Through a series of haphazard events, I came in to possession of "RUMOURZZZ," a CD that covers the Fleetwood Mac album of the same name (well, close - "Rumors"). Now, I have a lot of memories of Fleetwood Mac, all of them positive but in an underwhelming sort of way. Mostly as something my mom would listen to when I was too young to know what was going on, but later something I listened to occasionally on purpose. In ninth grade, I was talking to a "hip adult" who asked me what kind of music I liked. "All kinds," I said, completely seriously, but also not wanting her to be able to put me into any kind of music box. "Well, then what's in your CD player right now?" She countered. "Fleetwood Mac" I confided with a cringe, but she was surprisingly impressed. Ever since, I haven't been able to fit Fleetwood Mac into my musical genre/hipness map (which is really ever-shifting, irrational and besides-the-point, anyway).
All this is relevant because being given a little cloth pouch containing a CD of quiet indie bands I've never heard of covering a Fleetwood Mac album only perpetuated my confusion. HOWEVER, this CD has been my surprise hit of the summer. Sure classics with a quirky touch. Songs of complicated love that somehow manage not to sound cliche. Just real good songs. Sounding just right when you're in the mood for either quiet or loud. I WANT TO SHARE THIS CD WITH THE WORLD. Instead, I'm posting some youtubes of original versions. But the covers are so much better. Maybe if I get my shit together I'll make my own music videos for the covers. Until then...
I wish these were my friends.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
ELF, I'm with you on Fleetwood Mac (although most of my fascination is channeled towards Mizz nIcks...)
Listening to Rumors for the first time, I was shocked to realize how many overplayed radio hits had been FWM all along, when I assumed they were the work of a whole grouping of classic rock monsters i'd heard of but had little to no sonic awareness of: The Eagles, Journey, Heart? Who knows.
On Rumors, the variation between songs amounts to more than a skill at simply not making all songs "sound the same," but rather a natural propensity towards a scatteredness that's created by the band's accompanying well-known "behind the music" histories: "You Make Loving Fun" was written by Christine McVie about her love affair with the band's lighting director; Gold Dust woman was Nicks' drug-lovin anthem; "Don't Stop" was the McVie breakup tune.*
This grab-bag effect makes for some great successes and failures: While "The Chain, evidences the good, kind of FWM lovesick chant I love**, "You Make Loving Fun," has punctuated many a long-distance drive with frustrated pounces on the SCAN button, owing to its mind-boggling presence and repetition on the radio stations of Minnesotan nether-regions, and because it SUCKS.
Though not completely Fleetwood, as a sidenote, Nicks' duet with Don Henley, Leather and Lace, gets me in the same sort of parentally-shamed spot (the HEART) that Rumors seems to get you, ELF:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OZ9F3NTvzY&feature=related
And furthermore, did you know?**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbkvtbeXexU
Yeah, it's good.
*Anyone care to comment? This is pretty lighthearted for a divorce...
oh man that bone thugs is EXACTLY the kind of thing that restores my faith in the world. this actually brought tears to my eyes - no joke.
i think / i KNOW this is my attraction to girltalk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDDdpxEf9hM
hearing biggie over tiny dancer (at about 1:25) inspired a lifetime of devotion to gregg gillis, no matter what happens to his reputation and fan base. this kind of time and genre spanning blend makes me feel like somehow love and peace will prevail.
Post a Comment