Great songwriters who shouldn't perform their own songs

Philly_Q

richardhomer said:

historyisjunk;642076" said:

I don't think anyone gets close to JJ Cale's originals- singing playing, anything. I also find that the most famous covers are the songs I probably like least anyway (Cocaine, After Midnight). Never heard the cover of The Sensitive Kind, though I can imagine it....

You don't need to imagine it; it's here....
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FpczZbLcA2w

And I say this as a fan of Carlos - it's awful....

I think Carlos' Strat sound there is horrible, but I like the rest of the performance, especially Alex Ligertwood's vocals.

TheOtherDennis

I agree with the fact that Waits's voice is a matter of personal taste - I can take it sometimes but not others. I no longer have the patience to listen to an entire album of his, but for some of his songs ('Step right up' for instance, or 'The piano has been drinking') I simply can't imagine anyone else doing them justice.

I'm a big fan of James Taylor, too, and in his younger days, his voice was superb, but he was on Later... a couple of weeks ago and he sounded dreadful.

I also agree that Macca is starting to lose it in his dotage, too.

And Elvis Costello is much better at the angry stuff than the jazzy stuff. I bought that album he did with Burt Bacharach and it was just two lonely, bitter, middle-aged divorcees crying into their G&Ts at the hotel bar. The title of one of the better songs on it just about sums up what I thought when I heard it - "God Give Me Strength."

Then again, when he got back together with Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas, with Davey Farragher on bass, to do The Imposters, he was right back to his very best and sounded awesome. I really liked The Delivery Man (the whole album, not just the title track), and I have two DVDs of him with that band that are just fantastic.

Otherwise, yes, he should leave the smoky stuff to his Old Dutch.

darcym

ICBM said:

I like Springsteen on his albums, but having had a live DVD of his I wouldn't pay to see him play - "everything on eleven" and interminable 'rock endings' on every song sums it up.

I can't stand Van Morrison but that's partly because I don't like his voice and partly because I've heard so much about him being a thoroughly unpleasant person.

Believe it or not I would probably have to add J.J. Cale as well - I don't dislike him, but he's just so repetitive it becomes quite boring. It's nice to hear other people put a bit of variation into the songs.

every time I hear JJ's songs I think wow - but that's when other people are playing them, his versions are flat