Altering music/remixes (not for the underinterested)

Throughout history, songs were reinterpreted by artists other than the originator, for the very good reason that sound reproduction technology did not exist. The only way to hear a song was to find someone who could perform it for you.

This was even true of symphonic, chamber, and other "serious" music. And still is! Bach wrote his tunes for the harpsichord, yet today we almost always hear them played by pianists who have to deal with the different dynamics of their instrument, which not only sounds nothing like a harpsichord but allows for considerable variation in interpretation. As for orchestral compositions, the instruments may be the same but every conductor brings his own ideas and two performances can sound quite different.

When it comes to popular music, the norm has always been for each artist to bring her own creative talent to a song, perhaps finding something in it that was never highlighted before. The explosion of reproduction and broadcast technology in the second quarter of the last century saw popular music elevated to the status of a noble art. Every famous singer was expected to sing songs that had already been sung quite well by many other famous singers, often deliberately attempting to find something in it that they missed. And when it came to instrumental music, the jazz stars vied among themselves to see which one could change a song so much from the original that in places it was unrecognizable.

So I find it rather odd that in today's popular music, rock and roll, which is after all a bona fide sub-genre of jazz characterized by lots of improvisation, covering someone else's song is regarded with suspicion and can be called disrespectful or even heretical.

I saw Apocalyptica do a club gig; their performance of Metallica's songs on four solo cellos with no vocals--the specialty that originally got them noticed--is splendid. The cello is a versatile instrument that easily duplicates the sounds of power chords, lightning-fast solos, and percussion--and then goes beyond that to make the music sound new.

By appearing with a symphony orchestra and recording the performance, Metallica gave formal approval to anyone who wants to try their hand at reinterpreting their music. I give the gold medal to Lucie Silvas. Her version of "Nothing Else Matters," with only one female voice and an acoustic piano, is absolutely not rock and roll, but it moves me to tears.

If you guys don't watch "Dancing with the Stars," you might consider it just to hear the interesting arrangements the incredible house band comes up with for the songs the celebrities and their professional partners choose for their dance numbers. This show has an audience of twenty million, most of whom are Baby Boomers who still take their music seriously and know every "Classic Rock" song by heart. They not only have to not detract from the dancing with a bad idea, they have to enhance it with a good one. They used "Natural Woman" for a waltz (after all, it is in 3/4 time) and it was perfect. Last week they rearranged a Roxy Music song--I've never known a bar band brave enough to even play one straight.

There's nothing sacred about rock songs. In fact I'm sure John Lennon and Janis Joplin and Jon Entwistle and all the other rock stars who have covered other people's songs and changed them around are rolling with laughter in their graves at the notion. And giving a big thumbs-up to any of us who want to try it with theirs.

For my money there has never been a cover more stoopid than Janis's version of "Me and Bobby McGee." It absolutely must be sung by a man; the whole point of the song is that the 60's had to end because our women grew up. But Kris counted Janis as a friend; he never resented her dim-witted and strangely successful version. I dialed it up on a karaoke machine last week and discovered to my horror that it didn't even have the original.