Saturday Music For You
Posted on January 14, 2012 Posted by John Scalzi 17 Comments
Here you go, evidence for the assertion that Coldplay is better when covered by someone else: Concrete Blonde’s Johnette Napolitano covering “The Scientist.”
Also, as apparently it’s the 20th anniversary of Little Earthquakes, here’s my favorite Tori Amos track, appropriately enough off that album.
Two great women, two really excellent songs.
I think everything’s better when sung by Johnette Napolitano. But maybe that’s just me.
Also, as apparently it’s the 20th anniversary of Little Earthquakes
I hate you so much right now, Scalzi.
I have a vivid memory right now of sitting in my high school chemistry classroom, with my best friend and my future wife, listening to that album on a Walkman tape deck.
I’m just gonna go buy a pair of pants that come up to my armpits and find some kids to tell to get off my lawn.
Aimee Mann also does a stunning cover of “The Scientist.”
Would it be reasonable of me to assume you’ve heard Aimee Mann’s cover of “The Scientist”?
On the off-chance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKAik-3zkEI
@knitcrazybooknut: You are not alone. (Except for “Vowel Movement” maybe…lol. I wasn’t a big fan of that experiment.)
Thank you! Was it coincidence the video you chose for “Scientist” was one featuring “Fred” and “Wesley” (Not to be confused with Fred Wesley, the Jazz musician) from “Angel?”
Is it just the terrible speakers on this ancient Compaq laptop, or does Johnette Napolitano sound like she’s been smoking a pack a day since the day she was born? Seriously, she sounds like a female Tom Waits.
And that Tori Amos track sounds a *lot* like early Sarah McLachlan. I’m not sure which of them came first, though. But then it’s also reminding me somewhat of Alanis Morissette, so maybe it’s the era rather than a particular singer.
Doc RocketScience: scootch your lawn chair over a bit on the porch to make room for me. I need to practice shaking my cane at those darned kids. Cuz there’s really no way Little Earthquakes is 20 years old…look how young college me looks in this flashback I’m having right now.
I do really like Concrete Blonde, and that’s a pretty good cover by Johnette.
But is it wrong to actually LIKE Coldplay? Because I do.
tori amos is the reason i started reading neil gaiman. i had to find out who this person was and why she was hanging out with him and the dream king. :)
I can’t believe that was 20 years ago. Tell me it’s only 10. Please.
Ok, I was not convinced on the cover-being-better until 1:54, but yes.
As for Tori, damn. I was in 7th grade when “Little Earthquakes” came out but I didn’t get hooked until a few years later. My favorite album/song of hers is usually whichever is playing at the moment (with a few exceptions).
Here is an interesting cover of a song from Gotye, It is a song called Somebody That I used to Know, and it features 5 people playing one guitar. Here is the link to the video on Youtube if it makes it through. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9NF2edxy-M
As long as we’re talking about Coldplay covers being better than Coldplay, try this one out:
I actually prefer Aimee Mann’s cover of “The Scientist” — which, for the longest time I didn’t realize was a cover. (I’m not going to Coldplay-bash, but I just don’t listen to them much.)
I have a feeling that a lot of artists/bands would be better off writing songs for better singers/bands to perform.
Johnette Napolitano has one of the best voices, and in a perfect world, Concrete Blonde would have been a much more celebrate band, too.
No!! Don’t click on that “Somebody That I Used to Know” link! It’s an earworm!! I have only just escaped from its evil clutches. I had to kill it WITH FIRE: only my children’s insistence on playing their favorite Disney tunes CD saved me. Having said that, watching that group play that on one instrument was really cool.