Members Dendy Jarrett Posted July 7, 2015 Members Share Posted July 7, 2015 I just posted an article about the recently circulated Kanye attempt at singing Bohemian Rhapsody. Do you guys agree that there are some artists that should be considered "untouchables"? Thanks D http://www.harmonycentral.com/articles/dont-tread-on-them-kanye-meets-the-untouchables Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted July 8, 2015 Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 I think whoever did the mashup video should join the "Epic Rap Battles of History" team. Personally, if someone wants to do an atrocious cover of a song, they're welcome to do so...and I'm welcome to turn it off as soon as possible. OTOH, I'm a big fan of doing covers, but only if they're really different and I can put a different twist on things. However, I've found out the hard way that people have certain associations with songs, and they consider doing something radically different just as much a desecration as doing something radically awful. I once did a dance version of the Who's "Can't Explain" and posted it for the SSS Production Squad. I think the only person who liked it was Mark Longworth, because it was so different. I'd like to think, though, that if the song had never existed and there was no memory of the iconic original, people would have liked what I did. OTOH the Kanye West rendition is...uh...shall we say, lacking regardless of whether you knew the original existed or not. The most whacked-out cover I ever did was taking a really punk song that Mark L did and turning it into a ballad...it surprised even me, I never do them. I thought he would possibly vomit upon hearing it, but I think he dug the fact he could write a song so indestructible you could arrange it any want you wanted and it would still survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted July 8, 2015 Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 That guy is so far up his own arse, you can just about see his toes wiggling. Mr W. is a triumph of marketing over actual talent And yes, I do like your covers, Craig. You make a conscious effort to create a new version, rather than just slavishly copying the original. A bit like I did with this Sabbath tune: http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=7334608 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nice keetee Posted July 8, 2015 Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 Who owns copyright to Boho Rap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted July 8, 2015 Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 I just posted an article about the recently circulated Kanye attempt at singing Bohemian Rhapsody. Do you guys agree that there are some artists that should be considered "untouchables"? Thanks D http://www.harmonycentral.com/articl...e-untouchables Not really. But Kanye West simply should not try singing in public again unless he goes through the whole Taylor-learns-to-sing rehabilitation. The Flying Lizards could have done a more 'respectful' version. Regarding Craig's thoughts on covers of 'sacred' hits of the past, my mind immediately leapt to this jewel I had forgotten all about for literally decades until a couple days ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dendy Jarrett Posted July 8, 2015 Author Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 I'd rather watch this Circus Organ play BR than ever see Kanye try it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted July 8, 2015 Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 I'd rather watch this Circus Organ play BR than ever see Kanye try it again. Yeah, that's really nice. Someone did a beautiful job sequencing that to 'piano' roll. And, of course, it reveals what a fine composition it really is. And, of course, the fact that the lyrics are actually intelligent (if a bit goofy) is rare gravy indeed. Anyhow, Kanye should have hired THAT to back him up. And then not even tried to sing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flemtone Posted July 8, 2015 Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 I tried to comment on the article, but to no avail. Ah well... I don't think it's so much the artist that's untouchable, but to try and cover an artist's signature piece is usually a really, really bad move. As an example - Pop standards. Many many artists have covered the same songs and, in many cases, in essentially the same style. However, who in their right mind would try and cover Frank's "My Way", or Satchmo's "Wonderful World", or Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?" without having an alternate profession to fall back on after their sudden yet inevitable career crash-and-burn? That said, I'll wait with anxious abandon for Kanye to cover 'These Boots Are Made for Walking'. Hey, what could go wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted July 8, 2015 Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 WARNING: DO NOT DRINK ANYTHING WHILE READING THE COMMENTS IN THIS THREAD!!! KEYBOARD DAMAGE MAY RESULT!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Beck Posted July 8, 2015 Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 Kanye suffers from textbook delusions of grandeur. I've heard about the atrocity, but I refuse to watch/listen to it. I don't want it to ruin memories of that epic Queen song. But then I dive for for the off button whenever any Kanye song comes on the radio or TV. I agree there are some artists/songs that should be considered untouchable mostly because no one can hold a candle to them. Kanye would be cute if he were like 5 years old doing the stuff he does, but as an adult pushing 40 years old... ummm... no not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted July 8, 2015 Members Share Posted July 8, 2015 Kanye would be cute if he were like 5 years old doing the stuff he does [...] LOL! To his parents, maybe. Most kids (even those who grow up to have real singing skills) can barely hold a tune at 5 -- but I have absolutely, definitely seen 5 year olds -- and not just a few -- come a lot closer to a recognizable melody than KW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Not really. But Kanye West simply should not try singing in public again unless he goes through the whole Taylor-learns-to-sing rehabilitation. This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 Who owns copyright to Boho Rap? I believe Queen does - they share it IIRC, or their "corporation" owns it. Freddie Mercury is the one who actually wrote it. And so everyone who happened to hear Kanye's suckage can clear their ears out, please feel free to click play on the video below. It's guaranteed to be 100% Kanye-free. [video=youtube;k-ARuoSFflc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ARuoSFflc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Folder Posted July 11, 2015 Members Share Posted July 11, 2015 The thing that is most interesting to me is the response from the audience. Here you have a guy who obviously can't sing. He's up there at a huge music festival in front of tens of thousands of people embarrassing himself trying to sing over an "original recording" of a classic rock song that came out forty years ago. Yet the audience is cheering and waving and singing along like they've just landed in a time warp back to 1976 and they're watching the real Freddie Mercury and Queen "live on stage." I don't get it. I mean they could have picked any goober out of the crowd and he probably could have done the exact same thing - only better. People could go see amateurs sing much better than this for free at any two bit karaoke bar in America. What is the entertainment value here? Where are the boos? Where are the rotten tomatoes? Why don't these people feel ripped off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted July 11, 2015 Members Share Posted July 11, 2015 I suspect that cognitive dissonance is the power source of the ongoing dialog on this. One cohort I have not seen represented in any of these discussions are precisely those (we're led to believe) adulatory fans. (Yes, Virginia, sometimes audience reaction tracks do get 'sweetened.' Well, augmented. Well... faked.) ALL that applause and all those sounds of adulation on the vid clip soundtrack -- and yet, in the follow-up discussions that don't seem to die down, all you hear is how bad it was (and they don't mean good). Certainly, in the moment, the sound of an expectant crowd, the dramatic lighting, etc, it's not all that hard to imagine someone getting caught up for a few moments. But after he 'sings' a while... well... oh, my. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I think that's the thing - people get caught up in the event, in the experience... but are we to believe that in this case, the experience warranted such adulation, or that the power of the experience was so profound as to mask the ineptitude of the "singer"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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