Did you ever hear the story about GWAR and Eighties Night?
October 27, 2015 10:00 AM Subscribe
It's GWAR's turn again for the AV Club's Undercover and this year they're hitting the only Cyndi Lauper tune on Tipper Gore and the PMRC's filthy fifteen; folks, I present GWAR covering "She Bop"
Post title explained in these comments, which remains one of my favorites ever.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:03 AM on October 27, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:03 AM on October 27, 2015 [9 favorites]
This season also included Barenaked Ladies doing a cover of "In The Air Tonight", which somehow, when you hear it, makes you think "oh, you know, yeah, that's exactly how I imagined a BNL cover of that song would sound."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:12 AM on October 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:12 AM on October 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
EmpressCallipygos brings the true horror.
posted by srboisvert at 10:21 AM on October 27, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 10:21 AM on October 27, 2015 [8 favorites]
EmpressCallipygos, that is so confusing that I must click on it.
They Might Be Giants covering Destiny's Child is fantastic, though.
posted by dinty_moore at 10:24 AM on October 27, 2015 [7 favorites]
They Might Be Giants covering Destiny's Child is fantastic, though.
posted by dinty_moore at 10:24 AM on October 27, 2015 [7 favorites]
They Might Be Giants covering Destiny's Child's Bills, Bills, Bills also has that uncanny effect. In hindsight, it is exactly how a TMBG cover of that song would sound, and there's nothing weird about that.
posted by schmod at 10:25 AM on October 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by schmod at 10:25 AM on October 27, 2015 [4 favorites]
Whoa, Balzac the Jaws of Death has obtained a skull shoulder pad. Stylin'!
posted by ignignokt at 10:27 AM on October 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ignignokt at 10:27 AM on October 27, 2015 [2 favorites]
"So, then Blitzkrieg Bop is German warfare masturbation."
posted by ignignokt at 10:28 AM on October 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by ignignokt at 10:28 AM on October 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
The big winner on Undercover this year was Screaming Females doing Shake It Off, previously and with much disagreement here.
posted by thecjm at 10:32 AM on October 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by thecjm at 10:32 AM on October 27, 2015 [5 favorites]
These A/V Club covers are really the only Gwar I've ever seen or heard but it really is the perfect amount of Gwar. I mean, they're obviously awesome and fun but I don't think I need to hear anything that might be meant to be taken seriously. Even if nothing they do is meant to be taken seriously, I'm happy just listening to these covers.
I love these.
posted by bondcliff at 10:49 AM on October 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
I love these.
posted by bondcliff at 10:49 AM on October 27, 2015 [3 favorites]
Someone recently asked what I considered to be the most important record in my collection (to me) and I didn't even need a whole breath to say 'Cyndi Lauper's She Bop 12".'The extended remixed version is a stunning example of what 12" mixes could be. It sounds perfect to me every single time. Her live performances featured an intro based heavily on elements teased from the remix, too. Everyone should cover it. Let's all cover it. Ain't no law against it yet.
posted by mintcake! at 11:16 AM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by mintcake! at 11:16 AM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
"oh, you know, yeah, that's exactly how I imagined a BNL cover of that song would sound."
I was listening but not watching, and it was still kind of a shock for the famous Phil fill to happen with brushes on a snare though.
posted by Foosnark at 11:32 AM on October 27, 2015
I was listening but not watching, and it was still kind of a shock for the famous Phil fill to happen with brushes on a snare though.
posted by Foosnark at 11:32 AM on October 27, 2015
I hadn't realized they were soldiering on without Oderus. Good for them.
These A/V Club covers are really the only Gwar I've ever seen or heard but it really is the perfect amount of Gwar.
It's an optimal serving size! Perfect for my lunch break at work.
Thanks for posting this.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:36 AM on October 27, 2015
These A/V Club covers are really the only Gwar I've ever seen or heard but it really is the perfect amount of Gwar.
It's an optimal serving size! Perfect for my lunch break at work.
Thanks for posting this.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 11:36 AM on October 27, 2015
I love Undercover. For someone like me who is not really a. . .musical ?intellectual? I guess you could say it really demonstrates both how a good song is just a good song and how a really talented band can do something with a not great song; the combination of great and great is awesome. Especially near the bottom of the list and the options run out - of course that's the best part.
Anyway. I've missed the other AV threads so I've been waiting to tell this. A few years ago a bunch of roughnecks and I were sitting in a cafeteria on a deep sea oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico with a bunch of roughnecks talking about how difficult it is to describe life on a deep sea oil rig to friends and family, especially if you like the life. There's all these elements of tension/pressure/stress and danger, an overall seriousness and hard work, but there's also excitement, even fun, this feeling of pushing to get the most out of yourself, along with some loneliness and a great deal of melancholy sometimes - all covered with this constant film of sweat and dirt. And how particularly as you're flying into the rig over miles of ocean and you're just looking out the helicopter window at the water all of that kind of sinks into you. Which can get super melancholic.
So I mentioned that I had the perfect soundtrack for that - I love Calexico, listen to them a lot when I'm on the road, and this song had struck a chord, so to speak - and of course someone said something like oh yeah, college girl? So I pulled up their song from Undercover. Now this was a more diverse group then you might think, but still mostly, well, 250 lb Cajun roughnecks - so overall not exactly the kind of group that would have Calexico in their music lists. But it was just the perfect example of the magic of music: they sat there and listened intently to the changed lyrics and music in Calexico's cover of Danger Zone; when it was done it was very quiet for a minute or two and then someone said, with a thick Louisiana Cajun sliding vowel, glide-drawl, "Yeah you rite. Dat zactly how it iz."
posted by barchan at 11:41 AM on October 27, 2015 [10 favorites]
Anyway. I've missed the other AV threads so I've been waiting to tell this. A few years ago a bunch of roughnecks and I were sitting in a cafeteria on a deep sea oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico with a bunch of roughnecks talking about how difficult it is to describe life on a deep sea oil rig to friends and family, especially if you like the life. There's all these elements of tension/pressure/stress and danger, an overall seriousness and hard work, but there's also excitement, even fun, this feeling of pushing to get the most out of yourself, along with some loneliness and a great deal of melancholy sometimes - all covered with this constant film of sweat and dirt. And how particularly as you're flying into the rig over miles of ocean and you're just looking out the helicopter window at the water all of that kind of sinks into you. Which can get super melancholic.
So I mentioned that I had the perfect soundtrack for that - I love Calexico, listen to them a lot when I'm on the road, and this song had struck a chord, so to speak - and of course someone said something like oh yeah, college girl? So I pulled up their song from Undercover. Now this was a more diverse group then you might think, but still mostly, well, 250 lb Cajun roughnecks - so overall not exactly the kind of group that would have Calexico in their music lists. But it was just the perfect example of the magic of music: they sat there and listened intently to the changed lyrics and music in Calexico's cover of Danger Zone; when it was done it was very quiet for a minute or two and then someone said, with a thick Louisiana Cajun sliding vowel, glide-drawl, "Yeah you rite. Dat zactly how it iz."
posted by barchan at 11:41 AM on October 27, 2015 [10 favorites]
I don't think I need to hear anything that might be meant to be taken seriously.
I'm not a hardcore GWAR fan but I don't think you need to worry on that score
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:41 AM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm not a hardcore GWAR fan but I don't think you need to worry on that score
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:41 AM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
Nice! I cover this in one my bands too, but we do it as a 1930's Cab Calloway style Harlem Strut.
@barchan: We also do Danger Zone a la John Lee Hooker.
posted by sourwookie at 12:55 PM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
@barchan: We also do Danger Zone a la John Lee Hooker.
posted by sourwookie at 12:55 PM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
That Sylvan Esso? Covering Gillian Welch? That was nice.
posted by valkane at 2:01 PM on October 27, 2015
posted by valkane at 2:01 PM on October 27, 2015
we do it as a 1930's Cab Calloway style Harlem Strut
We also do Danger Zone a la John Lee Hooker.
sourwookie, you tease! I must hear these. Do you have recordings anywhere?
posted by bethnull at 2:31 PM on October 27, 2015
We also do Danger Zone a la John Lee Hooker.
sourwookie, you tease! I must hear these. Do you have recordings anywhere?
posted by bethnull at 2:31 PM on October 27, 2015
It ain't GWAR without Dave Brockie. The backstory of the mess left after he died is a complete clusterfuck.
posted by Ironmouth at 3:46 PM on October 27, 2015
posted by Ironmouth at 3:46 PM on October 27, 2015
Geez, Vulvatron sure had a quick run.
posted by alex_skazat at 8:38 PM on October 27, 2015
posted by alex_skazat at 8:38 PM on October 27, 2015
bethnull: This project is fledgling, so no recordings yet. Our first set is nearing completion. Included are:
•She Bop done in aforementioned Cab Calloway style
•Maneater done as a Brazilian/Flameno hybrid
•You're so Vain, Straight Up, I Will Survive each done a Django-seque gypsy jazz
•Suddenly Last Summer as a Jobim style bossa
•Danger Zone John Lee Hooker style
•I Want You Back in the style of Ellington's I'm Beginning To See The Light.
•Just A Friend in the style of Pennsylvania 6-5000
•Welcome To The Jungle inspired by Cannonball Adderly's Autumn Leaves and Ellington's Far East Suite
•Hash Pipe as another Gyspy Jazz (though we're having a hard time pulling off some of these lyrics without losing it).
As far as names go, we're leaning toward '83 Skidoo.
posted by sourwookie at 8:51 PM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
•She Bop done in aforementioned Cab Calloway style
•Maneater done as a Brazilian/Flameno hybrid
•You're so Vain, Straight Up, I Will Survive each done a Django-seque gypsy jazz
•Suddenly Last Summer as a Jobim style bossa
•Danger Zone John Lee Hooker style
•I Want You Back in the style of Ellington's I'm Beginning To See The Light.
•Just A Friend in the style of Pennsylvania 6-5000
•Welcome To The Jungle inspired by Cannonball Adderly's Autumn Leaves and Ellington's Far East Suite
•Hash Pipe as another Gyspy Jazz (though we're having a hard time pulling off some of these lyrics without losing it).
As far as names go, we're leaning toward '83 Skidoo.
posted by sourwookie at 8:51 PM on October 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
> Geez, Vulvatron sure had a quick run.
Yeah, I was confused about why she wasn't there.
posted by desuetude at 9:30 AM on October 28, 2015
Yeah, I was confused about why she wasn't there.
posted by desuetude at 9:30 AM on October 28, 2015
The new lead singer of GWAR is Blothar, who is channeled by Michael Bishop, who has a Ph.D in music and gave a TEDx talk about Gwar.
Michael Bishop was in GWAR before but as a different character, Beefcake the Mighty, from 1988 to 1993. Then he was in the band Kepone, named after a chemical that has been found as a water contaminant in Richmond, Virginia, GWAR's base. He is also the grandson of a minister.
posted by larrybob at 10:29 AM on October 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Michael Bishop was in GWAR before but as a different character, Beefcake the Mighty, from 1988 to 1993. Then he was in the band Kepone, named after a chemical that has been found as a water contaminant in Richmond, Virginia, GWAR's base. He is also the grandson of a minister.
posted by larrybob at 10:29 AM on October 28, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh man, if you haven't heard this week's, which is a bunch of Finns doing a bluegrass+accordion cover of Sabotage, you should, because it is fucking delightful. I was goddamn terrified of whatever mess someone was going to make of Sabotage when I saw it on the list, doubly so when the video thumbnail looked like it was going to confirm my worst fears of something molasses-tempoed and totally enervated, but no, it owns.
I also liked Troubled Hubble from last month, but I'm a sucker for almost anything with a horn section.
posted by Copronymus at 5:20 PM on November 3, 2015
I also liked Troubled Hubble from last month, but I'm a sucker for almost anything with a horn section.
posted by Copronymus at 5:20 PM on November 3, 2015
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posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:01 AM on October 27, 2015