"ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER" JIMI HENDRIX (1968)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

As legendary as Bob Dylan is, I understand that he’s not for everyone. Some people just can’t listen past Dylan’s nasal-infused vocal delivery. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t exactly the most vocally gifted musician either. But whatever he lacked as a singer he more than made up for as a guitar player. The thing about his rendition of the Dylan classic “All Along the Watchtower” is he lit every strand of folk and Americana roots from the song on fire, burned those elements to the ground and then made the fire rise even higher with an electric reboot.

Throughout my middle and high school years, I lived next door to a Jimi Hendrix fanatic. My brother introduced me to Jimi’s impressive catalog, which was incredibly prolific given his short life span. The thing that immediately drew me in to his music was a guitar playing style that almost sounded otherworldly. It wasn’t rock. It wasn’t blues. But it was this crazy blend of the two that seemed to be so effortless to Jimi but impossible for others to emulate. You can’t simply play the same notes that Jimi played and expect it sound the same. It was the way in which he navigated back and forth between those two genres so easily that makes “All Along the Watchtower” one of the greatest cover songs of all time.

“Business men, they drink my wine. Plowmen dig my earth.”

"HOTEL CALIFORNIA" GIPSY KINGS (1990)

This month, I’m jumping into the #APlaceInTheSong challenge from @JukeboxJohnny2. Great songs have that special ability to describe places in a way that makes us feel like we’re right there. Each day, I’ll pick a track that I think accomplishes that feat.

One of my all-time favorite cover songs hails from one of the my all-time favorite movies. The Big Lebowski was never short on great music, epic story arcs, fascinating character development and comedic moments. And the Gipsy Kings’ cover of The Eagles hit “Hotel California” seemed to be somehow dropped down on the dusty intersection of all these elements.

John Turturro’s “Enter Jesus” moment at the bowling alley is one of the most unforgettable Big Lebowski moments. And the scene is queued up with this song. It’s an ironic choice because The Dude throughout the film makes it clear how much he hates The Eagles. In a cruel twist of fate, his bowling nemesis seems to arrive with his own personal soundtrack, flaunting The Eagles’ biggest hit on a bed of heartfelt flamenco. While I don’t care much for The Eagles, I love what the Gipsy Kings did with this mega hit. “Hotel California” was no longer just a place. It became a state of mind.

“Bienvenido al Hotel California, Such a lovely place.”

"ROUTE 66" DEPECHE MODE (1987)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 24: Flagstaff, Arizona

This cover is absolute perfection. It was the right cover song at the time and for the right place. Thematically, it coincided perfectly with Depeche Mode’s North American tour which culminated in L.A. and was chronicled famously in the documentary 101. It also worked perfectly as the b-side to the single, “Behind The Wheel”, incorporating a driving theme and instrumental elements from “Behind The Wheel” in between verses that made the b-side in lock step with the a-side.

I still remember the day I first heard “Route 66”. It was on the radio – and, for me, the preeminent station was WDRE/WLIR in Long Island. I was struck by how Depeche Mode it sounded. The band took an Americana original and truly made it their own. The synth hooks, drum machine, and guitar riff are all unmistakably DM. It made a resolutely American-as-American-as-it-gets song feel like it came from a band from Essex. Because it did.

“Well it goes to St. Louis, down to Missouri. Oklahoma City looks so, so pretty. You'll see Amarillo, Gallup, New Mexico, Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Wynonna, Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino.”

"BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BEWILDERED" ELLA FITZGERALD (1956)

For the next 30 days, I’ll be taking the #AprilAcrossAmerica challenge, picking one song a day as I make my way across the country and across genres at the same time.

Day 12: Newport News, VA

When most people think of Ella Fitzgerald’s residence, they usually think of New York. Harlem, more specifically. And later, a move out to the west coast in Beverly Hills. But it all started in her birthplace: Newport News, VA. There are few singers that possess such a high standard in terms of both tone and technique. When it comes down to it, her voice is just so easy to listen to her warm tone, unique diction, and her ability to improvise like her voice is an instrument.

Ella’s rendition of the show tune classic “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” is one of her first recordings that I had the pleasure of hearing. Pure beauty coupled with technical prowess. There have been dozens of renditions recorded over the years, but what’s striking is how far superior Ella’s version is compared to the others. It belongs in a separate class of its own, making the others – from the likes of Doris Day, Mel Torme, The Platters, Barbara Streisand, Rod Stewart & Cher, among others – feel almost like karaoke.

“Love's the same old sad sensation. Lately I've not slept a wink Since this half-pint imitation Put me on the blink.”

"GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON" URGE OVERKILL (1994)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Pulp Fiction

The idea of covering a Neil Diamond song isn’t anything new. Long before Urge Overkill did it, others tried their hand at the task and created covers that were even more iconic than the originals. UB40 brought “Red Red Wine” to the masses. And The Monkees made “I’m A Believer” a classic. But Urge Overkill was a bit of an unlikely participant in the Diamond cover caravan. They rocked a lot harder and opened for Nirvana and Pearl Jam at the time they recorded the song. But their cover of “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon” is a cultural icon, ushering the song into the mainstream consciousness as part of the Pulp Fiction movie soundtrack.

There’s more to “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” than the catchy chorus. The song thrives on several tempo changes and strumming styles and the underlying flamenco persona on Diamond’s version is still there though slightly toned down. In the song, it feels like the girl rushes through the red muleta and emerges as a woman on the other side. The guitar certainly plays a prominent role in Urge Overkill’s music. But here, it. takes a backseat and the vocals take centerstage, making it a perfect track for the heroin overdose scene.

“CAN'T COUNT ALL THE WAYS I'D DIE FOR YOU, GIRL. AND ALL THEY CAN SAY IS ‘HE'S NOT YOUR KIND’.”

"NEW DAWN FADES" MOBY (1994)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Heat

Heat is one of my all-time favorite movies. It’s not just a crime thriller. It’s the story of how hate and respect can indeed co-exist. It’s a reminder that we might have a lot more in common with our enemies than we might dare think. And few movies capture the dark, ominous and isolating veneer of L.A. as powerfully and as beautifully as Heat. Michael Mann needed an equally ominous soundscape, which he found in Moby’s cover of Joy Division’s “New Dawn Fades”. It’s the musical background for an unforgettable chase scene. When Pacino catches up to De Niro, he doesn’t take him in for questioning. He takes him to coffee.

While Joy Division’s original felt like it played out inside a dark cellar, Moby’s version sprawls across the L.A. cityscape. There’s an expansiveness felt in the performance and the production. The guitar riff soars up while the bass notes descend down. Can anybody be on the same level as Ian Curtis? Maybe not. But Moby certainly fared well in getting inside Curtis’ skin and into his shoes for a few epic, haunting minutes. I can’t think of a better track to rear its head as Heat neared its climax.

“WE'LL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING AND MORE. THE STRAIN IS TOO MUCH, CAN'T TAKE MUCH MORE.”

"MAD WORLD" MICHAEL ANDREWS FEAT. GARY JULES (2002)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: Donnie Darko

“Mad World” is one of my all-time favorite Tears For Fears anthems. The opening electronic beat, apocalyptic synth overtures and ominous vocal delivery gave the new wave movement a new voice and a new mood. I didn’t think a cover could ever be greater than the original, but the Michael Andrew take for the Donnie Darko soundtrack exceeded all my expectations. It was a perfect cover to complement the dark, sad end scene in the film.

By stripping down the sound and slowing down the RPMs, Michael Andrews created a unique film score that brought TFF’s profound lyrics to the forefront. Like what Johnny Cash did with Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”, the deliberately slower pace in Andrews’ vision for “Mad World” gave the lyrics a harder, darker edge—and prove that, as great as the music was, the words of the song have always been the most powerful thing about the song.

“And I find it kind of funny. I find it kind of sad. The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had.”

"GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON" URGE OVERKILL (1992)

For the month of October, I’m taking the #OctAtoZBandChallenge challenge. The premise is simple. Pick a band starting with the day’s assigned alphabet letter and then choose a song from that band.

Day 21

The idea of covering a Neil Diamond song isn’t anything new. Long before Urge Overkill did it, others tried their hand at the task and created covers that were even more iconic than the originals. UB40 brought “Red Red Wine” to the masses. And The Monkees made “I’m A Believer” a classic. But Urge Overkill was a bit of an unlikely participant in the Diamond cover caravan. They rocked a lot harder and opened for Nirvana and Pearl Jam at the time they recorded the song. But their cover of “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon” is a cultural icon, ushering the song into the mainstream consciousness as part of the Pulp Fiction movie soundtrack.

There’s more to “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” than the catchy chorus. The song thrives on several tempo changes and strumming styles and the underlying flamenco persona on Diamond’s version is still there though slightly toned down. In the song, it feels like the girl rushes through the red muleta and emerges as a woman on the other side. The guitar certainly plays a prominent role in Urge Overkill’s music. But here, it. takes a backseat and the vocals take centerstage, making it a perfect track for the heroin overdose scene.

“Can't count all the ways I'd die for you, girl. And all they can say is "He's not your kind".”

"I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT" INDIGO GIRLS (1993)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: Philadelphia

Indigo Girls was one of the first concerts I went to. It was 1991, and the duo was riding high on the strength of their debut album. While other folk artists like Suzanne Vega and Tracy Chapman helped pave the way, Indigo Girls took things to another level with their emphasis on harmonies and dual acoustic guitar parts to their songs. In high school, I had plenty of bangers to rock out to and hook-laden tracks to move to. But there was something about Indigo Girls that was different. Their songs came from these deep places in their hearts that made them instantly attractive to me. Songs like “Love’s Recovery", “Secure Yourself” and “Closer To Fine” are a part of my high school soundtrack. A few years later, they contributed a beautiful cover of “I Don’t Want To Talk About It”.

While not a Rod Stewart original, the song is certainly most attributed to him. Everything But The Girl also covered it. But my favorite version is the Indigo Girls recording. Somehow it sounds like an original Indigo Girls song even though it isn’t. It feels like it was made for their harmonies with Amy Ray on alto and Emily Saliers on soprano. It’s sung from a place of vulnerability and brokenness, held together by gorgeous acoustic guitar and piano elements that linger in your head long after you listened to it.

“If I stay here just a little bit longer, if I stay here, won't you listen to my heart?”

"DEAD SOULS" NINE INCH NAILS (1994)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: The Crow

The Crow’s dark underworld found the right musical counterparts in its soundtrack from top to bottom. With contributions from dark, edgy bands, the songs spanned the musical spectrum — from The Cure to Henry Rollins to Rage Against the Machine. The track list reads like a college radio playlist. And one of my favorites is the Nine Inch Nails’ cover of Joy Division’s “Dead Souls”. It’s pretty ballsy to cover Joy Division. If you’re gonna do it, you better sure as hell nail it. And nail it NIN sure did.

The Crow comic books have been known to find inspiration from Joy Division, making the inclusion of “Dead Souls” that much more powerful. Just as the movie brought a new element to the original stories and images, Nine Inch Nails found a way to reinvent the Joy Division song with its own unique musical sensibilities. While Joy Division took to the upper registers with Hooky’s bass lines high up on the fretboards and Ian Curtis’ spastic vocal tremors, NIN found a home in the lower registers, with cyclical bass drum beats, grating electric guitar riffs and Trent Reznor’s tormented chants. It’s a thing of beauty in its own dark way rather than try to be Ian Curtis 2.0.

“Someone take these dreams away that point me to another day.”

"GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON" URGE OVERKILL (1994)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: Pulp Fiction

The idea of covering a Neil Diamond song isn’t anything new. Long before Urge Overkill did it, others tried their hand at the task and created covers that were even more iconic than the originals. UB40 brought “Red Red Wine” to the masses. And The Monkees made “I’m A Believer” a classic. But Urge Overkill was a bit of an unlikely participant in the Diamond cover caravan. They rocked a lot harder and opened for Nirvana and Pearl Jam at the time they recorded the song. But their cover of “Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon” is a cultural icon, ushering the song into the mainstream consciousness as part of the Pulp Fiction movie soundtrack.

There’s more to “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” than the catchy chorus. The song thrives on several tempo changes and strumming styles and the underlying flamenco persona on Diamond’s version is still there though slightly toned down. In the song, it feels like the girl rushes through the red muleta and emerges as a woman on the other side. The guitar certainly plays a prominent role in Urge Overkill’s music. But here, it. takes a backseat and the vocals take centerstage, making it a perfect track for the heroin overdose scene.

“Can't count all the ways I'd die for you, girl. And all they can say is "He's not your kind".”

"THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD" NIRVANA (1993)

Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs

It seems a little obvious to kick things off with Nirvana. They are, after all, the band most people think of when they look back at the 90’s music scene. Grunge will be forever associated with that decade. While many call Neil Young the godfather of grunge, and many critics point to other genres and bands like the Pixies for heavily influencing it, Nirvana seems to be the band most people think of first. Before Soundgarden. Before Pearl Jam. Before anyone else. At the MTV Unplugged set in New York, Nirvana created what I believe was their most unassumingly grunge song: their cover of Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World”.

This is probably my favorite Nirvana track. Most cover songs help you to look forward with new interpretations or perspectives. But Nirvana helped many of us look back. Frankly, many Bowie fans didn’t even know about the song or the album of the same name that it came from until Nirvana covered it. The band helped music fans to discover a darker side to Bowie. While unplugged, Nirvana found a way to make it a true grunge dirge. The dark undertones and misery are felt in Cobain’s vocals. But what really sealed it is when he ran his acoustic guitar through a device called a fuzz box, which had a way of making his axe sound electric and distorted. It was grunge to the core despite the acoustic setting. Sometimes I even forget it’s MTV Unplugged. Truly a brilliant cover.

“For years and years I roamed. I gazed a gazeless stare. We walked a million hills. I must have died alone a long, long time ago.”

"HOTEL CALIFORNIA" GIPSY KINGS (1990)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

One of my all-time favorite cover songs hails from one of the my all-time favorite movies. The Big Lebowski was never short on great music, epic story arcs, fascinating character development and comedic moments. And the Gipsy Kings’ cover of The Eagles hit “Hotel California” seemed to be somehow dropped down on the dusty intersection of all these elements.

John Turturro’s “Enter Jesus” moment at the bowling alley is one of the most unforgettable Big Lebowski moments. And the scene is queued up with this song. It’s an ironic choice because The Dude throughout the film makes it clear how much he hates The Eagles. In a cruel twist of fate, his bowling nemesis seems to arrive with his own personal soundtrack, flaunting The Eagles’ biggest hit on a bed of heartfelt flamenco. While I don’t care much for The Eagles, I love what the Gipsy Kings did with this mega hit. “Hotel California” was no longer just a place. It became a state of mind.

“Ella de lo lejos. Una luz centela. La idea se mezclan. Se evaporan las noches.”

"DEAR PRUDENCE" SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES (1983)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

Hyaena is one of those underrated 80’s albums that makes you wonder why it didn’t get the same kind of attention that its peers did, like New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies and The Smiths’ The Queen is Dead. No other band was doing what Siouxsie & the Banshees were doing in the studio or on tour — and no one could even if they tried. It was all about the band personnel. And this is as clear as day when you play their Beatles cover “Dear Prudence”.

Siouxsie’s unique sound and persona placed an emphatic and eerie stamp on this Beatles White Album classic. Her ominous, echoey presence is inescapable. Her vocals seem to hover over us - in direct contrast to the band’s other big cover song (Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger”), where Siouxsie sings right into our faces as if she’s hanging over the edge of the concert stage. But the special treat on “Dear Prudence” wasn’t Siouxsie. It was Robert Smith’s ingenious musical arrangement and post-punk guitar riffs. Thankfully he got back to writing, recording and touring with The Cure shortly after Hyaena, but his gloomy contributions on “Dear Prudence” are forever immortalized.

“Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play? Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day.”

"ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER" JIMI HENDRIX (1968)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

As legendary as Bob Dylan is, I understand that he’s not for everyone. Some people just can’t listen past Dylan’s nasal-infused vocal delivery. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t exactly the most vocally gifted musician either. But whatever he lacked as a singer he more than made up for as a guitar player. The thing about his rendition of the Dylan classic “All Along the Watchtower” is he lit every strand of folk and Americana roots from the song on fire, burned those elements to the ground and then made the fire rise even higher with an electric reboot.

Throughout my middle and high school years, I lived next door to a Jimi Hendrix fanatic. My brother introduced me to Jimi’s impressive catalog, which was incredibly prolific given his short life span. The thing that immediately drew me in to his music was a guitar playing style that almost sounded otherworldly. It wasn’t rock. It wasn’t blues. But it was this crazy blend of the two that seemed to be so effortless to Jimi but impossible to others. You can’t simply play the same notes that Jimi played and expect it sound the same. It was the way in which he navigated back and forth between those two genres so easily that makes “All Along the Watchtower” one of the greatest cover songs of all time.

“No reason to get excited. The thief, he kindly spoke. There are many here among us. Who feel that life is but a joke.”

"MAD WORLD" MICHAEL ANDREWS FEAT. GARY JULES (2002)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

During a long, successful reign throughout the 80s, Tears for Fears was one of those few new wave bands that broke through into the mainstream. They conquered alt rock stations, took over MTV and eventually invaded Top 40 stations. They did it with songs that defined a new generation of music — like “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, “Shout”, “Pale Shelter”, “Change”, “Head Over Heels” and “Mad World”. When Michael Andrews and Gary Jules teamed up to create a new apocalyptic version of “Mad World” for the Donnie Darko soundtrack, they reimagined the tempo to become something that crawls under your skin and stays there.

By stripping down the sound and slowing down the RPMs to a near standstill, Andrews crafted a unique film score that put the instrumentation in the background and thrusted TFF’s profound lyrics to the foreground. This deliberately slower pace in Andrews’ vision for “Mad World” gave the words a harder, darker edge. It revealed that, as great as the drum-machine and synth-driven new wave original was, the lyrics and eerie melody behind the song have always been the most powerful things about the song.

“All around me are familiar faces. Worn out places, worn out faces. Bright and early for the daily races. Going nowhere, going nowhere.”

"HURT" JOHNNY CASH (2002)

Cover songs can be many things. They can be lazy album filler. They can be ho-hum recordings that do nothing to advance a band’s catalog. But, once in a while, they can be truly epic. For my next five entries, I’m highlighting five of my favorite cover songs of all time. Each of these tracks, in my opinion, have reinvented and, in many ways, exceeded the original recordings.

When I think of all the great cover songs, some of the best ones are adored and revered by the original writers and recording artists. Johnny Cash’s rendition of Nine Inch Nail’s “Hurt” is one of those songs. It’s the very first song that comes to mind when I think of great cover songs. Of Cash’s rendition, Trent Reznor famously said, “That song isn’t mine anymore.”

Cash elevated “Hurt” into the stratosphere. Powerful. Gripping. Even more haunting than the original, which seems impossible. Recorded the year before he died, this was like Cash’s swan song. The most impressive thing about the cover is that Cash took emotions and thoughts so deeply personal to Reznor and gave it new meaning without changing the lyrics. Toward the end of his life, this recording represents one of Johnny Cash’s crowning achievements.

“What have I become? My sweetest friend. Everyone I know goes away in the end.”

"HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF" MUSE (2019)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

In the past 20 years, the 80’s have made quite the comeback. The decade’s sound was prominent in bands like The Killers, The Bravery and Franz Ferdinand. Then later, 80’s covers started going from nostalgic filler to new musical dimensions from some of most established artists around. Weezer’s “Africa” and Johnny Cash’s “Personal Jesus” come to mind. But Muse’s lesser-known rendition of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” also caught my attention recently on Spotify.

The original was utterly infectious and highly emblematic of the decade. It was all about those juicy instrumental elements. Nick Rhodes’ celestial syynthesizer swirls. Andy Taylor’s laser-sharp guitar riffs. John Taylor’s octave leaping bass lines. Rather than turn the song upside down, Muse took all the likable elements and simply turned them up a notch, giving each instrument a little more sonic edge. It’s predictable in the sense that this is Muse in its comfort zone, but the most unpredictable aspect of the track is the song selection itself.

“Darken the city, night is a wire. Steam in the subway, earth is afire.”

"WE CAN WORK IT OUT" STEVIE WONDER (1970)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

By 1970, Wonder was already ten studio albums in. Signed, Sealed and Delivered had a mix of originals and covers, demonstrating Stevie Wonder’s versatility as a co-writer and an arranger. Few artists have demonstrated the level of craft in arranging other people’s songs that he has achieved for more than half of a century. In his cover of The Beatles’ “We Can Work it Out” I’m reminded that aside from the melody and the lyrics, Stevie always saw everything else as fair game.

Deconstructing this cover, it’s easy to understand why this is considered a masterpiece in its own right. It’s not just another version. Stevie reimagined the song from the get go, inserting a soulful, driving guitar riff for the first 8 seconds. It’s a far better intro than the original. But the best thing about the recording is the complexity of the arrangement, using horns, backing vocals and more three part harmonies to add vigor and life to this Beatles classic.

“Try to see things my way. Do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on while you see it your way. Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone.”

"POLICE ON MY BACK" THE CLASH (1980)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

A year after recording the legendary double album London Calling, The Clash chose not to rest on their laurels. Instead they came back right away with the triple album Sandinista! It probably could’ve been tighter and a lot leaner, but you can’t fault The Clash for their ambition and creativity in pushing their brand of punk into even more genres. “The Magnificent Seven” was the indisputable banner track and it’s still one of my all-time favorite Clash songs, but “Police on My Back” isn’t far behind.

This cover classic showed The Clash could put serious social issues out there, but do it with a sense of humor. The opening guitar riff doubles as a police car siren and the rebellion-fueled chorus once again feels like it always belonged to The Clash, not to the original songwriters. “Police on My Back” proved that, more often than not, it was The Clash that influenced the rest of the music world, not the other way around.

“I been running Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.”