http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005 by the authors Wed, 21 Aug 2002 10:05:04 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2002/08/20/185411.php#comment-188 Well, part of the problem is that they're "tribute" albums. People used to just cover - or maybe interpret if they wanted to be fancy - other people's material as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Just about every mid 60s album, be it by the Sandpipers, the Music Machine or Love had a version of "Hey Joe", "Louie Louie" or "Tax Man". Most tribute albums carry with them too many conotations of homage, deference and sycophancy, bands wanting to make a big deal of their artistic relationship, spiritual kinship et al to whoever's this week's rock legend. And the interpretations are usually too safe, rarely taking a chance or challenging the original version, as if afraid that they might overshadow the original or tarnish its reputation. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that some of the best tributes are those by bands who evidently have never heard the originals until they've been asked to interpret them.... 188@blogcritics.org Wed, 21 Aug 2002 10:05:04 EDT