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If "Yer Blues" is such a hot song, why nobody covers it?
16 Mar 2006 12:48:03 -0800
rec.music.beatles
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Heather Mills readies battle against leather mits in MLB...
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And wasn't that what Yoko was speaking to at Q-awards
Runnnerr...
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Yer Blues is a great song. The number of cover versions that a song
has, has nothing to do with how good or bad it is.
Heather Mills readies battle against leather mits in MLB...
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So I guess this time you do agree with Yoko..
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FaceBend...
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Yes it does, cause the more popular the song is, the more the artists
want to do a cover of it.
Seth Jackson...
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You're confusing "great" with "popular".
Dale Houstman...
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Yes, but he's making one more mistake: he's assuming that - even if the
song is both "great" and "popular" - that this state will be manifested
in the form of numerous covers, and thus "numerous covers" is evidence
of greatness. It's balderdash of course, but when has that stopped an
FaceBend...
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I didn't even write that it was a great song. Runnnerr wrote that part.
But since you want to make it out that I said that, then I'll state that
In my opinion it is true. A "popular" song IS considered a "great" song
and some of them are manifested in the form of numerous covers,
Seth Jackson...
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I beg to differ. Would you consider, for example, "Don't Worry, Be
Happy" to be a great song? How about "The Macarena" (sp?)? Those are
FaceBend...
FaceBend...
just a couple of examples that come to the top of my head. Perhaps
you like those, but I'm sure we can all think of popular songs that we
FaceBend...
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The same goes for "Indian Reservation"
and "in the year 2525". Lousy songs..but our opinions don't matter. The
songs sold well.
We could start a separate thread with this topic.
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rate as less than great.
FaceBend...
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Yeah, but the point is, just because we don't rate them as great
songs..doesn't mean that other people don't. Agree? Our opinions don't
matter. What matters is..how well these songs sell..and how many cover
versions there are,
so the author receives yet more royalities.
Seth Jackson...
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That all depends on how you define "great song". You seem to want to
define it by popularity. By that definition, you'll also have to
conclude that any song that isn't a hit can't be great.
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and thus "numerous" covers" is evidence of greatness. How do you think
it happens? Do you think a dull song..makes cover artists want to do a a
version of a lousy song? I wouldn't have added anymore to the discussion
of this thead..but there's at least 2 of you..who can't
see who wrote what.....
:-)
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"idea" from becoming the "fuse-box penny" of critical discourse?
Seth Jackson...
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I wonder how many covers there have been of "I Am the Walrus".
Probably not that many. This must mean that it's a sucky song.
FaceBend...
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You're assuming again. Who knows?
FaceBend...
Seth Jackson...
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No, guessing. Big difference. And what's this "again" nonsense?
FaceBend...
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Hey Seth, I'm just messing with you. Please don't take me personally. I
just need to shut my mouth.
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FaceBend...
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Maybe. Depends on who you talk to. Good chance many musicians have
recorded it.
Seth Jackson...
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Fine. Apparently, I was wrong. But the point still stands.
FaceBend...
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No you aren't wrong, but I forgot what the point was. Anyhow, I'm just a
peon here.
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FaceBend...
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No, Seth, I said "Popular." The poster above me said "Great."
Seth Jackson...
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Then your post was a complete non-sequitur.
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I see what you mean though. It doesn't effect
"Your" liking of the song.
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Dale Houstman...
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For certain: some songs ("White Christmas" for instance) are so great
they get covered a countless number of times [although it is obvious
Bing still has the best version], and others are so great very few feel
up to the challenge of recreating or redefining the original. This is
perhaps part of "explanation" - if one were really called for. Another
is that the song's lyrics lack a little bit of the universality that is
usually needed to allow another performer easy access to its
representation on any level higher than "tribute." I really don't know
how many people might feel up to the emotional kaboom of the words, and
their often self-mythologizing (albeit at the same time
self-demythologizing) tone. The mention of "Dylan" and the little
"cosmic cartoon" capsules make it not the likeliest choice for a cover.
But almost any song can eventually be re-created successfully. I
wouldn't have thought "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" could be pointedly
covered. but then Devo came out with a version that recontextualized the
very meaning of the "satisfaction" being harped upon, and gave it new
energy flecked with the cooler emotionalism of that time; neurotic to a
fault. Great track.
But one cannot generalize from a mere quantitative bean count to a
qualitative "beatitude of content". It's a great song...
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