Softer than dust and louder than bombs

[sovay]

A sort of communal meme, stolen from watermelontail:

The world ends, the credits roll. Which song plays?

By the original rules, R.E.M.'s "End of the World As We Know It" is out of bounds for obviousness. I have chosen Tom Waits' "A Good Man Is Hard To Find":

Well, I always play Russian roulette in my head
It's seventeen black or twenty-nine red
How far from the gutter? How far from the pew?
I will always remember to forget about you

A good man is hard to find
Only strangers sleep in my bed
And my favorite words are good-bye
And my favorite color is red

What about you?

Comments

[sovay]

I've always wanted to hear a woman cover that song.

Camille O'Sullivan. I heard her in Mrs. Henderson Presents (2005) and she and Will Young impressed me immensely in that they sounded like singers from the late 1930's, early 1940's, not modern performers; there's a real difference in technique and style, and most people don't manage it. (In the same way, I couldn't distinguish most of the soundtrack's original compositions from the period songs except by looking them up afterward: this is the musical equivalent of special effects, and they were fantastic.) The album looks awesome, too.

Also, "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis."

Numerous people, apparently.

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

Camille O'Sullivan.

Yatta! Pity you don't work for me, Agent Sonya.

She sounds pretty good--I noticed there's a downloadable file on that site of her doing a good job with Waits' "Innocent When You Dream".

hey sounded like singers from the late 1930's, early 1940's, not modern performers; there's a real difference in technique and style, and most people don't manage it.

I know what you mean. It was one of the things I didn't like about the Chicago movie.

Numerous people, apparently.

Wow. Hmm. I don't think I've heard of any of those people except Neko Case. It would be interesting to hear, though.

[sovay]

It was one of the things I didn't like about the Chicago movie.

I didn't see the movie of Chicago, but mostly for other reasons: I'd heard the original 1975 cast and seen the 1997 revival, and I didn't think Richard Gere or Catherine Zeta-Jones or Renée Zellweger would measure up. And from what I've heard, they didn't.

I don't think I've heard of any of those people except Neko Case. It would be interesting to hear, though.

Here.

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

Here.

Sorceress! Thanks.

It's not bad. At least half of it's interesting interpretation, though at times her variations sound only like variations. Still, I'd probably show up at the parole hearing.

[sovay]

Sorceress! Thanks.

I have many obscure talents.

At least half of it's interesting interpretation, though at times her variations sound only like variations. Still, I'd probably show up at the parole hearing.

I've never heard anything else by Neko Case. Is this (even as a cover) typical of her style?

[setsuled.livejournal.com]

I've never heard anything else by Neko Case. Is this (even as a cover) typical of her style?

It's the first recording of her I've heard, too--I'd only heard of her before. I hadn't heard very much about her, either, except I always wondered if the "Neko" was meant to be the Japanese word for "cat." Her Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neko_Case) describes her work as "alt-country", and I'm not historically a fan of country. But the Waits cover didn't sound especially country to me . . .

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

Well, it depends if she's doing her solo stuff or working with the New Pornographers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Pornographers). I'm not a big fan of the NPs but her solo stuff is excellent and close to this kind of interpretation. I appreciate her later albums: the Canadian Amp EP, Blacklisted, and Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Wikipedia also calls her sound "country noir", which is a much better description, IMO. Her earlier albums, The Virginian & Furnace Room Lullabies are closer to country norms, having some influence from 1970-1980s Nashville sound. Most of the honky-tonk sound is leeched out of the later albums. The kinda gospel/spiritual sound on her Waits' cover does appear on some of her other songs, but divorced from any explicit religious method.

I know you two are probably old standards fans, so you could check out her cover of "Look for Me (I'll Be Around)". I don't know if she has a unique or innovative take on the song, but I normally hate standards & like this song. I'm finding it hard to suggest any one particular song, since the three albums I recommended are constantly running on my iPod.

As far as the quiz went, I answered back at WM's page & expanded on the idea (http://stsisyphus.livejournal.com/23728.html) in my own journal.

[sovay]

I know you two are probably old standards fans, so you could check out her cover of "Look for Me (I'll Be Around)". I don't know if she has a unique or innovative take on the song, but I normally hate standards & like this song.

I've never heard it, but I'll look for her version.