are these covers too obscure?
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Posted on Jan 29, 2003 11:07 am
FunkDadyP
No Commercial Appeal.
Member Since: Jan 09, 2003
the band i'm in play covers at the end of our live sets to please the audience. we switch them every show to keep it fresh. are these new covers we're thinking about too obscure for most people to know they are covers? we're playing "fearless" by pink floyd, "what goes on" by velvet underground and "apeman" by the kinks. i love these songs, but i doubt midwest college students have a clue. what do you guys think?
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Jan 29, 2003 11:26 am If you're purpose for playing covers is to give the audience something they are familiar with, then you might be going over the heads of a lot of them with these songs. On the other hand, they are all great songs and who really cares if the audience knows they're covers or not. As long as you're getting the attention of the crowd, does it really make a difference? If you try to pick covers that every midwestern college student is going to be familiar with, you'll probably find your options pretty slim!
FunkDadyPNo Commercial Appeal.Member
Since: Jan 09, 2003
Jan 29, 2003 11:32 am i'm just a little tentative to play a jimmy eat world cover. there are about 3 other strictly cover bands playing in my town i think some people would like something different. i like going over peoples heads. when someone does know the cover it makes it a lot more rewarding i think.
Jan 29, 2003 11:51 am I agree totally. My old band used to play a cover everyonce in a while. Generally, they were songs very similar to the ones you're talking about doing. In fact we did a Velvet Underground song, but I can't remember which one now. I totally agree with you about staying away from playing the same pop/rock stuff that all the "cover bands" are playing. I say if you like playing the song, then by all means, play away. The people who know the songs will be pleasantly surprised that you're playing them and the ones who don't know them will just hear you plaing some great tunes. It's a win/win for sure!
tonyd1970The fat one always watches us.Member
Since: Nov 08, 2002
Jan 29, 2003 12:04 pm being slightly outthere and older i think youre choices are great. However, im not a college student. i used to do "concrete blond-tomarrow wendy" and after a few people said great i love concrete blond and others said "when did you write that?"
heres a rule i try to follow now, if its been heard on the radio a few times its good-theyll pick it up, if its a "b" side that only people who bought the album would know then youre on shakey ground.
there are always exceptions, and personally i play whatever I like...... thats why i have a day job...
Jan 29, 2003 12:13 pm I have not been much of a cover player, but even the original bands I have been in have had one or two well chosen covers. Actually, I have played Fearless, it's a great tune.
heck even the pros play covers now and then, and many times you may not even know they are...I am not much of a fan of bands that only play covers, but a couple good ones is cool.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 29, 2003 10:39 pm funkydady, were in the midwest are you exactly? cause were in the midwest also.
And never fear playing any cover's. Try it once and if they don't like it, don't try it again. If they do then you win. We even used to cover Frank Zappa tune's. We were the only band in the midwest that did. Mostly because they were so complex to learn and play properly. But people in the bar's loved it.
FunkDadyPNo Commercial Appeal.Member
Since: Jan 09, 2003
Jan 29, 2003 10:46 pm i am from kansas city, missouri. but i am in school at northwest missouri state. that's in maryville about 20 miles from iowa.
FunkDadyPNo Commercial Appeal.Member
Since: Jan 09, 2003
Jan 29, 2003 10:49 pm i only have one zappa album "one size fits all" and i love it. the guitar solo on "inca roads" has to be one of the trippyest, crazyest, and best solos i've ever heard. what other zappa albums do you recommend?
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 29, 2003 11:15 pm Sweet, we're in Minnesota. I used to drive to Missouri to get my fix of TWIST. A technician I met in Chicago got me hooked on it year's ago.
I'll name one album for ya tonight, and post the rest for ya tommorrow. This is probably one of the best work's out there as far as his live show's go. The track that has some of the best guitar work I have ever heard, best listened to in headphone's while slightly impaired is called Penguin in Bondage. The album is calledFrank Zappa with the Mothers of Invention, Roxy and Elsewhere. If you know how complex his music was, then you will hear this and wonder, how in the heck did that band ever play that stuff and not make a dang mistake.
If you can't find it, I own it on vinyl and would be glad to turn you onto it on a CD. Or better yet, I think I have the whole thing as giant mp3.
FunkDadyPNo Commercial Appeal.Member
Since: Jan 09, 2003
Jan 29, 2003 11:28 pm my sister went to Charleton college in northfield, mn. i like the state, except for the drive through iowa. you'll have to show me about this mp3 stuff cause i'm a fan of cd's. i'm sure it's nothing too difficult, but i know nothing about mp3.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 29, 2003 11:52 pm Oh man Northifield is a good place for me. I'm just a bit northwest of northfield. MP3's are just a form of compressed audio for the web and stuff. they take up less space and it's a smaller file. But yo scrifice some bottom and top end. Maybe I'll just smoke it to a disc for ya. But I will check at least to see if I can put up a link for the penguin in bondage track.
Jan 30, 2003 05:15 am Northfield, the only town I know that has their annual "street dance" community party on the day their bank was robbed by the James Gang. They actually call the party "Jesse James Days" and re-enact the days the James Gang robbed their bank...I always found that kinda odd...but it's fun :-)
Jan 30, 2003 09:14 am "Fearless" is a great song. I take a little spraypainted classical guitar with me everywhere to parties an such, and "Fearless" is a bit of a hippy favorite with my crowd.
I have a little ritual concerning Fearless that i'll share if everyone has a moment. For the past five years I've made an annual backpacking trip down the face of Spruce Knob (highest point in West Virginia) and back, and on my first trip up there my brother introduced me to the Pink Floyd album "Meddle". I clearly remember hearing that song for the first time driving up that mountain for the first time ("you say the hill's too steep to cli-imb") and then having the song stuck in my head the entire camping trip.
So now every year I've put that CD in for the drive up the mountain. It's just enchanting. magical. I say cover it!
FunkDadyPNo Commercial Appeal.Member
Since: Jan 09, 2003
Jan 30, 2003 09:43 am quote: i know nothing about mp3.
well i did know that it was compressed audio, and i know what an mp3 is and does, but i don't know much about downloading, uploading, sidewaysloading or what. i'm a quick learner though. at least that's what my mom told me.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 30, 2003 07:18 pm If you have hi-speed internet, I can email the track when I find it. And ya, northfield is a wild place. Remind me to tell ya dB about this year's Jesse James day's. :-) :-)
