Under The Covers

No, it wasn't what I expected, sadly. She sounds drunk (a possibility) and I pretty much hate most of the songs even in their original state. Basically she sounds like she blew out her vocal chords. That's never a pretty sound where anyone is concerned. That's the primary reason why I sent my copy elsewhere. "Smoke in the Shadows" and even her MUCH earlier "13:13" are a far cry better.

Review-I like to think that I did not discover Lydia Lunch in my teens, that she discovered me. Lydia Lunch has made a career out of challenging listeners with her music. Challenging film lovers to not be manipulated with her beauty and power in her short film history. Challenging the system to change for her, not her for it when she does her spoken word tours. Lydia has teamed up with musician galore Cypress Grove for their newest collaboration. This cd of cover songs is not what you will expect. When you say a musician is releasing a cover song, people already have preconceived notions that the musicians involved are going to harm the original. In the case of these two, this album is going to manipulate the listener in a different mind set. This album makes the songs feel fresh. I mean they cover everything from Steely Dan to Cracker. They do a version of Jon Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory”. To say this album is very obscure and at times very odd, is like saying water is wet. The album opens with Bobbie Gentry’s 1967 classic, “ Ode to Billy Joe”.Where you expect them to tackle the southern feel of the song, they turn this into a bluesy almost sultry affair. You expect some dim light dive and a woman asking you to light her cigarette after she washes out the stains of a past lover to speak directly to you. This song takes on a whole new meaning when the harmonica comes into play during it. The duo tackle Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 1977 song “ Breakdown”. The guitar work on this song romances Lydia’s straightforward vocal approach. This song demonstrates that 40 years in this industry, she can still belt it out with the best of them. She goes for broke with a vocal approach that makes me a fan all over again. During this record, she incorporates spoken word and also poetry. Each song introduces the listener to a new tempo and journey. This cd is nothing short of daring and remarkable. There is not one moment on this cd that was not stellar. This is Lydia’s best work in quite a while easily. The musicianship on this cd makes you reminisce for the Teenage Jesus and the Jerks comeback record that is supposedly coming out. Lydia is still punk, she is still angry and most of all her beauty keeps music so pure and honest.9 out of 10

Lydia, You NAILED IT!!! Monster Great recordings and songs. If you're a LYDIA LUNCH fan this is a must. End.

Ho sempre ascoltato con malcelato sospetto gli album di covers: L'approccio non è facile, nel senso che la copia banale delle canzoni così come la loro decostruzione eccessiva sono ugualmente pericolose e alla fine tutto diventa mediocre.Lydia Lunch, la strega di New York che ha attraversato la No Wave a cavallo degli anni 70-80, come cantante, attrice, poetessa, che ha lavorato e collaborato con tante bands e musicisti, non è nuova a queste operazioni: In passato si è cimentata con le canzoni di Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Pere Ubu, Suicide, Eagles, tra gli altri.Dopo i precedenti –A Fistful Of Desert Blues- e -Twin Horses- continua il sodalizio artistico musicale con Cypress Grove, chitarrista Inglese, che per lei è molto più di un collaboratore seriale: Ha lavorato con Nick Cave, Thurston Moore, Mark Lanegan, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, scrivendo belle pagine di musica.Under The Covers- è un disco anti commerciale, acido, oscuro, pieno di riverbero, senza esitazioni: Lydia e Cypress prendono una manciata di pezzi, quelli che amano o quelli che odiano (tanto che non si capisce bene), e li riscrivono in modo sinistro in una specie di country blues alternativo per certi versi sconcertante.La voce di Lydia è disturbante, emozionale; bella la chitarra di Cypress, malinconica, scura, seduttiva.Blaze of Glory- di Bon Jovi, -Midnight Rider- degli Allman Brothers, -The Spy- di Jim Morrison, -Ode to Billie Joe- di Bobbie Gentry, -Breakdown- di Tom Petty, -I Want You di Elvis Costello, -Do It Again- degli Steely Dan, -Low- dei Cracker, Lydia coverizza anche se stessa in -Won’t Leave You Alone- scritta con i Gallon Drunk……E’ un lavoro molto omogeneo ed estremamente artistico, in linea con il personaggio Lydia Lunch: E’ registrato in casa con pro tools e un solo microfono… sì, un solo microfono per tutto, anche la batteria di Danilo Menna e l’armonica di Mick Cozens.Considerando certe attuali proposte è un disco che può tendere al capolavoro.Il vinile colorato in edizione limitata a 300 copie è inteso come valore aggiunto 😏

A partire dalla bella copertina, finalmente ho ascoltato delle vere originali covers, e non dei banali rifacimenti. Brava come sempre