Jump to content

Scarlett Johansson "Anywhere I Lay My Head"


Recommended Posts

Bowie sings on two tracks!!! :omg

 

Johansson Unveils Waits Covers Album In NYC

Scarlett Johansson

 

February 12, 2008, 6:30 PM ET

 

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

Scarlett Johansson unveiled her debut album, "Anywhere I Lay My Head," for journalists today (Feb. 12) at New York's Joe's Pub. As previously reported, the album includes 10 Tom Waits covers and one original ("Song for Jo"), and will be released May 20 via Atco/Rhino.

 

"Anywhere" was produced by TV On The Radio's Dave Sitek, who told the crowd he was going for a "cough medicine/Tinker Bell" vibe, sound-wise. David Bowie, whom Johansson met a party just prior to beginning work on the album, lends his distinctive vocals to the tracks "Falling Down" and "Fannin' Street," while Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner and members of the band Celebration contribute throughout.

 

Johansson said she initially considered making an album of standards, but that the project slowly morphed into a Waits-dominated affair. "His melodies are so beautiful and his voice is so distinct," she said.

 

The result, according to Johansson, has met with the notoriously persnickety Waits' approval. "I sent him some of the early, early recordings, and he said, 'Go ahead,'" she said. "I've heard he's very pleased."

 

While the majority of the album lives up to Sitek's prior description, there are some up-tempo departures, particularly on "I Don't Want To Grow Up," which boasts drum machine beats straight out of a New Order song.

 

 

There are no plans for Johansson to perform live in support of the project, but she says she'd be intrigued by "getting everybody together," perhaps at a festival, at some point in the future. "It would be a missed opportunity not to."

 

 

 

Here is the track list for "Anywhere I Lay My Head":

 

"Fawn"

"Town With No Cheer"

"Falling Down"

"Anywhere I Lay My Head"

"Fannin' Street"

"Song for Jo"

"Green Grass"

"I Wish I Was in New Orleans"

"I Don't Want To Grow Up"

"No One Knows I'm Gone"

"Who Are You?"

Link to post
Share on other sites

My friend Chris Hall, who keeps me posted on regular Tom Waits sightings around his northern California home, told me that he "sneezed in his his pants" when he heard about this.

 

I said, "Wait. Is sneezing in your pants a good thing?"

Link to post
Share on other sites
My friend Chris Hall, who keeps me posted on regular Tom Waits sightings around his northern California home, told me that he "sneezed in his his pants" when he heard about this.

 

I said, "Wait. Is sneezing in your pants a good thing?"

 

:rotfl

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've got a bunch of old Tom Waits shows and interviews in my collection. There's this one interview where Tom starts talking about what he actually thinks of the way his material was handled. I'm not saying that Scarlet has anything to worry about, but he tore a 1970s southern rock outfit a new a&$@ole!Tom Waits can be surly!:worship

Link to post
Share on other sites

as an immense and devoted tom waits fan i surprised myself by being mildly indifferent towards this release, but covering Fawn?? really?? does scarlett play violin? one of the most beautiful recordings of all time, and i'm a little worried to think what scarlett will do to it. she's really beautiful and a good actress, but Fawn? reallyyy???

Link to post
Share on other sites
as an immense and devoted tom waits fan i surprised myself by being mildly indifferent towards this release, but covering Fawn?? really?? does scarlett play violin? one of the most beautiful recordings of all time, and i'm a little worried to think what scarlett will do to it. she's really beautiful and a good actress, but Fawn? reallyyy???

 

You know, I thought the same thing...I don't get it! :dontgetit

 

I'm not too thrilled with the thought of this album-that is until I heard that David Bowie is involved! :D

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

I had an idea somewhere, maybe on here but I can't remember, that Scarlett should hold a contest to sleep with the one lucky person who finds a golden ticket inside their copy of the album, but I think that cover might work about half as well and be less, um, involved on her end.

Link to post
Share on other sites

i'm still trying to work out that conversation her and bill murray had at the end of "lost in translation." i don't know why but it seems really important that i know this.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

word is some songs leaked today and have all been removed by the label. i found the title song on a blog here. i was thinking about buying this because i am a die hard tom waits fan with a mild crush on scarlett johansson, but i found this cover of 'anywhere i lay my head' pretty awful. i know expecting her to live up to the original even a little bit is way too much to ask, but there's not even a hint of the emotional depths found in tom's original. oh well, she's still a cutie.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I heard the title track within an article on Stereogum. In short it is pretty bad. Vocally ScarJo does an ok job, but the production is terrible. The drums are way to techno, and the guitar sounded tinny. This is pretty much the opposite of the She and Him album.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...