as their cover of Sheena is a Punk Rocker really doesn't work for me. They miss the fun of the song, it sounds unpleasant and self-serious. They’re still playing Pop Punk but with none of the levity, so it creates a potentially interesting juxtaposition, though fails. I know Rancid are Clash enthusiasts but you can’t treat The Ramones that way, which is what is seems like they’re attempting. It just seems rushed and paradoxically bombastic. The Offspring- a much more maligned band- for this reason in my opinion do a better cover (of I Wanna be Sedated), because they don’t take it so seriously and play it with the right amount of fun, so you end up feeling they greatly enjoyed playing it. It’s still not exactly a great cover and I’ve already forgotten it (their version) but it’s a nice experience while it’s on. Green Day do Outsider which I still remember! It’s a really good cover. Pretty similar to the original but much more teenagery.

I feel pretty safe in calling Tom Waits cover of Return of Jack & Judy. He takes a good but somewhat gimmicky Ramones song and does it as a Tom Waits song. Tom Waits is awesome! Bumpy percussion, bluesy growly singing, distorted meaty guitar playing and an overall rollicking and unstable atmosphere. Another great cover- and one which I didn’t initially appreciate- is Rooney’s version of Here Today, Gone Tomorrow. The singer is earnestly emotional, there’s punky rhythm guitar playing, lead guitar that sounds like it could have come from a particularly moody new wave album. The song manages to build up these great moments of catharsis but in a sweet pining way which makes it more heartfelt. It’s great bit of melancholic powerpop.

The album ends with a John Frusciante cover of Today your Love, Tomorrow the World. I've not heard any of the guys solo albums but I find this cover quite enjoyable. It's lo-fi acoustic guitar based music which sounds pretty eerie whilst retaining that patented Ramones melody. At the risk of appearing hipsterish I'm going to say I like this cover. 

So, although the album definitely has its low points and generally unmemorable points when I think about it in aggregate I’d definitely recommend it. It works stunningly well as whole and there’s even a few individually great songs to enhance it. Unfortunately it’s not on Spotify but buy (ordownload) it and you’ll have a good hours’ worth of mixed entertainment.

Woofers & Tweeters Ensemble- Beatle Barkers

1) I Want To Hold Your Hand 2) Love Me Do 3) Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da 4) We Can Work It Out 5) I Saw Her Standing There 6) I Feel Fine 7) Can't Buy Me Love 8) All My Loving 9) Day Tripper 10) She Loves You 11) A Hard Day's Night 12) Paperback Writer 

Franco 

“When I bought Pet Sounds, I expected GOD DAMN PET SOUNDS NOT THIS BAROQUE POP SHIT”

If you think about it, there’s a good chance that someone who bought that highly acclaimed Beach Boy’s album had actually hoped for it be a collection of pet Sounds, and in turn, was disappointed by the results of the actual album.

Well, no fear, because this Beatles tribute album with actual pet sounds on it should provide closure to their needs

Like, I’m serious. The main melody of each song is replaced with dogs barking, sheep baaing, chickens clucking, cats meowing, so on and so forth. Sounds like a crazy idea, but does it work?

…

BUT DOES IT WORK?

This is probably the stupidest album I’ve ever heard in my life. The first two minutes of the album, I was crying of laughter. By the end, I was crying in despair. Why…why would anyone make this? What was the end goal? Like seriously, someone actually put thought and effort into this, and actually wanted it to be released to the world. Why? As a joke? Just for the fun of it? I don’t know. I really don’t know. And it’s gotten into my head. The only reason I listened to this all the way was to check my endurance, but alas I don’t feel too good after listening to it.

I mean, even with animal noises being the style of this album, it still sucks. There is no timing in this album, and it sounds like they are just randomly pressing buttons on a keyboard.

Oh god. Why am I still reviewing this? My head hurts. I feel sick. All that I feel is guilt. Why did I listen to this? Why did I think this would be a good idea to review?

Man…

The problem with this album is that…oh geez, how am I supposed to review this? I mean, all that this album comprises of is the backing tracks to Beatle songs, with there being animal sounds piled on top, somewhat arranged to the form the melody. That’s it. That’s all there is. For 2 minutes, it’s hilarious and amusing, for 29 minutes, it’s the equivalent of having a hammer hit on your head repeatedly, over and over and over again. If that’s the type of music you like, then this should be 10/10. If not, then that’s one way to know that you aren’t insane.

Anyways, I don’t know what else to say. I’m done.

Jonathan

I’m writing this review before finishing the album. That should tell you what type of album it is. It’s the Beatles with dog sounds for 29 minutes. Not just dogs! Sheep, chickens, cats! Maybe they’re trying to make some statement on how animals started the music and we pesky humans stole it. Maybe they’re just nuts. Franco just pointed out someone put thought and effort into this.

Man…………….

Anyway The Beatles with dogs and other animals doing the vocals! Sounds hilarious. No it doesn’t you fuckhead this is the sound of insanity. This is one of the most painful things I’ve ever heard. The backing tracks sound dull and synthesized in places. The ‘vocals’ are definitely synthesized. They try to make them follow the vocal melodies but it sounds like a cacophony of cacophonies of animals. If ever a good case for abattoirs was made it was here. I want to eat a dog.

Every copy of this album should be hunted down and destroyed.

I used to love The Beatles. Now I love nothing.

For every album there should be a cover album like this, to remind us why we like music. 

I mean I thought it would be good for a laugh, worth listening once. This isn’t a review it’s a warning. STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM THIS ALBUM. 

Listen to this album!: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yo-XqDzGuY

The Reggae Tribute To Pink Floyd

1) Us and Them - Hurtin' Buckaroos 2) Take Up Thy Stethoscope & Walk - JMJ Band 3) Echoes - Hurtin' Buckaroos 4) Careful With That Axe, Eugene - JMJ Band 5) Run Like Hell - Glimmerglass Reggae Ensemble 6) Mother - Stu 7) Interstellar Overdrive - JMJ Band 8) Hey You - Hurtin' Buckaroos 9) Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2 - Stu 10) Pink Skazmer - Joe Ferry

Pink Floyd and reggae…not exactly a match made in a heaven, right? I mean, Pink Floyd are depressing, pessimistic, and really dark at times, while reggae is upbeat, catchy, and quite often optimistic and fun to listen to. So you would think that a tribute album combing the two would just crash right into The Wall of Failure (no pun intended). However, this record does…somewhat prove otherwise, in that the end results are quite pleasant and cohesive, though nothing really more.

What’s most interesting about this album is that they actually succeed at making Floyd’s music actually sound happy. I guess, when it came down to it, part of Pink Floyd's widespread appeal was their fairly comfortable and melodic music on top of their depressing and thought provoking lyrics. Not only that, but their music was smooth, polished, and highly well produced, with not a single bit of rawness to be found in their 1973-1994 period. So, as a result, there is a reason why so many “smooth jazz” and “chill-out” tributes to Pink Floyd’s music exist, because their music WAS smooth and chill to begin with, and since those two adjective seem to describe the music of reggae pretty well, making Floyd’s music into the genre is not entirely as far-reached as it may seem.

Enough of that, let’s get on to the album. Is it any good? Well, it’s not entirely bland, and even though multiple artists collaborate on this album, it still nevertheless feels like one collective whole, while each song does sound different from the last. The overall approach, I would say, is nothing at all like Pink Floyd. In this tribute album, that dark weight Floyd often carried around with them is brighten up by like 80 percent, to the point where it becomes seriously lightweight music, with the sound being filled with saxophones and horn sections, clean electric guitars, funky organs, and those clunky reggae rhythm guitars. Basically, this results in the music sounding like it's from the tropics of the Caribbean, or the shores of the California coast. Or from a night club at Las Vegas. Or maybe somewhere in Atlantic City,

Luckily, it's not quite a utter failure, because there is a bit of creativity to this. First off, I should make a point that the guitars on this album are delicious, and probably are what make the album halfway decent. If there is one element of Floyd that is kept intact on this album, it’s the Gilmour-esque guitar playing that fits in very beautifully. The Glimmerglass Reggae Ensemble's rendition of Run Like Hell, for example, would be horrible if the wonderful lead guitar was not taking the spotlight for the lead melody. I mean, it’s still not very good as a whole, since they slow it down and rearrange it to the point where it ceases to be anything above decent background music, but it’s so stimulating to here that wondrous, screeching, yet melodic and sensational guitar playing.

What absolutely does not work here are the two numbers by a group called “Stu”. First off, upon of examination of their career outside of this tribute album, Jonathan noted that they were not even reggae to begin with, but rather alternative rock, so there is little reason they should even be here. Second off, their renditions of Mother and Another Brick In The Wall are horrible. For Mother, they seem to kinda go for a straightforward cover, but they make it upbeat and clunky, and as a result, it just doesn't sound like they put much care or thought into the cover at all. As for Another Brick In The Wall, it also sounds more or less straightforward, with the addition of a trumpet section, but it sounds like it they just recorded the whole piece in one take, and called it a day. Plus, a pet peeve of mine: Guys, the lyrics are “LEAVE THEM KIDS ALONE”, not “LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE”. Aaahh, it’s a little nitpick, but it just irritates me so much.

Aside from those two misfires, the majority on here is pretty good. I think the JMJ Band's version of "Take Thy Stethoscope And Walk" is pretty weak, but it's short, and there are some cool effects and a tasty solo, so it's all cool. There's also have perfectly decent upbeat instrumental reggae renditions of "Us And Them" and "Interstellar Overdrive", respectively by The Hurtin' Buckeroos and, again, The JMJ Band, neither of them really "jams" as they follow the melody pretty strictly, but again, have very nice organ and guitar solos, and are very pleasant to listen to, so I ain't complaining.

I think, though, the real taker for my favorite track is the Hurtin' Buckeroos rendition of Echoes. Hell no, it does at all compare to the gargantuan 20 minute masterpiece that is the original track, but condensed into a three minute pop song, I like it quite a bit, as the slow melodic sections seem to make for a pretty great reggae tune. Not only that, but just like on all the other tracks, the guitars on this rendition are extremely scrumptious, and just overall I feel only positive emotions towards this cover.

The Hurtin' Buckaroos appear for a third time with a version of Hey You, which is probably the worst song on here that's not covered by Stu. Basically, my hatred towards this cover is rooted in the fact that it sounds way too happy and "Jamaican" than it ever needed to be, and despite there being some sweet guitar playing to savage it, it's really not worth listening to. Maybe The Wall just wasn't an album made for reggae.

Finally, there are two other songs left on this album, a rendition of Careful With That Ax Engine, preformed by JMJ Band, and an original composition entitled Pink Skazmer, preformed by Joe Ferry. These pieces are interesting in that 1) Careful With That Ax Eugene is turned from a dark, spine-chilling, twisted instrumental into a laid-back, easy-listening, relaxing reggae jam, and 2) Pink Skamzer literally sounds NOTHING AT ALL like Pink Floyd, and instead sounds like generic saxophone driven reggae music. Neither of these tracks are particularly bad, and I quite enjoy Careful With That Ax Eugene, but I still find it amusing how far away these two songs are of Floyd's sound.

So, anyways, overall, I would say that this is a decent, but really unnecessary album for anyone's music collection (of course, we are still searching for a tribute album that would be essential for anyone to buy). For the most part, the album succeeds in make lightweight reggae music out of Pink Floyd’s pessimistic music, and although this style does not at all resemble Floyd, and it's not great all the way through, but it’s still a fairly pleasant listen nonetheless. I would say that if you want a really relaxing album to listen to while sunbathing and sipping martinis, or have always wondered what Pink Floyd and Reggae mixed together would sound like, then hey hey hey this album should do the trick.

Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur

1) Instant Karma- U2 2) #9 Dream- R.E.M. 3) Mother- Christina Aguilera feat. Bigelf 4) Give Peace A Chance- Aerosmith feat. Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars 5) Cold Turkey- Lenny Kravitz 6) Whatever Gets You Thru the Night- Los Lonely Boys 7) I'm Losing You- Corinne Bailey Rae 8) Gimme Some Truth- Jakob Dylan feat. Dhani Harrison 9) Oh, My Love- Jackson Browne 10) Imagine- Avril Lavigne 11) Nobody Told Me- Big & Rich 11) Jealous Guy- Youssou N'Dour 13) Working Class Hero- Green Day 14) Power to the People- The Black Eyed Peas 15) Imagine- Jack Johnson 16) Beautiful Boy- Ben Harper 17) Isolation- Snow Patrol 18) Watching the Wheels- Matisyahu 19) Grow Old with Me- The Postal Service 20) Gimme Some Truth- Jaguares 21) (Just Like) Starting Over- The Flaming Lips 22) God- Jack's Mannequin feat. Mick Fleetwood 23) Real Love- Regina Spektor 

John Lennon was a very good songwriter, we feel we can begin the review with this relatively non-controversial statement. Still there’s been a bit of a backlash against John. Not so much for his music as his personality. This definitely isn’t wrong, for ages John was celebrated as an example of a pure human being whereas in reality he was a wife beater who once bet a guy up for insinuating he might be gay (due to a holiday with Beatles manager Brian Epstein). However we think it’s also fair to say that rather than being un unrepentant asshole or a beautiful human being the truth might lie somewhere in between. This is best exemplified through the fact that throughout his life John dedicated himself to various causes. Well now with this rather lovely tribute album he’s doing it from beyond the grave, as- through what can hopefully be ascertained through the title- the money this album makes goes towards helping relief for the crisis in Darfur.

Anyway enough rambling and on with the review!

1.       U2- Instant Karma

Jonathan: The album gets off to a very good start with this. I’ve never heard U2 sound this casual before, it almost sounds tossed off. This works in its favour though, it sounds like they could have recorded this in the studio live in one take based on their love of John Lennon and The Beatles. Bono’s singing isn’t even that smug and The Edge plays the riff in a really laidback and melodic way. The whole song is catchy and fun. 7/10

Franco: Ayyy, I gotta agree with Mr. Jonathan on this one! He mentioned to me that this actually sounds more in line with their material on Boy than anything else they’ve recently done before, in that it lacks pretension and preachiness. It just sounds like the men chilling back and having some fun, and yet they still maintain the bounciness and catchiness of the original song. Maybe they should do a cover album…on the second thought, maybe not. 7/10

2.       R.E.M.- #9 Dream

Jonathan: Hooray! R.E.M. According to the Allmusic review Bill Berry came back for this. Hooray! Anyway this is really good, it captures the dreamy quality of the song without being as ethereal, though there are some spacy guitar lines and synths. Michael’s vocals are similarly great, he sings it with the perfect amount of feeling in that inimitable Michael Stipe way. It really manages to retain the essence of John Lennon whilst sounding R.E.Mish so it’s the closest we’ll get to a John Lennon/R.E.M. collaboration. 9/10

Franco: I love R.E.M, and lord oh lord, do they do a fine and dandy cover of this awesome track. Like, it feels like a successful mixture of the twingy college rock of their early period, and the spacey alternative rock of their later period. And like Jonathan said, they not only add their own distinct element, but they also keep true to the heart of the song, so it’s just as great as the original! Honestly, every element that R.E.M. adds to this piece falls in place perfectly, to the point where I feel they were meant to cover this song from the beginning of their career. 10/10

3.       Christina Aguilera featuring Bigelf- Mother

Jonathan: The drumming is really prominent in this and the fact that there’s no other vocalist makes it likely that Bigelf is the drummer. If you think I’m looking it up for conformation you’re fucking wrong. Okay I looked it up and apparently they’re a band. Whatever. Anyway this is a pretty good cover. The music is solid and Christina gives a good soulful vocal performance. The problem is that the original song is one of the most cathartic songs ever written and when you think of it whilst listening to this it becomes a bit disappointing. Aguilera actually does manage to sing it with conviction but it’s still not particularly emotional. Especially the end screaming which kind of sounds like generic R&B wailing. Still it’s enjoyable enough. 6/10

Franco: Hmm…Jonathan more or less summed up my exact thoughts of the song as well. I mean, Christina doesn’t really RUIN the song, but she does FAR FAR FAR FAR from improve. And yes, what irked me the most was the lack of the passion during the “Momma don’t goooo!” part. When John sang it, he was screaming it at the top of his lungs. When Christina sings it, it just doesn’t sound emotional at all. She just sounds like she is doing it as natural and normal as possible. I mean, to be fair, if she had tried to scream it…oh god, it would probably be worse. However, I just longed for more out of this. Still, it was decent enough. 5/10

4.       Aerosmith feauturing Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars- Give Peace a Chance

Jonathan: If you allow me to use a trite simile so far this album has been like a family reunion, one that’s been going surprisingly well. Then your grandfather shows up. Who’s a convicted child molester. I’m not saying Aerosmith are child molesters but I am saying this is an awful cover. It doesn’t sound like a nauseating power ballad but an evil cod reggae piece. It tries to be goofy but it lacks self-awareness so it’s the equivalent to watching a prop comic flail around and turning to your friends in discomfort, knowing the comic probably goes home, reads Samuel Beckett and cries himself to sleep. Anyway 1/10.

Franco: Oh Jonathan…you’ll hate me for this. This is growing on me. Before, I was quick to jump aboard the hate train, but listening to again, it’s kinda fun. I mean, it’s not good per se, but it’s a silly reggae romp. I mean, the original song was silly as well wasn’t it? With that being said, I totally understand Jonathan’s comments, because it feels annoying in a way that’s equivalent to someone constantly poking your face, even after you’ve told them to stop a million times. So yeah, to refer back to Jonathan’s simile, I would say this is more like the annoying little cousin, who you know is immature and doesn’t know any better, but at the same time you just want him to shut the fuck up. 4/10

5.       Lenny Kravitz- Cold Turkey- This is better than Aersosmith in that it’s actually listenable and doesn’t inspire paedophile comparisons but it still doesn’t change the fact that Lenny Kravitz has turned a previously harrowing song about heroin addiction into a funk fuck song. Goddamnit this song isn’t supposed to be sexy. It’s still kind of catchy and though it retains the melody of the song Kravitz still turns it into a song he’d have written. I assume. 4/10 because there’s some cool synth playing that I like.

Franco: Oh god this sounds like porn music. Like, I think my problem with this is that it sounds like Lenny Kravitz is trying to make this sound sexy, but ya know…it’s a song about heroin addiction. Either way, even if he wasn’t actually trying to make it sensual, it still sounds like bland funk trite. Ahh, I hate this. 1/10

6.       Los Lonely Boys- Whatever Gets you Thru the Night

Jonathan: I actually like this a lot more since the first time I listened to it. It’s another kind of funk song but obviously it works a lot better. The vocals are infectious and lovely. There’s some really nice lead and rhythm guitar playing. The rhythm playing is scratchy and the lead playing is full sounding and passionate. It’s a lot of fun. It’s still not particularly great or anything but it makes me want to dance so well done. 6/10

Franco: Ha. What do you know? Jonathan said this grew on him, while I am going to say that this grew off me. It’s not as bad as Kravitz cover, but it’s still REALLY bland. Like, I just don’t feel anything out of this. It just sounds kinda like funk, but it also feels like southern, country music as well. Whatever. I mean, it doesn’t really offend me, so I can’t be too harsh on it, but still, plastic soul, man, plastic soul. 3/10

7.       Corinne Bailey Rae- I’m Losing You

Jonathan: This one sounds like it was recorded live but I’m not sure if that’s some goofy effect to make it ‘authentic’. This is a really good cover though. It’s primarily based on sexy electric piano playing and sultry, emotional vocalising. It actually manages to convey the urgency of the original whilst being considerably looser. Mainly due to the amazing vocal performance which is full of conviction whilst still sounding like an R&B vocal performance, though more Motown than contemporary.  Admittedly due to the sparse instrumentation it can sound monotonous at times but if you give yourself into it it’s damn hypnotic. 8/10

Franco: I like this better than the first time I heard this. I mean, this girl can not only sing, but she can put PASSION in her voice. And yeah, all that there is to this song is an electric piano and her piano, although a tambourine drops in during the instrumental break, but never the less the sparseness brings more emphasis on her voice and how she presents the song. If this had performed by someone with less vocal resonance, it probably wouldn’t have been very good at all, but luckily Corinne does have that talent, so this turns out to pretty alright. Still, I really do wish for more to happen in the arrangement. Blame it on my ADHD. 7/10

8.       Jakob Dylan featuring Dhani Harrison- Gimme Some Truth

Jonathan: Hey everybody it’s Bob Dylan’s son with guitar playing from George Harrison’s son! Now that I’ve put them in their place by reminding them of their more talented parents I can compliment them on what a good performance they do here. Dhani’s guitar playing sounds Like George’s with more distortion and grit while Jakob sounds like his dad except a bit more gruff and low. Like a cross between Highway 61 Dylan and Time out of Mind Dylan. Ah enough references to their fathers, they’re both great musicians in their own right and they play with this song with the anger and frustration of the original and it sounds sincere. I hope I don’t use that word too much, John was famous for his sincerity so the success of these largely depends on how well the cover artists can pull that off. 8/10

Franco: I really like this version. I mean, I’m trying to think of different ways I can describe this, but Jonathan continues to basically sum up my thoughts. GODDAMN IT JONATHAN. Anyways, I can say that although this arrangement is different, the structure remains the same, and the heart of the song is still felt, as it still sounds as sincerely angry as it did in the original. Without a doubt, Jakob Dylan’s singing and Dhani Harrison’s guitar playing do capture the spirit of their fathers, so that makes for quite a heartfelt rendition. 8/10

9.       Jackson Browne- Oh, my Love

Jonathan: This guy sure sounds sincere. A bit too generic singersongwritery as well. Still I like this cover well enough. The piano playing is really nice and Browne is a good vocalist, if a bit tenderly bland. For all his sincerity though it does sound a bit like a performance. Almost like he’s being too sincere. Ah, whatever, this is very mellow and pretty. 7/10

Franco: I just realized how beautiful this song is. Wow…anyways, that aside, I gotta again join the side of Jonathan with this. This guy doesn’t ruin the beauty of this song, but I feel that he doesn’t really add anything to it or make it an interesting cover. Jackson Browne’s voice doesn’t really stand out to me, either. Can’t really say much more, but I’ll give it a lower rating of 6/10

10.   Avril Lavinge- Imagine

Jonathan: This cover doesn’t do anything for me at all. The piano playing sounds like it came from some studio hack and Avril Lavinge- whilst we’re still on the subject- doesn’t sing it with any sincerity at all. It sounds like she heard the song, decided she liked it and then looked up the lyrics and sung it. Without really taking the lyrics into consideration. I’m not saying it’s wrong that she probably doesn’t believe the lyrics, I like them a lot and agree with the general sentiment but they’ve been ridiculed as naïve for a reason. She sounds almost uncomfortable in places though, as if she’s thinking “this guy is fucking nuts”. Stripping away more specific criticisms though I just don’t enjoy listening to it. It just sounds so bland and timid, like a talent show version of the song. However I know Franco feels differently so maybe I’m just being a dick. All the same 3/10

Franco: Call me crazy, but I find this really resonant. I mean, Avril Lavigne does not use a strong vocal approach to this song, but you know, this song shouldn’t have that kind of vocal performance. This should be sung with a tender, soft voice, and while I have a feeling that this was not at all intentional, Avril Lavinge restrained and small-spoken approach to singing this gives it a childlike feeling to it. This is far from the most perfect cover ever to exist, and it’s not like it’s seriously improving the song or anything, but it’s a nice, though maybe untended, touch to the song, and for that, I give it an okay rating of 5/10.

11.   Big & Rich- Nobody Told Me

Jonathan: I don’t care what those assholes at Allmusic say, this is a really fun cover. There’s some crunchy guitars, soulful organ playing and laidback feel good vocals. There’s a fiddle! Pianos! They’re getting loose with it and it has a really live in the studio with a bunch of beer and your friends feel. It’s adorable! It’s rollicking and silly, goddamnit I refuse to feel guilty for loving this. Sure I’m gonna give it 7/10 but in my heart it’s more. 7/10

Franco: Weeeeee I love this! Gosh, this is just SO MUCH FUN! Man, if there is country music that sounds like this, maybe it’s not all that bad. I haven’t heard the original, so I can’t really speak for it, but gee it sounds like everyone was just having the time of their life recording this. I guess it’s more country rock than straightforward country, because this does rawk out pretty hard. But gosh almighty lord from high above, let it be known that this cover is indeed worthwhile of everyone’s attention. Amen. 8/10

12.   Youssou N’Dour- Jealous Guy

Jonathan: Listen I know next to nothing about world music so excuse me if come across as racist when I say this guy has a weird ass voice. Honestly though this cover is completely inscrutable. It’s an enigma, I don’t know how I feel about it. I don’t know whether I love it or hate it or whatever. It’s like the bitterest antitheist seeing God and rather than feeling any of his hate thinking “Hey, it’s God!” That’s this song. ???/10

Franco: I looked up some of Youssou N’Dour other work. He actually sounds pretty normal his own songs. I’m sorry, but…John Lennon probably would have found this hilarious. wat/10

13.   Green Day- Working Class Hero

Jonathan: I know Green Day have their fair share of detractors but I like them and this is a great cover. Listen to the bitterness in Billy Joe Armstrong’s voice! The original song must have really resonated with him because it sounds like he’s waited his whole life to sing this. The rest of the song is great as well, the acoustic guitar sounds intense and there’s some nice fiery electric playing as well. The drums sound angry! Drums always sound angry! The bass playing is fluid and melodic but I don’t really think you’re gonna be paying attention to it when you have everything else going on. 9/10

Franco: Billie Joe Armstrong has been through shit. I can tell by how he sings this. Seriously, he puts more emotion and passion into this than ANYONE else in this tribute album has. This guy has so much angst and anger in him, and while one would think that adding full rock band arrangement underneath the song would ruin it, it actually makes the song sound even more hitting. EVERYTHING IS JUST SO ANGSTY! And they add in a sample of the actual song at the end for good measures 9/10

14.   The Black Eyed Peas- Power to the People

Jonathan: Okay. Don’t judge me for this. This is a kind of alright cover. There’s no embarrassing electropop schlock, it’s pretty faithful. It sounds like they’re having fun doing it. There’s a dumb bit near the end. Apart from that it’s fine. You’re judging me aren’t you? Alright. 5/10

Franco: Hey Jonathan, I like this! You wanted me to like this, so here I am telling you. I like it! Hey, dude, it’s okay to like something! No one is going to judge you (: except if they are DOUCHES. Anyways, this has a really good beat to it, and yes, it sounds like The Peas are unleashing the power of fun onto this song. The last verse is really stupid, it becausally just sounds like someone repeating saying “POWER POWER GIVE THEM POWER POWERPOWERPOWERPOWERPOWERPOWER GIVE THEM POWER” over and over. Whatever. Not bad! 6/10

15.   Jack Johnson- Imagine

Jonathan: This is the second and last cover of Imagine on this. I don’t like it! Okay in Glasgow there’s lots of buskers who play earnest white guy acoustic pop with bland hookless guitar playing and bland gritless over emoted singing. This sounds like that with a better melody and lyrics. But it still sucks. 3/10

Franco: Awww, Jonathan, y u so mean. It’s not THAT bad. It’s a sweet, simple, tender acoustic ballad, and nothing really else. I mean, I live in Seattle, so maybe I don’t see this too often, but I can think of worse ways they could have covered it (imagine if they did a power ballad version of this song). Regardless, I agree with Jonathan, it’s pretty bland nonetheless. I mean, come on, add some strings, or some pianos, or maybe some bells or triangles! It sounds way too empty. Among all that, Jack Johnson’s voice is just…not very interesting. I don’t feel any soul in his voice. See, this bare arrangement worked with “I’m Losing You”, because Corinnie’s voice is strong and passionate and really carried along the song well, and when Arvil Lavigne covered this tune, at least I thought her voice sounded small and innocent, which fit in quite well with the song’s lyrics and message. However, Jack Johnson is just bland bland bland BLAND. Sorry dude. You get a 4/10.

16.   Ben Harper- Beautiful Boy

Jonathan: This is a really good cover. Musically it’s really dense. This is a weird comparison but it kind of reminds me of early Arcade Fire but playing laidback pop music rather than dramatic art rock. The guy has a really sweet and emotional voice, comforting as well. There’s something so intimate about this cover, it sounds really personal, like he wrote it himself. It does get somewhat tedious towards the end but whatever it has such a warm and tender atmosphere. 8/10

Franco: Aaahhh, I love this. Like Jonathan said, there is something really warm about this. Layered with different instruments, from accordions to strings to acoustic guitars, the song creates this atmosphere that’s similar to laying down cosily by the fireside in a little cabin, feeling safe and cushioned from the rest of world outside. 8/10

17.   Snow Patrol- Isolation- Semi-decent cover. The melody is neat. The problem is they make it sound like a Snow Patrol song. Okay they don’t completely fuck it up and there’s some nice icy synths. Still it seems like they’re attempting an alone in the woods vibe and I appreciate the effort but it doesn’t quite succeed. Also Gary Whateverthefuck has a boring voice. Still I’d be lying if the haunted echoey piano playing that shows up in the middle wasn’t effective. 6/10

Franco: When I first heard this version, I dug it, but now I really don’t like it. I’ve been trying not to compare these versions to the original too much, but I can’t help it, I just can’t get into what they’ve done to the song, turning it from sad and emphatic to scary and “chilling”. I mean, I could see this working, but nothing interesting happens, either in the music, or the presentation of Gary Ihavenofuckingideas voice. It doesn’t make me feel scared or disturbed, but it doesn’t make me feel good either. I’m guessing that’s a sign that I didn’t like it. 3/10, because it’s not the worse musical idea to exist.

18.   Matisyahu- Watching the Wheels

Jonathan: This is a kind of cool dubbish cover of the song. Lots of quirky sound effects and I white guy singing in a Jamaican accent! It’s not entirely successful, I’m not a big fan of the singing, but it’s fun and the instrumentation is eclectic and quirky. Probably would work well in a montage of rich white guys acting like assholes. The ending of the song is really good though, it’s what originally sold me on it. It kind of builds up to a crescendo before powering down again and letting the guys voice be immersed in the sound effects and instruments. 6/10

Franco: Well, I gave a glowing review to “The Electronic Tribute To The Doors”, and this reminisces the style of that album, so you can guess that I am pretty happy, though not burning with enthusiasm. It’s done in a dub-influenced style quite that’s loaded with different special effects, and although they really don’t seem that necessary, I like them nonetheless. I guess the best way to describe this piece is that it’s like if the guy from Sublime never died and they continued making interesting music for the rest of their career. like the special effects of this song, although they don’t really seem necessary. Overall, I will give this 6/10

19.   The Postal Service- Grow Old With Me

Jonathan: Here’s an example of a song I like less than the first time I listened to it. It just sounds so precious. There’s some nice synth playing that reminds me of IDM but the vocals are shrill and annoying. It sounds like he’s going for a lost little boy thing. I hope he’s never found. Still the instrumentation makes it listenable enough so it’s not a complete failure. 5/10

Franco: Aahh Postal Service. They are similar to Owl City except they aren’t bad. Anyways, yeah, like Jonathan, I can’t say I am too huge with this. I LOVE the electronic sounds on this, and I actually do like the lead singers voice, but…I just don’t feel like it fits the song. It feels too weird. I feel like an acoustic cover would be better suited, rather than an IDM-type cover. Still, cool enough I guess. 5/10

20.   Jaguares- Gimme Some Truth

Jonathan: Ah this is completely unnecessary. The earlier cover of this was brilliant and these guys kind of sound like a hair metal band trying to make it as an alt rock band. Later Bon Jovi basically. The Bon Jovi comparison Franco initially presented to me was enough to ruin it but honestly ignoring the guys unlikeable and bland vocals the instrumentation is pretty good. The guitar playing has a more sort of “Hey I dig The Edge but I’m kind of scared to admit it” with fun drumming. Still it completely lacks the grit of the original or the previous cover which coupled with the guys voice makes it improbable of it getting anything more than a four. 4/10

Franco: The guys voice sounds like Latino Bon Jovi. Like, seriously, I would really like this cover if we had a better singer, like, idk, Jonathan suggested Dave Growl. Aside from that, the backing track is really enjoyable, sounding like tight-playing garage rock music. Ah, well, I guess it could be worse, but it could have been better. 4/10

21.   The Flaming Lips- (Just like) Starting Over

Jonathan: Hey it’s The Flaming Lips. A great band known for their terrible covers! I kind of like this though. The music is somewhat minimalistic but still soft and pretty. Like The Soft Bulletin on a budget. Oh and Wayne Coyne’s vocals are really pretty. Still the bits with his voice and the acoustic guitar don’t work and when compared with the original I find myself feeling strangely cold. Better than I was expecting though. 6/10

Franco: I’m a huge fan of The Flaming Lips, but this cover just fails me. It sounds like it’s something from The Soft Bulletin, or maybe At War With The Mystics, but the spacey atmospheric effects are don’t fall in place and just give me negative vibes. Not only that, but Wayne Coyne’s vocals just hard to listen to. See, Coyne doesn’t have a technically good singing voice, but for the music he and the Lips creates, it fits in perfectly. So, when he tries to sing songs written by other people, it just sounds out of tune and unfitting, so therefor, the everything just falls apart. Therefor, I hate to say it, but I’m gonna have this give this a 3/10. I can see what they were trying to get at, and it’s not a disgrace to the original or anything, but it just fails in nearly every respect. Sorry buddies. I still love ya!

22.   Jack’s Mannequin featuring Mick Fleetwood - God

Jonathan: AHHH THIS IS TERRIBLE. Franco really took the piss out of the guy’s vocals when we listened to it and that’s completely deserved. He sounds so obnoxious. The problem isn’t that he sounds insincere, the problem is he sounds sincere in a really smug self-righteous assholeish way. Who needs that? Mick Fleetwood does the drums so they’re good but apart from that it’s unremarkable bar band land. And Christ the guy’s stupid over enunciated upfront douchebag vocals. Looks like Jack is such an asshole that the only person he could make it with is a mannequin. Yeah! Up yours Jack! 1/10

Franco: GAWD IS CAWNSEPT! BY WHISH, WE MEASHURE, OWLL, PAYNE!! 1/10

23.   Regina Spektor- Real Love

Jonathan: Thank God they end it with this because otherwise my opinion of the album as a whole would have sunk considerably. It starts off with some heartbreakingly beautiful harmonies that show up again at the end so you stay in love. Spektor’s piano playing is really soft but oddly tense in places and her voice is really beautiful. Really pretty melodic song. The original, but that applies easily to this one again. A definite highlight. 9/10

Franco: OH MY GOD THOSE OPENING HARMOINES THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AAAHHHH. Aside from that, this is cover absolutely wonderful, and ends the tribute on a high note. All that the song comprises of, for the most part, is her voice and the piano, and man oh man is she good. Her style of singing is strong, but her approach is soft and timid, making me feel like she is speaking directly to me. As a result, this makes the entire piece more intimate, causing me to almost like this version more than the original. And THOSE HARMONIES APPEAR THAT APPEAR AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END!!! My god, they only happen for a short time but it’s like I’m in heaven for ten seconds. Bravo! Bravo! 9/10!

Conclusion

Jonathan: Despite some noticeable dips in quality this is a really good tribute album. Most of the artists manage to put their own stamp on the songs whilst remaining true to John Lennon, so you’re continuously reminded of his presence. It’s also a great reminder of what an amazing melodicist John Lennon was, a real McCartney. You can listen to it on Spotify and I’d recommend you do it now. Then y’know forget about it and listen to John Lennon’s actual albums.

Franco: I agree.

https://open.spotify.com/album/5hJwAMtrAvp9cGLhR3ZmYN