40 Years Of Radio 1 – shameful musicians

Last week I listened to the album you can see to the left. It’s a covers album of current bands covering a classic songs from each of the 40 years Radio 1 has been broadcasting. It’s a good album with some really interesting artists and song choices.  A few tracks stood out for me as really good covers either just played well, or presenting a different slant on a track I know well. This to me is exactly how a cover should be. On the other hand a few tracks stood out for just how bad some of our current money earning professional musicians really are. I listened to track 2 of CD 1, “All Along the Watch Tower” a classic Jimi Hendrix track. On this Album it’s covered by The Fratellis, who make it pretty obvious they can’t play the guitar, now I don’t mean “can’t play the guitar as good as Jimi” I actaully mean can’t play a decent guitar part beyond 3 chord strumming. My first gripe is why they chose to cover a guitar genius’s song when it’s clear they can’t play, me second gripe is – these are paid musicians and their level of musical ability with their instruments is shockingly bad.  I also single out track 19 CD 2, “The Power Of Love” by Huey Lewis, this is actually a good cover it in itself, in that I enjoyed listening to it, however again the basic ability of the guitarist in the band The Pigeon Detectives who where covering it was boarder line beginner. I know being a instrumental genius isn’t everything, stage presence, charisma, song writing are all part of this, but I’m not looking for geniuses, nor even to be impressed just something I don’t think “wow, that’s terrible playing” It saddens me to think  that these guys are getting paid to be professional musicians, yet at the same time I admire them for actaully doing it and making a good living out of it, maybe even with a little bit of ennvy.

Now that I’ve called out the bad, I feel a few good ones are worth mentioning just to balance it out.

• CD 1 Track 7. You’re So Vain – The Feeling
• CD 1 Track 10. Let’s Stick Together – KT Tunstall
• CD 1 Track 15. Under Pressure – Keane
• CD 1 Track 20. Don’t Get Me Wrong – Lily Allen
• CD 2 Track 2. Fast Car – Mutya Buena (shocking as I can’t stand her)
• CD 2 Track 4. Englishman In New York – Razorlight
• CD 2 Track 5. Crazy For You – Groove Armada (stunningly different)
• CD 2 Track 6. It Must Be Love – Paolo Nutini

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