There'an album by Dennison Witmer called "Recovered" released last year or the year before. It's a compilation of really good covers of 70's pop (SoCal Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac - also Carole King, Neil Young and Big Star and others). Many are faithful reworkings, with much the same instrumentation (have that steel/slide guitar sound down) - but some are fairly drastic re-interpretations (esp. "So Far Away"). Most songs are lesser-known songs from the artists' catalogs (Simple Man, Songbird, Love In Mind, Nighttime, Farther On, Brass Buttons, So Far Away, It Makes No Difference, Suzanne, These Days). Vocally, he's pretty similar to Jackson Browne. Anyway - if you've not been permanently scarred by the '70s, it's pretty damned good stuff.
Good Pop Interpreters
I know I often fall prey to the romance of signer/songwriter uniqueness and individuality, but there's also something deeply delightful and satisfying about a good cover song. It's like two artists having a conversation.
Who would you recommend as an artist or group who regularly "converses" with other artists and genres through cover songs?
I'll kick things off by nominating Ry Cooder who, especially in his early albums (which are dominated by cover songs), displays an inventive, loving, and oftentimes surprising choice of and approach to cover songs.
Who would you recommend as an artist or group who regularly "converses" with other artists and genres through cover songs?
I'll kick things off by nominating Ry Cooder who, especially in his early albums (which are dominated by cover songs), displays an inventive, loving, and oftentimes surprising choice of and approach to cover songs.