Yesterday the wonderful covers website Copy, Right? posted a file that I felt compelled to share with others. Other parents who think that Lou Reed was, at one time, a pretty cool guy. Parents who have actually turned down Coltrane’s “Naima” and thought, “You know, ‘Fruit Salad’ really isn’t a bad song. Don Kirshner certainly did worse and he was aiming much higher in the age bracket.” These same parents suddenly know that Greg Wiggle has an Elvis fetish and secretly wonder if Anthony has left a trail of broken-hearted MILFs across the country.
Thing is, I actually enjoy watching the Wiggles with my daughter. I have seen them live, and enjoyed myself. I even got involved in the whole “Jeff is Dead: Not Just Sleeping” conspiracy and analyzed the cover of “Wiggly Gremlins” to discover if it were true that he was replaced by a keyboard playing cyborg.
But this file that was posted yesterday brought together two worlds that many of us thought would never come together. Ostensibly, it’s a radio appearance by the Wiggles on some Aussie program where the DJ liked to have bands play unexpected cover songs.
Boy did they. And this file is so much more. So much more.
After the mind-blowing aspect of your two worlds colliding dribbles out of your nose in cerebro-spinal fluid ooze, you actually think to yourself: “All things considered, these guys ain’t bad.” Hell. Tim Finn sang a version of “Six Months in a Leaky Boat” with them. Or was it Neil Finn? One of them. I don’t know. However, it was a damn good version of the song and will serve as my daughter’s entrance into Crowded House/Split Enz/Finn Brothers in the future.
Before you even click on the link below, I feel the need to quote one of the minds destroyed by this file:
“I think I've just realized how deeply embedded Greg Wiggle's voice is within my subconscious. My fear is that I'll be turning 108, teetering on the brink of a vegetative state, and I'll still be able to sing ‘Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car’ note-for-note. Furthermore, if I once held the fear that I would someday forget most of the lyrics to Walk on the Wild Side, that day was today.”
Without further ado, since you no hope of buying the Like a Version disc on which this appears outside of Oz, I present:
The Wiggles – Take a Walk on the Wild Side (Wiggly Version)
It was your knowledge of covers that first compelled me to visit your blog compulsively. Now, I am addicted to your stories, writing style in general, your wife's blog, and I love the fact that you fake-named-your-kids-for-saftey's-sake-and-all-around-common-sense the same names as the beloved Buick that I had in high school, and my once cuddly but now deceased hamster. And also the covers.
ReplyDeleteWhile some of the tracks are a bit predictable, Paul Anka's new album "Rock Swings" is worth a listen if only for his cover of Eye of the Tiger. Maybe it's because my boyfriend forced me to watch the Sly Stalone movie where he's a competitive arm wrestler last weekend (in the end, he wins the championship, winning back his son and a truck. Classic.), but this song really kicked my ass.
I like the Paul Anka album. It's like Prozak for Lovers only with the background to back it up. Hell, the guy wrote "My Way". I think he's earned the right to do some covers.
ReplyDeleteThis cover thing is really a sickness. There's a cello-rock band called Rasputina that put out a covers album a few years ago. Best version of Pat Benatar's "Fire and Ice" I've ever heard.
My favorite Anka cover is "Eyes Without a Face" by the way.
ReplyDeleteAnd that Stallone movie had a really crappy Sammy Hagar song in it. "Over the Top". I had that on cassette, I think. I was sad.
Holy crap, that was a bad movie and a baaaaaaaad song.
ReplyDeleteSo this weekend, my friend who is also into cover introduced me to mash-ups. Have you heard about this? 2 songs are played simultaneously, and the beat and melody sort of match up or compliment one another, and the lyrics----oh, the lyrics. The best one was Sir Mixalot's "Baby Got Back" mashed with Duran Duran's "Things Can Only Get Better." yee haw!
that was me furgot to sign in.
ReplyDelete