Masterful performer to this day.
Ghost in the Machine was, I think, the third record I ever bought as a teen back in the day. This track still sounds so magical and joyous, and I think this clip depicting the effortless, yet energetic and disciplined, spirited chaos of Stewart Copeland is a treat.
Anthem by Kawehi.
What a talented artist and hidden gem of a performance.
Long, Long Way to Go – Phil Collins, Sting (Live Aid 1985).
Yes, old enough to remember watching this on the TV live coverage. Still stands up so well.
Seems we have a longer way to go these days.
Hide and Seek – EMBRZ
No notes.
Running up that hill – Jimmy Jørgensen (Kate Bush cover)
Paring this titanic work back to its sparse, understated minimum, almost like a work by The XX, and maintaining the essence in the performance. Magnificent effort.
And bonus points for the doggo cameo.
Where You Are (featuring Lizzy Land) – EMBRZ
Right in the feels.
The perfect cover of The Blue Nile’s Downtown Lights doesn’t ex-
If, like me, you were an angsty teen or an angsty twenty-something during the 1980’s you may have been an avid fan of The Blue Nile. Their first album, A Walk Across the Rooftops, originally commissioned by a small audio electronics store to show off the dynamic range of their speakers, was critically acclaimed, and an audio magical wonderland.
About seven years later – as was their typical album release cadence – their second album, Hats, was released with Downtown Lights being a standout track that would later be covered by the phenomenal Annie Lennox.
This is not that cover.
Instead this is a brilliant reinterpretation of this work by Lucia & The Best Boys. Lucia Fairfull gives an amazing performance that’s somehow an amalgam of The Blue Nile’s own Paul Buchanan and Florence and the Machine’s Florence Welch. Describing Fairfull’s vocals in this way, though, likely does an injustice to a such a unique and eloquent performance. Lucia makes it her own. Each band member, too, is adding their own unique twist, for example Christopher Ballantyne with a super-clean, almost Joy Division-like bass line. Bonus points for the Suzuki Omnichord!
Unlike many well-intentioned cover efforts of this track, I think that Lucia and the Best Boys really get it with their performance. They give this magnificent track its due space to expand the listener’s perception, much like the original, and give it time to tell the story in its own time.
The perfect cover of Mr. Mister’s Broken Wings doesn’t ex-
Wow. Perfect.
Hankering to play GTA:Vice City again intensifies.
The Swingles – Red Rain (Peter Gabriel A Cappella Cover).
They took on this titan of a track and did so masterfully.
Monocle popped. Good show.
Woman in Chains – Tears for Fears.
Released in 1989 and perfect to this day. Oleta Adams is magnificent, and the clip of how they crossed paths is special, too. It’s here.
I think I’ll go on a Tears for Fears binge for the next few days, it’s long overdue.