Musical Covers
Aug/090
Glee: On My Own
In the midst of my anticipation of the series premier of FOX’s new show Glee on September 9, I was perusing it on iTunes (link opens iTunes). After getting the (currently) free video of Rachel, played by Lea Michele, performing On My Own from Les Mis I decided to check out the cover performances of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab and Journey’s Don’t Stop Belivin’ from the pilot that aired back in May.
One of the reviews for Don’t Stop Believin’ caught my attention by the first line and the five-star rating: “I’m sixteen years old.” I usually skim these just to get a laugh or two at typical reviews on popular items in iTunes. This one wasn’t the usual “OMG I LOVE MILEY SHE’S LIKE THE GREATEST PERFORMER EVAH” review, though.
Oh, please! [5 Stars]
by young team – May 22, 2009I’m sixteen years old. I have a very mature and varied taste in music, and I’m definitely not one for covers or for typical bubble-gum pop and “hip-hop” that floods the radios and the charts (to be honest sometimes I can be a big of an elitist when it comes to music). But come on! Obviously the original “Don’t Stop Belivin’” can never be topped, but that’s not the point of this song. The point of this song, and the show Glee, is to reinvent old classics for a younger audience, which is a god thing because then people in my generation can be exposed to really great music they otherwise wouldn’t know. This cover, in my opinion, does Journey’s original song justice. The singing is top-notch, the horns are a nice addition, and the whole song is so high-energy that it’s impossible not to get into.
For all the naysayers who are saying things like “Journey would kill them” or “If you like this, you have no taste in music,” you guys are wrong on all counts. First of all Journey LICENSED this song to FOX for use in Glee. Obviously FOX couldn’t just use this song without Journey’s permission, so the face that Journey let them use it at all is a good hint that there’s something going on here that’s more than your average High School Musical fad. Also, I’m a living, breathing example of a person who has a respectable taste in music but also genuinely enjoys this cover. So please, if you’re still biased against the things Glee and its cast and FOX are accomplishing, take your bitterness elsewhere. Otherwise, buy, download, and enjoy this great cover of a great song.
Such an articulate review, let along from a sixteen-year-old author. I take objection, though, to the notion that a “respectable taste in music” and covers (particularly this cover) are mutually exclusive. Of course a “respectable” taste in music is horribly difficult to define. (The context of this review leads me to interpret that Journey is good, but the popular chart-toppers over the last several years are, by-and-large, not.) Obviously, taste in music is an opinion and thus open to vast differences between interpreters. I don’t feel that a “mature”, “good”, or “well-formed” taste in music excludes contemporary popular music. My showtunes are perfectly happy living in iTunes next to Diana Krall, Billy Joel, Britney Spears, Allison Krauss, Dixie Chicks, Fergie, and Lady GaGa. Eclectic, I know. But the point is that there is nothing about chart-topping music in recent years that automatically excludes the majority of it from being enjoyable… it just might be something you keep in the dark recesses of your iPod so your friends don’t know that you shake your groove thang to Toxic.
I’m willing to argue that in some cases the cover is better than the original (this song included). Imitation is the highest form of flattery, and a cover in music is just that: an homage to a musical influence or a reworking of a classic song that takes on a whole new meaning. Not being one for “classic rock”, “hair bands”, and the like but a fan of musicals, the “Great American Songbook“, and jazz I found that I would actually listen to Glee’s show-choir rendition of Don’t Stop Belivin’ for enjoyment–something I would never do with the original. Here are some other songs where the cover appeals to me more than the original:
- Ivy’s I Don’t Know Why I Love You (Album: Guestroom). Originally by The House of Love.
- Sophie Milman’s I Can’t Make You Love Me (Album: Take Love Easy). Originally by Bonnie Rait. Admittedly, I do like both versions, but the instrumentation in Milman’s version highlights her unique voice and brings a different power than Rait’s performance on her Luck of the Draw album. (Don’t get me started on George Michael’s version.)
- Queen Latifah’s California Dreamin’ (Album: The Dana Owens Album). Originally by The Mamas & The Papas. This could be more a generational difference combined with my affinity for jazz than anything else.
A notable situation where the cover absolutely sucks? John Mayer’s Message in a Bottle, recorded during a live show in Birmingham, Alabama in 2002. He butchered a perfectly good song that I’ve yet to hear a cover of that I like.
To close out, below is a video of Sophie Milman on CTV Canada AM’s am Soundstage performing Take Love Easy. I still think she’s not as popular as she should be and all three of her albums are great to just put on while you’re just working or relaxing around the house.
Gay Stereotypes in Film, Television
Jun/090
Movie poster for Sacha Baron Cohen's new movie Brüno, in theaters July 10, 2009.
The New York Times has an article today, A Plea for Tolerance in Tight Shorts. Or Not. regarding the upcoming Sacha Baron Cohen movie Brüno. Having never seen Borat or, admittedly, any of Mr. Baron Cohen’s prior works I’m not quite sure what to expect. But after reading the controversy that has sprung up around it, I’m definitely making a point to see it now.
Brüno, R-rated of course, stars Mr. Baron Cohen as a “flamboyantly gay fashion journalist from Austria” named, obviously, Brüno. Given the sexuality of the title character, gay groups are throwing in their opinion on the film with mixed reviews depending on who you speak to. The film’s “well-meaning attempt at satire is problematic in many places and outright offensive in others,” says Rashad Robinson of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in the NYT article. On the other side, editor of Out magazine Aaron Hicklin plans to put Mr. Baron Cohen on the cover of the magazine. Again, telling the New York Times: “The movie does something hugely important, which is showing that people’s attitudes can turn on a dime when they realize you’re gay. The multiplex crowd wouldn’t normally sit down for a two-hour lecture on homophobia, but that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I’m excited about that.”
I’m inclined to agree more with Mr. Hicklin than GLAAD’s statement. Satire is often meant to be offensive to some, while drop-dead hilarious to others. I’d like to think that the gay rights movement has come far enough that we are able to laugh at our own expense. Certainly some movie goers are going to take the movie as acknowledging their homophobia or are going to enjoy the movie more because of it, and perhaps the film isn’t going to change any minds about homophobia. Now, I haven’t seen the movie yet (it doesn’t come out, so-to-speak, until July), but I’m confident it won’t be a breakthrough in positive portrayal of gays. But the character is so intentionally over-the-top that it would be hard to peg it as representing even most flamboyant gay men. We’ve had “flamboyant gay stereotypes” on television for years (Sean Hayes’ character Jack on Will and Grace or Michael Urie’s Mark St. James on Ugly Betty, for example), and some of those shows are awarded for portrayal of gay characters. Compared to ten, or even five, years ago there are many more gay characters on television (both positive and otherwise).
Kevin (L, Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (R, Luke Macfarlane) Walker. From the "Brothers & Sisters" episode "Glass Houses". (Image from IMDb.)
ABC Family has two shows that I know of (Greek and Secret Life of the American Teenager) with a major or minor gay character in shows that target a younger demographic. The new FOX show Glee features a gay show choir stereotype, and a glee club diva with two dads. From the pilot episode (which I encourage everyone to watch, if only for the productions of Amy Winehouse’s Rehab), the issue isn’t central to the show. It’s just another facet to the characters. Yet there was some negative reaction to the character of Kurt for being a stereotype (and being a minor character in the pilot), while ignoring the other big cliché of the show: the jock with a softer side (like Sears). I’ve also seen some negativity towards the ABC show Brothers & Sisters (between Ugly Betty, Brothers & Sisters, and the ABC Family offerings, ABC is one of the more “gay-friendly” networks today) centered around the fact that gay characters Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) don’t get enough on-air time.
There have been plenty of gay-centric television in recent years, on premium networks (Queer as Folk, The L Word, etc.) and broadcast (Will and Grace), and now it seems that gay characters are moving out being either minor recurring roles or part of an “ensemble of gay characters” to being just characters. Their gayness doesn’t define them as a character. The Kevin and Scotty couple could just as easily be a heterosexual couple and many of their plots don’t necessarily hinge on their sexuality; instead they are your normal couple who just happens to be gay. With more states allowing gay marriage, positive portrayal of gay characters where their sexuality isn’t a key issue can only be a good thing.
Flickr
