robviti Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 The other day I was listening to an interview with Paul Anka on NPR's Fresh Air. He's in the limelight again because of a new release called Rock Swings. It was a case of "truth is stranger than fiction" for me as I listened to samples of his Vegas-style swing arrangements of several pop chestnuts from the 80s and 90s. I'm not kidding. They include songs like Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, Survivor's Eye of the Tiger, Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun, and Van Halen's Jump. Now some people are raving about this disc, but to my ears it brought back memories of Ella's "creaming" of Sunshine of Your Love and Sinatra's "better left 'til tomorrow" cover of Yesterday. You gotta hear it to believe it, if you dare! Rock Swings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 I listened to about 5 minutes of the Fresh Air show yesterday and dumped it. Tuned in today and about a half hour in Terry announced "part two" of the Anka interview. I turned the radio off. He sounded like the most egocentric a-hole on earth the first few minutes of the first day. What was she thinking! If that was "the point" it backfired for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 Check Mr. Personality out here The guys get shirts.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFrank Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 I listened to about 5 minutes of the Fresh Air show yesterday and dumped it. Tuned in today and about a half hour in Terry announced "part two" of the Anka interview. I turned the radio off. He sounded like the most egocentric a-hole on earth the first few minutes of the first day. What was she thinking! If that was "the point" it backfired for me. ← I heard that part today, too. What a jerk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 Check Mr. Personality out here The guys get shirts.... ← Why is murder illegal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted August 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 (edited) i don't know, guys. aren't you all being a bit disrespectful? i mean, we are talking about a guy who gave us this classic piece of liberal feminism that was a #1 hit in 1974: Edited August 11, 2005 by jazzshrink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 It's a bad album, but at least Anka did not do the most obvious and safe thing (like Rod Stewart, Robbie Williams and others before him) of making a big band album with just jazz standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neveronfriday Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 That's got to be ... it's ... get it off me ... yuck ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stereojack Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 The release of this album was accompanied by a media blitz the likes of which I hadn't seen in a long time: a full-page "article" (ad) in the NY Times, appearances on Letterman, Howard Stern, The View, et al. Promos sent all around. This guy is the quintessential show biz weasel. I have to say however, that the the thing is very well executed - top notch musicians, arrangements. It's the songs that suck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted August 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 ...I have to say however, that the the thing is very well executed - top notch musicians, arrangements. It's the songs that suck. ← actually, i like some of the songs in their original form, for what they are. "well-executed"? probably. but for me, anka is the executioner who completely kills these tunes. and yeah, he is an arrogant sob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 Why do I feel like I need to take a shower? Up over and out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 The followup is likely to be even scarier! Maybe it will have a "Kentonesque" arrangement of "In A Gadda Da Vida!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 Maybe it will have a "Kentonesque" arrangement of "In A Gadda Da Vida!" ← I dunno, Lon... you've piqued my interest here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 (edited) From what I heard, the arrangements were surprisingly thoughtful and interesting. Sounded very well thought out and performed. However, the material just didn't stand up in this context. The words to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" just aren't meant to be sung in this environment. I'd like to hear something similar but without all the obvious attempts at kitch. It did make me listen in the record store (it was overhead), and I though the arrangements and band were top notch. Edited August 11, 2005 by Soul Stream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 David, now I'm sorry I posted that! Mike: I saw a bit on this on tv, a month ago, showing Anka doing some performance. The band and arrangements seemed fine. And it MIGHT have been better if you couldn't SEE Anka, but seeing him. . . I just don't want to hear him singing this even if the lyrics were made to be sung in this format! He looked so smarmy and his singing really doesn't work magic for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Rat Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 (edited) From what I heard, the arrangements were surprisingly thoughtful and interesting. Sounded very well thought out and performed. However, the material just didn't stand up in this context. The words to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" just aren't meant to be sung in this environment. I'd like to hear something similar but without all the obvious attempts at kitch. It did make me listen in the record store (it was overhead), and I though the arrangements and band were top notch. ← That's kind of the perverse pleasure in this CD. It isn't great, by any means. But the arrangements do sound impressive, and the lyrics and 'tude are often jarringly out of place, but like I say I think that's part of the point--exploring how this works and how this doesn't work and what comes out of the unexpected juxtapositions. If by "the obvious attempts at kitch" you mean the poorer material selections--stuff that was nothing but pop-dreck in the first place, carrying too liitle ideological baggage to make the juxtaposition interesting--I'm with you. I don't much like Anka, but the record has been fun to hear on the station on occasion. --eric Edited August 11, 2005 by Dr. Rat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Fitzgerald Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 This was done 20-some years ago by Joe Piscopo as "The Chairman of the Board" - and at least then you knew it was *supposed* to be funny. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Rat Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 What? Piscopo did Smells Like Teen Spirit, too? --eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 Check Mr. Personality out here The guys get shirts.... ← So, has Anka ever recorded with Buddy Rich? That would be something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 For those who like this sort of thing, this... http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&t...10:16msa9igq23h is at least performed with a great sense of kitshy humor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Fitzgerald Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 Sorry, no, this was in 1983, issued on Columbia. Piscopo-as-Sinatra did an extended medley of: I Love Rock 'n' Roll [Joan Jett] Cold As Ice [Foreigner] Under My Thumb [The Rolling Stones] Hit Me With Your Best Shot [Pat Benatar] Born To Run [bruce Springsteen] I Know What Boys Like [The Waitresses] Smoke On The Water [Deep Purple] Life During Wartime [Talking Heads] The rock-as-big-band thing is what I meant. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 David, now I'm sorry I posted that! ← Ironically enough, I'm listening to Johnny Richards' take on "Theme from the Concerto to End All Concertos" as I read your post here. Mike, I remember the Piscopo send-ups, and they were pretty funny. I think SNL also did a satire of the DUET sessions in the 1990s. As for Paul Anka, it's been all downhill ever since Girls Town afaic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 You gotta feel nothing but irrevocable disgust and bowelcentric loathing for a schmuck who writes "My Way", even if he also wrote the old Tonight Show theme. A stopped clock is at least right twice a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danasgoodstuff Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 How long ago do Pat Boone do his In a Metal Mood? At least that was funny... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soul Stream Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 I think this recording is at a much higher level than the others you compare it to. O.K...take away the Nirvana song which is obviously a mistake...but there's some surprising stuff that's obviously been scrutinized as to it's remaked-ness, so to speak. Van Halen's "Jump" really kicks. Rem's "Everybody Hurts",....and others. Hey, I don't like Paul Anka's singing...it's schmalzy...he sucks. But the arrangers, musicians and recording engineers did a good job and some of the songs actually work. I guess my point is this....we accept that there ARE new "standards" being written in the pop field when it comes to our favorite jazz players playing them....Bjork, Coldplay, Radiohead, come to mind as all being overdone by the Berkley crowd (now replacing the overdone Stevie Wonder for jazzers). Why not Spandau Ballet, Billy Idol or Van Halen...or are those guys considered too, too, too mainstream to have not been considered. Miles Davis didn't think so. ...and no, I CAN'T believe I'm defending this crap at all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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