Friday, May 27, 2011

Born to Express Yourself


This is a cover of a mashup. Now sometimes mashups are considered covers. you can take one song and put it to the music of another, "covering" it per say. Mashups in my opinion are that, 2 or more songs mashed together. Usually mashups are similar songs or have similar music.
We have here 2 songs that are so similar that many accuse Lady Gaga's Born this way of plagerism for Madonna's Express your self. 90% of people would probably agree if you played them side by side. Same cord progression, melodies, just sped up a little and off timed hook exchanges. Madonna doesn't care so people should leave it alone.
Anyways, there are tons and tons of mashups of these two songs. There are even several mashup covers. What we have here is a unique event. Both songs are of the "pop" variety, have different lyrics and different meanings and identities.
What Doll & the Kicks have done is made one song out of two. So they've actually covered 2 songs with one blended song that sounds like one song. If you've never heard Madonna's Express yourself or Lady Gaga's Born this way you couldn't tell this was two different songs.
They have their own video on youtube for this but, I went with a slide show of my "smiley face". I'm expressing the way I was born!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Fix You


I almost wanted to put this on the other blog but since it’s a cover I’ll post it here. And instead of detailing why I like this version ( which is obvious after you watch/listen ) I’m going to disperse a little of why I chose it.
I think somewhere FB or MS I’ve posted a link to this before, but oh well, here we go again. It disserves a second go around. I’m sure someone hasn’t seen it yet.
2 things
1st, if anyone knows me they know how much I like watching old people on TV and movies. Grumpy old men and Everybody loves Raymond especially for the “old people”. I’m not in a hurry to get old but I look forward to the day (60yrs old) when my boys get to change my diapers!
2nd, I haven’t had much success so far this season in running or loosing weight. This afternoon’s run was short and tough. The last couple runs have been difficult to even go short distances.
So after watching the biggest loser I find myself in the usual self pity funk. I’m trying to figure out whats wrong, why can’t I stop eating and drinking the crap, why can’t I push through miles or the pace like I did last year? Why can’t I get and stay motivated? Why can’t I fix this?
Which made me think of the Coldplay tune “Fix you”. The first verse and part of the chorus keep trying to ring out in my head.

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse…
…Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Of course the song and especially this video means something else entirely. Watching Fred Nittles sit up there with his oxygen tank and the rest of the Young @ Heart chorus sing this for one of their own that passed away a week before the performance is something else.
Young @ Heart Chorus covering Coldplay's Fix you.
They've disabled embedded video for this, so you'll have to follow the link.
Fix you

Here is a 2 for from Young @ Heart. Another example of interpretation of a song. They don't really do a different version, but the simple fact of who they gives the song a different meaning. From a punk band to senior citizens, pure gold.
Young @ Heart covering the Ramone's I wanna be sedated