Making It New by Making It Strange
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Artist:
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Album:In The Name Of Love Africa Celebrates U2
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Track:Mysterious Ways
Conceived of and produced by singer/songwriter Shawn Amos and producer Paul Heck (No Alternative and other benefit projects under the aegis of the Red Hot Organization) and released April 1st by the Shout Factory label, In the Name of Love: Africa Celebrates U2 is a breath of fresh air in the overcrowded warehouse of cover projects. And whether you characterize U2's musical style as overheated bombast or, more charitably, as passionate intensity, for the most part, you will find none of that here. For whether cleaving closely to the original or striking out in new directions all their own after establishing initial contact with the source of the song, the twelve artists showcased here take a minimalist approach.
Apart from the two tracks that stand out as neither animal, vegetable, or mineral (Waldemar Bastos track from yesterday's post is one of those), the tracks I enjoy most are the ones during which if my mind wanders a bit and I stop thinking I am listening to U2 songs covered by African musicians, I wake up in the middle of a song not knowing what it is, having completely lost track of the connecting thread. I also like that most of the songs unfold, at least in part in a language other than English. In the hands of Les Nubians "With or Without You" is transformed into an electronica/dance track, while African Underground All-Stars featuring Chosan, Optimus, & Iyeoka glom onto the chorus of "Desire," jettisoning the original lyrics and replacing them with original rhymes. All of which makes this listener very happy. Innovation! it's the stuff of which living traditions are made.
Apart from the two tracks that stand out as neither animal, vegetable, or mineral (Waldemar Bastos track from yesterday's post is one of those), the tracks I enjoy most are the ones during which if my mind wanders a bit and I stop thinking I am listening to U2 songs covered by African musicians, I wake up in the middle of a song not knowing what it is, having completely lost track of the connecting thread. I also like that most of the songs unfold, at least in part in a language other than English. In the hands of Les Nubians "With or Without You" is transformed into an electronica/dance track, while African Underground All-Stars featuring Chosan, Optimus, & Iyeoka glom onto the chorus of "Desire," jettisoning the original lyrics and replacing them with original rhymes. All of which makes this listener very happy. Innovation! it's the stuff of which living traditions are made.
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