Cover This!

Anybody who didn't listen to last year's epic "Okonokos" album released by My Morning Jacket severely deprived themselves of one of the best live rock albums ever. The band first caught my attention after their album Z, which is one of those albums so good that you immediately go back and buy the rest of the band's catalog. I was surprised, then, to discover much of their early work consists of cover songs. I'm not normally a huge fan of cover songs, they're rarely as good as the original (such as ANY Beatles song covered -ever.), unless the group puts a particular spin on the song or infuses it with its own unique style -i.e. Nouvelle Vague. Such is the case with the cover songs on My Morning Jacket's "Early Recordings" releases. Jim James has a voice meant for epic rock songs and sometimes seems to be a singer meant for a different age, but his voice fits perfectly to some of the cover choices, such as Berlin's "Take My Breath Away," Hank Williams' "Why Don't You Love Me?" or a haunting rendition of "Rocket Man." But by far the best cover here is of Erykah Badu's "Tyrone." You heard me right. You'd think that four southern bearded white guys singing a black soul song about a woman's loser boyfriend would border on parody, but you'd be wrong. Once you listen to it you'll never want to hear Erykah Badu's version again. In fact, I think Erykah Badu should just give My Morning Jacket the song permanently. In the hands of Jim James and company the song transcends its roots and becomes a massive southern guitar rock masterpiece. Just listen for yourself.