(The original EP cover from the 1981 Album Prince Charming)
...I knew this was coming down the pipe, so there was no big shock when I found the audio clip over at PerezHilton.com to No Doubt’s cover of Adam and the Ants' Stand and Deliver.
The remake leaves the twangy guitar of the original and totally ignores the fun percussion of same (the Ants had two drummers which was integral to, and qirked, their sound). She yodels her way through the song and there is nothing interpretive, which was also the case with their cover of It’s My Life by Talk Talk. ND’s ‘homages’ to their New Wave idols are weak and arrogant. I can practically hear the pats on the head in both instances...
By listening to only the audio, it confirmed for me just how much this band depends on their visual image - I mean Gwen- and video because while the band is competent, Stefani can’t sing. She either warbles or whines, nothing in between. While I can handle Rocktsteady and put it on from time to time, she really should be calling hogs at a county fair. I can’t take anymore of her breathy deliver either. Makes me wonder what the diddly is going on in the recording booth.
("Shhh, I'm defecating on The Killing Moon.")
Stand and Deliver was a campy song by a campy band and it was great fun. This version is anything but. It’s a pretentious piece of shit and you can hear that in the way she just rampages all over it with her vocals. She doesn’t give a hang about respecting the original, she’s just using someone else’s song as platform for whatever conflagration she’ll happen to be wearing for the video. Please God, please don’t let her be in a tricorn…but she will, just to put the little swirl atop that turd for me.
This will probably get me in serious trouble, but I must confess that I've always detested Gwen's voice. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me. Especially during her No Doubt days, since I find ska even more annoying than her nasally warbling. And to top if all off, she married a member of Bush. I mean, how fucked up is that?
ReplyDeleteI was with you Codzilla up until the Ska part >:-p
ReplyDeleteBut! I was back in the fold with marrying Rossdale. Who calls their band 'Bush' anyway? Was Twazzer taken?
I like Gwen Stefani and No Doubt. Music doesn't have to be serious, or meaningful, or anything other than whatever makes the person or people making have fun and put out something they like. If others like it, too, fantastic, and alot of people like No Doubt, and Gwen solo.
ReplyDeleteBut, evidently there is something deficient with those of us that like her/them. Oh well, I'm going to go listen to Rich Girl and not care.
{=0)
Nothing deficient at all Diva and I didn't mean to imply that, personal taste is just that: personal. I find that with these covers I really notice the limitations of her voice. They should just stick to their own stuff. They're covering bands that were (and still are) important to me and I don't think they're doing them justice.
ReplyDeleteYou know, covers and remakes always annoy the hell out of me, and I think this must be a sign of aging (no offense, Baho!). Very seldom are the covers or remakes anywhere near as good as the original, and when you remember the original, and loved it, it's hard to see someone else f*** it up.
ReplyDeleteI'm really having a problem lately with all the remakes of movies, which seem so stupid to me with all the great movies available on DVD to watch in their original version. I guess they are remaking Footloose and I don't even want to see it. As for the rumors about Cruise and Travolta remaking "Butch Cassidy" - that's almost blasphemous.
No offense taken Syko. Like a fine wine, blah blah...where'd I leave my teeth??
ReplyDeleteI agree about this re-making of movies. Now the remake of Cape Fear was good, because it was smartly and respectfully done...and I know there are others, but Footloose? And maiming Butch Cassidy with those two $cientoloholes?
Some things make me wish I'd never been born.
Nah, better to wish for Cruise and Travolta to never have been born. YOU, my dear, are a valued piece of humanity.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the remake of Willie Wonka, partly because I will watch anything with Johnny Depp in it, his face fascinates me - although I also loved Gene Wilder's Willie. Not much else has impressed me. I think I've seen two remakes now of King Kong, haven't I? Well, haven't SEEN them. I saw the original, and the one with Jessica Lange.
ReplyDeleteI just grieve for creativity. It seems like everything is a remix of old things now. Which would be okay, except that the old things are still available and easily accessible. A friend here at work, who is even older than me (and still walks upright!!) was talking about "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" the other day and wishing she could see it again because her grown grandkids have no idea about it, and she thinks it was one of the best movies ever, with Burl Ives, Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor... And in two minutes we found it on Amazon for $7.99. So she was going to order it and make her husband watch it with her, and then seduce him. :)
In regards to Butch Cassidy, when I told my Mom about the potential remake she nearly collapsed in horror. As if either of those two asshats could even come close to replacing Paul and Robert!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Codzilla!
ReplyDeleteI love "Asshat" :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd agreed: WTF is going on in cinema? Oh wait, actual 'cinema' is a rare and coveted jewel now.
Syko, about the seduction: "just because there's snow on the roof doesn't mean there ain't no fire in the furnace." Like Madonna said "get the cream."
Whoops, I also wanted to apologize to Diva if I seemed critical of Gwen's fans. That wasn't my intent at all, and I'm so sorry if I my post was offensive!
ReplyDeleteSyko/Baho: I'm in total agreement about the frustrating lack of creativity. Especially when studios resort to remake after remake, rather than take the time to find/fund a decent script. Oddly enough, the only remake I really liked was the zombie flick, "Dawn of the Dead." LOL.
LOL... I wasn't offended at all. I put the smiley face at the end of the post to try and convey that, but sometimes, I don't come across too well in text, lol.
ReplyDeleteI AM a Stefani/No Doubt fan, it's true, but I don't take offense to other people's taste. I do get a little up in arms when people say that the people who like someone they don't are in some way lesser than them, but different tastes in music are what make music great and colorful!
I can't stand the Bee Gees, but more power to you and them if you do, you know?
That being said, if you were to give me the choice between Stefani or No Doubt and, say, Damien Rice, I'll take Damien Rice in a heartbeat. But if Gwen is on the radio, I'll enjoy it and sing along and have fun... music can totally just be shameless fun!
Word to that, Diva. I still have "Sister Christian" on regular rotation in my car! Lol.
ReplyDeleteI've got something even worse than that, Codzilla, lol....
ReplyDeleteI'm almost embarrassed to admit... that my probable favorite song of all time is...
"She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze from the Dirty Dancing sountrack...
*blushes, but tries to stand proud in spite of*