Posts tagged remakes
drake take care
Apr 29th
This is about Drake’s new song “Take Care” (actually a remake … of a remake) which seems to be getting a boatload more airplay these days. 
It is a great song which gets a boost from collaborating with Rihanna.
Drake (real name Aubrey … his middle name is Drake) is a Canadian hip hop guy. In addition to making his own music, Drake has also written for other artists in the industry such as Alicia Keys, Jamie Foxx and more. He has that nice hip hop style that alternates between a kind of beat poet type rap and real singing. Kind of reminds me of Craig David in his younger days. And while I am not a huge Rihanna fan this is maybe the best use of her voice. She doesn’t have to try and carry a song but rather compliments in a soft (but strong if you listen to the words) style. Their voices mesh perfectly.
And while this is actually a remake of a remake (original and remake remix also included here) I like what Drake has done.
Some really nice subtle symbolism. He drops in a “heartbeat bass line” (note: the reason why you get in sync while listening is because it matches your heartbeat). And then he nicely doubles the bass beat to quicken the heart rate …and actually drops it off under Rihanna’s chorus (<kind of implies your heart is dying and she will save it>.
Beautiful simple piano overlay of the bass beat. Song is impeccably put together (even if he actually borrows most of it from the remake).
The song, and video, starts like a run-of-the-mill hip hop/light rap song but at about the minute mark it kicks into a higher gear. Overall the video is a slightly odd black & white performance video with a bull and bull horns flashing onscreen <which someone someday will have to explain to me because I have no clue what it adds>. Here is the song & video:
Take Care: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zzP29emgpg&ob=av2e
The video has a serious feel to and has a kind of slow burning sexuality without being overtly sexual (even when it’s not supposed to be). It is one of those very painful love songs imbued with a strong thread of hope. The video is slightly odd in that nothing really happens in it but you still feel like a lot happened.
The Drake version is also a perfect next step from the original, Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’ll Take Care of You”, and then the main source material for Drake’s version … Jamie XX’s remix of Gil Scott-Heron’s song.
Gil Scott Heron original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXPN2dbgu5g&feature=related
Gil Scott Heron’s original with remix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaXslpx3MWY
Drake’s version is awesome. Enjoy.
20 Cover Songs You May Want To Listen To
Jan 22nd
There have been a lot of great covers over time. This is my list of the ones I enjoy hearing and believe are interesting versions of the original (and in some cases better than the original). I have listed the cover artist, the song and the original artist.
1. Sun Kil Moon “Kentucky Woman” (Neil Diamond)
2. The Sundays “Wild Horses” (Rolling Stones)
3. Aerosmith “Train kept a’Rollin” (Tiny Bradshaw..Cream covered it too)
4. Stevie Ray Vaughan “Superstition” (Stevie Wonder)
Note: Also check out this MTV video from 1989 with both Stevies doing Superstition together.
5. The Bangles “Hazy Shade of Winter” (Simon & Garfunkel)
6. Kristin Hersh “Trouble” (Cat Stevens)
7. Ryan Adams “Wonderwall” (Oasis)
8. Evan Dando:
- with his girlfriend Julianna Hatfield & the Blake Babies “Temptation Eyes” (The Grass Roots)
9. Alison Krauss “Can’t Find my Way back Home” (Blind Faith)
10. 10,000 Maniacs “Peace Train” (Cat Stevens)
although their cover of “To Sir with Love” (Lulu) featuring Michael Stipe is a close second for them
11. Nonpoint “In the Air Tonight” (Phil Collins)
12. Quietdrive “Time after Time” (Cyndi Lauper)
13. Aimee Mann “Baby Blue” (Badfinger)
14. Foo Fighters “Baker Street” (Gerry Rafferty)
15. The Atari’s “Boys of Summer” (Don Henley)
16. Lenny Kravitz “American Woman” (Guess Who)
17. The Fugees “Killing me Softly” (Roberta Flack)
18. Scissor Sisters “Comfortably Numb” (Pink Floyd)
19. Disturbed “Land of Confusion” (Genesis)
5 Honorable mentions:
Robert Downey doing Joni Mitchell’s “River” on Ally McBeal
Red Hot Chili Peppers doing Ohio Players “Love Rollercoaster”
Mindy Smith singing a 1940’s British song “Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square”
Sarah McLachlan doing XTC’s “Dear God”
Alanis Morissette’s kickin’ version of Seal’s “Crazy.”
Cover I would like to hear done:
“Under the Milkyway” The Church
