(no subject)

[oakenguy]

Travis Cocker, lead singer of Pulp. Nice guy, bit of a hothead, struggled for a long time before getting a couple of hit songs. Totally believable when he writes from the perspective of someone working class, resenting the rich.

William Shatner and Joe Jackson, on the other hand? It's been a loooong time since either of them were mistaken for working class.


So why does the Shatner/Jackson cover of "Common People" work so much better, for me, than Pulp's original?

Judge for yourself. The original version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT1UKAeGXM8&search=common%20people

The Shatner version (studio mix, put to not-very-good Sims video):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y70eTUkAx7o&search=common%20people%20shatner

(live version, done on Leno): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEcMUMZMEaQ&mode=related&search=common%20people%20shatner

Comments

[helianthas.livejournal.com]

I <3 Joe Jackson!

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

What a great voice! He looks completely different from how I pictured him, of course.

[lediva.livejournal.com]

William Shatner is a freaking genius.

I don't think I've ever seen a celebrity make so much quality material out of what is essentially self-parody. "Has-Been" is really a good album.

[lixie.livejournal.com]

Every time I hear NiN's "Only", I feel like Shatner would do a much better job.

[lediva.livejournal.com]

Also... damn you for making me look up Joe Jackson videos on YouTube.

How dare you entice me to waste time on a Friday afternoon when I'm pretty much not doing anything at work anyway?

[st-emma.livejournal.com]

I was led to Has-Been on the strength of the "Common People" cover, and have been forced to reevaluate my entire opinion of William Shatner. Whatever else you may think of him, Shatner is not afraid to mock himself relentlessly, which is pretty endearing (and I think it's at least part of why "Common People" works as well as it does).

Also, I think his version may fall into the general category of "just so wrong that it becomes so right".

[sistahraven.livejournal.com]

I think it's the voice. Travis Cocker has a great voice, but the way he uses it, he sounds kind of whiny. Whereas Shatner's (and Joe Jackson's) performance has more passion, less whine to it. Add to THAT Ben Folds on the synth? Yeah... it's just a powerhouse of talent and passion.

[qlewkr.livejournal.com]

Oooh, it's about time you posted that video. I've had that song in my head for a WEEK, already. Treasure like this needs to be shared among the peeps, man. Hoarding it up the way you were doing was making my heart ache.

Now that you've released it into the wild, maybe the song will leave my head again. haha. Maybe.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

word.

Common People is easily the most overplayed Pulp song. We all loved it so much it died for us on the inside.

This new monstrosity, initially, felt very Leonard Cohen-esque for me. He lost me at the chorus...

What's funny is I actually listened to it hoping to hear a good song. When you go back to it being something absurd, it's just like hearing Tori Amos sing Smells Like Teen Spirit for the first time.

[themikado.livejournal.com]

Point of information: it's Jarvis Cocker.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

Of course... you'd have to point this song out.

And now, I bet you can guess what the first CD I've bought in ages is...