MetaChat - Motorhead plays [whatever you want].

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24 June 2005

Motorhead plays [whatever you want]. I've often thought it would be cool→[More:]to have a recording of one band playing another band's entire oeuvre. Motorhead plays Billy Idol, Kraftwerk plays Britney Spears, Dr. Dre plays Blue Öyster Cult. Sky's the limit.

post by: Hugh Janus at: 13:39 | 32 comments

Esquival plays Marilyn Manson.

posted by papercake 24 June | 13:46

Lynyrd Skynyrd plays Ani DiFranco.

posted by jonmc 24 June | 13:49

Grateful Dead plays Bjork

posted by muddgirl 24 June | 14:04

k.d. Lang sings Rev. Horton Heat. I'd especially love to hear k.d. sing this.

(disclaimer: I like both k.d. and the Rev)

posted by jonmc 24 June | 14:06

Dio plays Dokken.

posted by goatsetubgirlknifebutt 24 June | 14:06

James Brown doing Captain Beefheart (maybe Clear Spot rather than TMR)

Also there were some songs that were written with Elvis in mind: Golden Years was written by Bowie for him and he turned it down, Last Night I Dreamt by The Smiths is clearly an attempt at doing an Elvis. I'd love to hear him sing those songs.

And to further an earlier thread I'd love to hear Kate Bush do Joni Mitchell and vice versa.

posted by dodgygeezer 24 June | 14:15

Years ago, I used to do a little schtick envisioning what The Fall and The Cure would've sounded like if Mark E. Smith sang (okay, shouted out) "Why Can't I be You?", and Robert Smith sang "C.R.E.E.P.". If only I had a tape of that time...

posted by Smart Dalek 24 June | 14:20

I'd also like to hear Dwight Yoakam sing "Every Rose Has It's Thorn."

posted by jonmc 24 June | 14:21

A reggae version of "Rockin' Robin," would be most appreciated. And the Supersuckers would be well advised to do a tribute to Dolly Parton to go with their version of "Breaking The Law."

posted by jonmc 24 June | 14:31

A ska version of that song about Charlie Brown—"why's everybody always pickin' on me?"—is something I've wanted to hear for a while.

posted by kenko 24 June | 14:38

Godspeed You Black Emperor does Verdi's Requiem.

posted by matildaben 24 June | 14:38

Scott Walker does Jandek

posted by dodgygeezer 24 June | 14:39

Apparently John Cale wanted Sinatra to sing "I Keep A Close Watch". That would be pretty cool.

(on preview: Scott Walker does Jandek: maybe that's what the last song from Tilt was preparation for.)

posted by kenko 24 June | 14:40

A ska version of that song about Charlie Brown

That I haven't found. I do have Carlos Malcom's ska-fication of a famous TV theme. It came out great.

posted by jonmc 24 June | 14:42

maybe that's what the last song from Tilt was preparation for

First time I heard Jandek I immediately thought of that track (Rosary isn't it?). I'd certainly like to hear more like that.

posted by dodgygeezer 24 June | 14:49

I would like to hear The Jesus and Mary Chain go further than just Surfing, U.S.A. and do the rest of the Beach Boys' catalog.

posted by Hugh Janus 24 June | 15:19

I've always wanted to put together a band that acted more like a classical orchestra and treated rock albums like whole pieces. Like, we'd work up a start-to-finish interpretation of, say, Achtung Baby and play it for a few shows. Then back to practice and work up a version of Let It Bleed.

And on and on.

posted by cobra! 24 June | 15:27

I want to be in cobra!'s band.

posted by Hugh Janus 24 June | 15:37

I've always wanted to put together a band that acted more like a classical orchestra and treated rock albums like whole pieces.

This is kind of happening already what with Brian Wilson going on tour with Pet Sounds and Smile and Arthur Lee doing Forever Changes.

posted by dodgygeezer 24 June | 15:49

This is kind of happening already what with Brian Wilson going on tour with Pet Sounds and Smile and Arthur Lee doing Forever Changes.

dodgy, those albums and a few others aside, rock and roll is best as singles music. Go to far in that direction and you might as well be playing symphonies. Not that there's anything wrong with symphonies, but you do reach a point where it's no longer rock and roll. That point would be the entire ouvre of Yes, IMHO. YMMV.

posted by jonmc 24 June | 16:02

dodgy, those albums and a few others aside, rock and roll is best as singles music.

Maybe the rock you like, jonmc.

Magma regularly announces what (two or three) things it will play for the extent of a tour.

posted by kenko 24 June | 16:07

Yeah, I'm with kenko. Some bands are great at producing singles. Some bands are great at producing unified albums. There's room in the rock tent for both.

I'm kind of fired up about this band idea now... I might try to put this together.

posted by cobra! 24 June | 16:14

Well I saw Arthur Lee do Forever Changes. They didn't do the tracks in the same order as the album which suprised me. Also at one point the guitarist missed his cue for a solo and Lee shouted "Stop! Stop! What the fuck was that?!? Let's start again!" and sure enough they started again and it was perfect. Then they ended the night with a few other Love classics. Oh and The Seeds were support so it was an all round a perfect night.

Anyway I do agree with you, there are few bands that have pulled off perfect albums and amongst those that have, not all are suited to the live environment. I really like Pet Sounds but I think it'd be a real snooze to listen to live.

posted by dodgygeezer 24 June | 16:18

Magma regularly announces what (two or three) things it will play for the extent of a tour.

Yes, but Magma are one of a very few exceptions to the rule, kenko.

I really like Pet Sounds but I think it'd be a real snooze to listen to live.

I actually saw Wilson do Pet Sounds live. It was expertly arranged and performed. I was near tears at certain points.

posted by jonmc 24 June | 16:21

I was near tears at certain points.

Ya big softie!

posted by dodgygeezer 24 June | 16:30

cut it out!

*goes back to crocheting*

posted by jonmc 24 June | 16:32

That's a shotgun cozy I'm crocheting, just so ya know.

posted by jonmc 24 June | 16:32

Magma are also emphatically *not* rock'n'roll.

They're like the music version of Scientology without the creepy celebrity cult shit.

posted by Hugh Janus 24 June | 16:58

I will grant that Magma is not a typical rock band.

But it's still true that not all rock bands are at their best on singles.

posted by kenko 24 June | 17:01

Chuck Berry plays Barbara Streisand

posted by Cryptical Envelopment 24 June | 18:50

Pat Boone does metal.

Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss

And if only there were Elvis impersonators doing Zeppelin. In reggae style.

posted by Feisty 24 June | 20:01

I will grant that Magma is not a typical rock band

Indeed. *cranks Köhntark (Part Two)*

posted by jokeefe 26 June | 19:54

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