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Handshake Drugs cover


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I find sometimes when working on an original, I get either very self conscious about the quality, or over reverential of the initial idea I had. Screwing around with a cover can be a good, low pressure way of getting out of this, I think. Live, some of the interplay between Jeff and Nels has a Television-like feel to it, so I got the idea of running with that and making it explicit. I basically dumped a bit of Marquee Moon into the middle of Handshake Drugs (since they have same key and tempo) and sort of smeared the MM feel into HD (and vice versa too, a little).

 

The Ecuador Three - Handshake Drugs (Wilco cover)

 

The downside is I'm now sick of what was one of my favourite Wilco songs, so I think I'll go back to the originals for a while...

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Seriously, That was awesome!

Generally when I hear a home made cover it basically comes down to the voice. Most people are great at their instruments (whch again is true here) but you can get out of playing as much as you put into an instrument. With a voice you can tweak it, increase your range, but you're glued to that one sound, your voice (cheesy as it may sound) is a very distinct instrument. Anyway, it means I liked it. The vocals kind of reminded me of Ira from Yo La Tengo mixed with some other local band's singer. Good Stuff! Post some originals If you're feeling zesty, I'd like to hear them!

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Great sounding cover. The segue into the Television song was seamless; very nice touch.

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:thumbup

 

The strings remind me of Cale in the VU. I always thought Handshake Drugs was a perfect VU song, well, there you go. Only sounds like Doug Yule, not Lou singing.

 

Cheers! It actually is a viola as well. I got one a few years ago, but I shattered my elbow in a bike accident a few days after I got it, so I have to play it between my legs like a cello.

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  • 5 months later...

So, did Nels get the idea from you, or vise versa?

 

Um, neither? What bits is Nels putting in? Any live mp3s I can hear this on? Or should I just wait a few months and see em play it in Dublin :)

 

Had the idea for doing it around this time last year, just seemed a kinda obvious thing to do, both songs I loved, in the same key and tempo, Nels + Tom Verlaine jamming at the Jazzmaster yoke, etc.

 

In 2004 (or possibly 2005), I saw Television play in the "New Bands Tent" (yup) in Glastonbury. Needless to say, it made an impression.

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That was pretty awesome, thanks for posting. Ditto all the comments so far. I also enjoyed the trumpets at the end...you managed to give it a bit of "Only a Northern Song" feel with that. :)

 

I've done the "record a cover song to get out of a rut" thing before myself. Now I try to start every album recording session off with a cover version of something, just to loosen up the mind (and the fingers).

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Um, neither? What bits is Nels putting in? Any live mp3s I can hear this on? Or should I just wait a few months and see em play it in Dublin :)

 

Had the idea for doing it around this time last year, just seemed a kinda obvious thing to do, both songs I loved, in the same key and tempo, Nels + Tom Verlaine jamming at the Jazzmaster yoke, etc.

 

In 2004 (or possibly 2005), I saw Television play in the "New Bands Tent" (yup) in Glastonbury. Needless to say, it made an impression.

 

 

Nels has been throwing in little parts here and there for a while now (check out Austin City limits 2007) but recently he's been goin nuts w/ it. This year's Bonnaroo version is sick (as is yours).

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