Tear The Covers Back

What is, or was, a Crowded House concert without a few covers thrown in? And what are these covers? What relationship do they have to the band? Why should we care? In this recurring feature, Jack Wesson and Rexella Smith uncover the secrets hidden in those Crowded House covers.

Song: "Anarchy In The U.K."

Artist: Sex Pistols

Covered: March 22, 1987, New York, New York, USA

by Rexella Smith

The Sex Pistols released the single "Anarchy In The U.K." in 1976 and in doing so, exploded onto the post-glam music scene. If you're old like me, you remember it, even if you didn't live in the UK since they were worldwide news. If you are too young to remember it, I can't recreate the thrills or the breath of fresh air they provided back then. I mean, banned records! Who knew music could be such a subversive force?

Who Are The Sex Pistols, And Why Should I Buy Their Records?

The Sex Pistols were the original Spice Girls, the original New Kids on the Block. Created and managed by Malcolm McLaren, the Sex Pistols filled the post-glam void. In fact, they were the ultimate anti-glam band, even if their own costuming and grooming were as involved, in their own way, as that of Marc Bolan, et. al. The Pistols were the original D-I-Y band, and all you Green Day, Fugazi, and Nine Inch Nails fans who don't know them should be ashamed of yourselves.

What to buy? Don't waste time fooling around. Start off with the single. British pop has always been about singles and this is one of the key ones.

What else to check out? Most Americans are probably most familiar with dopey bassist Sid Vicious due to his immortalization in the film _Sid and Nancy_, but it was frontman Johnny Rotten/Lydon/Rotten/Lydon/Rotten with his keen intelligence and biting wit who helped the band transcend its gerrymandered beginnings. Easily one of the, if not the, most articulate people in rock music, Johnny's take on the band is entertainingly presented in his memoir Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs. Check out his work with his band Public Image Limited--it's easily as good, if not better, than his works with the Sex Pistols.

I'd give you a link to a web site, but in the spirit of Johnny Rotten, I have to tell you that frankly, all the fan sites suck. You may find some good information at http://www.rockmine.music.co.uk/Pistols/PisIndex.html.

Mean To Me

In January 1978, the Pistols and Split Enz found themselves sharing the Best Western Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. With the air-conditioning on the fritz, Johnny and Tim met up in the cocktail lounge and traded stories about being on the road, strange fans, and a litany of the things which had been thrown at them. Neil was too afraid to come out of his room.

Song: "Irish Heartbeat"

Artist: Van Morrison

Covered: April 9, 1989, Santa Barbara, California, USA

by Jack Wesson

Van Morrison released two albums in 1989. Overall, Irish Heartbeat was probably less commercially successful than its counterpart, Avalon Sunset. Still, its eponymous track obviously caught the ear of our man Neil, who enjoyed covering Van's warm, plain ode to family and things familiar. When the band did cover it, piano embellishments by the oh-so-versatile Mark Hart edged the sound closer to country, actually, but that really just reveals that the strength of the song, not totally unlike "The Parting Glass", is in its simplicity. One can't help but imagine that there on some stage, at least one big ocean away on most nights, most of the band gladly took a couple of minutes to think about home. Not that Neil is technically Irish, mind you, but then again, neither is Bob Dylan.

Who Is Van Morrison, And Why Should I Buy His Records?

Van Morrison, born and still living in Belfast, seems a lot older than 53. This is mostly due to his famously curmudgeonly demeanor and his early jump on recording, most notably with Them in the mid-'60s. The two may be connected; after all, where do you go from "Brown-Eyed Girl"? Basically, Morrison was glad to get anywhere else in the musical world.

A lot of people hail 1968's Astral Weeks as a masterpiece. Personally, it's pretty good, but not all that. What should you buy? I hate to take the easy way out, but try the first volume of his Greatest Hits. He handpicked the songs, selecting hits and non-singles, too. "Wonderful Remark" and "Cleaning Windows" stand next to "Domino" and "Moondance", getting the respect they deserve.

My favorite might be It's Too Late To Stop Now, the 2CD live set from 1974. Blues, soul, and a singe of blue-eyed soul at the top of his game make this a package worth finding. Where does the title come from? In classic Morrison form, it's the last thing Van says before the record reaches its stirring conclusion. It hardly begins to scratch the belly of his portly catalog, but newcomers would do well to pick these up, then listen and learn.

If you want more information, there is a fantastic website devoted to Van at http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/~hayward/van/van.html.

Mean To Me

The rhythm section once actually met Van Morrison in the flesh. The year was 1987, and Crowded House was almost finished recording Temple Of Low Men in Los Angeles. Backing tracks were done, and it was left to Neil to finish off the vocals, so Paul and Nick decided to trek to San Francisco for a couple of days. Once there, Paul insisted on finding a good bookstore, since he had just finished reading Jacque de Loofa's "How To Convince People You're Really Not Gay" in three days flat. Beginning to browse magazine racks, our duo spotted a somehow familiar man with his hat pulled down. The store's audio surveillance tapes revealed the following:

Paul (subtly nodding toward the man): Psst. Nick. What do you think?

Nick (flipping through Car & Driver): Well, Paul, I think whispering about strange men isn't going to help people get the point. Now, if you could get people talking about the size of your package, like I did, then maybe you wouldn't be having this problem.

Paul: No, stupid, I mean that guy ... I think that's Van Morrison.

Nick: What, the one with the Lester Young biography?

Paul: Yeah, yeah, I'm pretty sure it's him. Go over and see.

Nick: Me? Why me? I'm not your little servant boy, gone to fetch pop icons at the drop of a hat just because you're scared to go over yourself. He'll have no clue who we are. Besides, what if he tells me to piss off?

Paul: Well, how many people can say that, then? You can tell people about it at the show tonight - they'll love it.

Nick: Yeah, and Neil will laugh at me, like usual.

Paul: Oh, stop sulking, and just go say something to him.

(Nick looks at his feet, then thinks what the hell, and walks over to the man.)

Nick: Um, excuse me, Mr. Morrison, sir, is that you?

Van: No.

Nick: Er, I don't mean to bother you, but -

Van: Well, you are.

Nick: (more quickly) I'm, um, Nick Seymour, and my friend Paul and I are in a band called Crowded House, and we're big fans of yours.

Van: Yeah. Er, thanks, Rick. (pause) You ever heard of Lester Young?

Nick: Uh, no, sir.

Van: One of the greats. Had a style all his own--smooth, real smooth--not really done before, but copied by a lot of cats who became a lot more famous later on. Kinda like me, now that I think about it. Is that Springsteen kid still ripping me off?

Nick (putting on his studious face): Um, sir, I think he stopped about ten years ago, but I'm not sure.

Van and Nick: (silence)

Nick: Well, if you don't mind ... um, was there really a girl named Gloria, or did you just make her up for the song?

Van: Unfuckingbelievable.

Nick: You're right. I'll leave you alone now. Thanks, Mr. Morrison.

Van: Whatever. Tell your boyfriend those are some killer shoes. (mumbling to himself) I gotta get a latte.

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