When is a cover song better than the original? Only you can decide. This week Albert Hammond Jr. takes on Guided By Voices’ “Postal Blowfish.” MAGNET’s Edward Fairchild pulls the pin. Take cover!
The mythology of the Strokes holds that the band was discovered, at least in part, by Robert Pollard, after tossing a demo tape onto the stage after a Guided By Voices concert. It would be more than a little naive to assume the band would not have made it eventually without Pollard’s help, given the members’ industry connections (guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.’s dad is British pop singer Albert Hammond, and frontman Julian Casablancas’ father is the founder of one of the world’s top modeling agencies), but Pollard’s seal of approval at least added to the Strokes’ credibility. Not many people know that the 2006 debut solo LP by Hammond Jr., Yours To Keep, is better than anything the Strokes have done as a band. The North American CD release of the album featured two bonus-track cover songs, Buddy Holly’s “Well…Alright” and GBV’s “Postal Blowfish.”
The Cover:
The Original:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBps0PojKjI#t=3m30s [poll id=”66″]
12 replies on “Take Cover! Albert Hammond Jr. Vs. Guided By Voices”
Why are there 16 votes for Hammond? That’s too many.
Albert Hammond, Jr. is a fucking poser! He should be taken out back and flogged for such a narcisistc display. If you’re trying to be cool, you’re not cool! Silver spooners and sons of crappy 70’s pop musicians should stop trying to infect Rock and Roll with thier mainstream mediocre dreck. Magnet, take that video off your site! And another thing, THE STROKES SUCK!!
The immortal Bobby P vs some bedheaded New York hipster? Why is this even up for debate?
The Strokes suck and so does Albert Hammond. Anyone voting for that AM pop spunk shot deserves to have to listen to “It Doesn’t Rain in SOCAL” on an endless loop. GBV rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
you should mention that the first 3:25 are My Impression Now, and NOT Postal Blowfish
gbv is so far out of hammond’s league… i mean… c’mon!!!
this is a ridiculous debate.
also, “yours to keep” is the name of a gbv song.
then again, any random 3-5 words is probably the title of a gbv song.
I was gonna be kind and throw a bone to Hammond, ’cause it’s not bad, but…whose band isn’t pressing pedals aiming for that infinitesimally perfect effect? Bob’s.
Bob! GBV!… who is Albert Hammond?
When Albert put this out I was hoping he would have done more with the song. I knew he was a fan but his version is lifeless. Now Jon Auer’s cover of Goldstar For Robot Boy gives Bobby P a run for the money.
i named a mailing list after this song (15 years later the list is still going), so needless to say it’s near and dear to my heart. and while i give the original (on king shit and the golden boys, which is a wee bit tighter than this clip) the edge, hammond’s version rocks. sorry purists but that is pretty fucking good. i’m not crazy about the phrasing on the vocals on the chorus but there is nothing ‘poseur’ about this version at all. so props to hammond. i wonder if pollard gave him the closing lyrics …
Albert Hammond Jr does a competent cover version of this song. Like most cover bands, it’s tight but devoid of personality. GBV on the other hand is intense and passionate.