This is crazy

May 17, 2012 1:40 PM

Ben Howard performing a cover of Call me Maybe by Carly Rae Jespen on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge.

(Live Lounge previously on Metafilter)

posted by schmod (23 comments total)

I like the original. How very un-Mefite of me.
posted by discopolo at 1:55 PM on May 17, 2012 [2 favorites]

The original is not a bad pop song.
posted by PinkMoose at 1:57 PM on May 17, 2012 [2 favorites]

I like both. I contain multitudes.
posted by maudlin at 2:03 PM on May 17, 2012 [2 favorites]

I thought the instrumentation had some interesting bits, but one big issue I have with a many "alt style" remakes of pop songs is that they often iron out all the peaks and valleys that give the original any melodic interest. This is especially noticeable in the chorus, which in Howard's version is particularly monotonous (some of this may result from the limitations inherent in his peculiar vocal production).
posted by slkinsey at 2:05 PM on May 17, 2012 [2 favorites]

Colour me distracted by hot cellist. With Jespenesque fringe. Nice touch that. (The original is an amazing pop song).
posted by tigrefacile at 2:21 PM on May 17, 2012

This was an amusing cover with a pretty good sound but doesn't have the addictive quality of the original or a great cover re-imagining (like Ted Leo doing Since U Been Gone which was just as good but different than the original).
posted by mathowie at 2:26 PM on May 17, 2012 [2 favorites]

one big issue I have with a many "alt style" remakes of pop songs is that they often iron out all the peaks and valleys that give the original any melodic interest

I don't know if I'd call "Hallelujah" a pop song, but that's an excellent summary of how Buckley's stacks up to the original.
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:03 PM on May 17, 2012

Hello Maybe this is Dog.
posted by Chekhovian at 3:21 PM on May 17, 2012 [8 favorites]

Also, why is "Bronze Age Sword Making" a Related Post?
posted by Chekhovian at 3:24 PM on May 17, 2012

> The original is not a bad pop song.

My wife enjoys a lot of fluffy pop music, but for some reason this song pisses her off. "Giving some guy your number IS NOT CRAZY!!!"
posted by The Card Cheat at 3:26 PM on May 17, 2012

Getting kind of sick of ironicovers, but I've been loving Ben Howard recently. Check out this performance of his Keep Your Head Up. Amazing. He sounds like...I don't know, Tracy Chapman? Only Love is a great song too, but I like the studio version best and don't see that on Youtube.
posted by threeants at 3:54 PM on May 17, 2012

Also, talk about yer badass lady bassists. *swoon*
posted by threeants at 3:55 PM on May 17, 2012

Ok, here's a good live version of Only Love. Though the production on the studio version is really nice and memorable. This guy really has a ridiculous amount of talent, in my opinion. Very excited to see what he does in the near future.
posted by threeants at 4:01 PM on May 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

My wife enjoys a lot of fluffy pop music, but for some reason this song pisses her off. "Giving some guy your number IS NOT CRAZY!!!"

I hate this song so much. Over the last year, I've just gotten so old. I'm starting to like the "classic favorites plus TODAY's hits!" stations. I listen to a lot of Christian rock, which, because Christian music is five years behind secular music, sounds like what I think pop music should sound like: stuff that was cool five years ago. I still try to listen to the pop stations, especially the closest one because it's hyperlocal (is that the word? microlocal? it's like raising chickens in your backyard but with Justin Bieber) and that's a net positive in the world of media, right? But I can't stand, like, 75% of the music they play and I ESPECIALLY HATE THIS SONG. I don't quite know WHY, but I just HATE it. I HATE it. I don't even like better music than this song (which is EVERY SONG EVER). It just...offends me on some primal level. The lyrics? The Disney channel vocals? Its utter inoffensiveness? I DON'T KNOW BUT I HATE IT GOOD. I HATE ITS STUPID FACE.

gosh that felt good
posted by Snarl Furillo at 4:08 PM on May 17, 2012 [3 favorites]

metafilter: it's like raising chickens in your backyard but with Justin Bieber
posted by raihan_ at 4:24 PM on May 17, 2012 [3 favorites]

This is especially noticeable in the chorus, which in Howard's version is particularly monotonous (some of this may result from the limitations inherent in his peculiar vocal production).

Yeah, the approach to the instrumentation was nice, but his vocal line was really not as interesting as it could have been. Schade!
posted by kenko at 4:35 PM on May 17, 2012

Chekhovian: "Hello Maybe this is Dog."

Man, they missed an opportunity for a great Arrested Development reference in that one.
posted by schmod at 6:04 PM on May 17, 2012

I met and hung out with Howard a couple weeks back and dudes, let me tell you, he was the most egotistical giantest of dicks I've ever met. The friggin' man made me cry and hate his face as that first tear descended. He, when you speak and party down with him behind the scenes, clearly thinks too terrible much of himself.

But damn if I'm not having a hard time loving his voice and performance. I remember seeing some live videos taken from the crowd before the show and they sounded...well, less than stellar so I was far more excited about the other artists on the bill but in all honesty, he is just fantastic live. If you pay any attention at all to what Ben Lovett (of Mumford and Sons) is doing with his Communion label, they've managed him well. He's selling out some pretty big venues for a new-ish indie artist and that really does say something about his talent.

Anyway. All this to say that I'd really like to hate his guts but he just sings too pretty. Even when he's covering typical pop fare.
posted by youandiandaflame at 6:39 PM on May 17, 2012

I met and hung out with Howard a couple weeks back and dudes, let me tell you, he was the most egotistical giantest of dicks I've ever met. The friggin' man made me cry and hate his face as that first tear descended. He, when you speak and party down with him behind the scenes, clearly thinks too terrible much of himself.

Noooooooo. Stop ruining my fantasies that insanely talented people are also insanely genial.
posted by threeants at 7:13 PM on May 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

Can't do it. He's flat. Mind you, autotune is probably the only reason the original isn't flat, but still.
posted by KathrynT at 10:59 PM on May 17, 2012

Threeants: For reference, all of the other musicians I've met and hung out with, indie and otherwise, have been the absolute definition of genial. Statistically speaking, Howard is the exception to the rule but not the rule.
posted by youandiandaflame at 6:36 AM on May 18, 2012

Statistically speaking, Howard is the exception to the rule but not the rule.

Isn't that what being the exception to the rule means?
posted by lumensimus at 9:38 AM on May 18, 2012

"Hello Maybe this is Dog."

I hate this meme, because it always makes me want to watch Up again.
posted by AdamCSnider at 3:42 PM on May 18, 2012