"When we are inhuman, we're one with the birds. When we hide our feelings, we may as well fly away."
"One With The Birds", a sublime piano-driven ballad, is absolutely one of the most beautiful songs in the Oldham canon, and this version is superbly handled by Gray. It is a rare artist that can strike all the intended nuances inherent within a song written by another, yet Gray displays true finesse for crafting a cover with profound respect to the original work.
In many ways it is akin to finishing a book written by another, which in my experience is generally disastrous. Anyone read Spider Robinson's horrid take on Robert A. Heinlein's unfinished novel Variable Star?
But I digress.
The cover album "One With The Birds" is taken from features quite a few curious choices, including Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" and no less than three Bob Dylan tracks. It is available exclusively from Gray's official website, yet it is not quite worth the staggeringly high amount of money demanded. That's no less than twenty-six dollars for the cd and eighteen to twenty-two for the digital download. Way to give back to your fans, Mr. Gray.
"Ask a scientist, it's quantum physics, we're all in this together."
"We're All In This Together" is a pop song in the grandest fashion. The deceptively simplistic lyrics give rise to uninhibited sing-alongs, and the bouncing beat of the melody harkens back to a time when the music was a bit sunnier, in addition to being hopelessly catchy.
These days, pop musicians are created in a labratory by the record label. The artist is propped up and airbrushed to picture perfection. It's all light and mirrors. Pop artists with blazing originality are becoming increasingly scant, and Ben Lee is one of the last remaining standouts in this field. As a side note, this track was recently used in a Kohl's Advertisement.
"You can try to swim the sea, but say goodbye to you and me."
At first listen "Die Die Die" recalls Pernice Brothers, specifically compared with "Amazing Glow" from Live a Little. Partly because of the tight acoustic instrumentation, but mostly because of the beautifully harmonizing vocals.
At second listen, all the glorious subtleties surface and with them comes the gift of a truly charming song. Aside from that, these guys can sing.
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" so said Keats. Songs like "Die Die Die" serve to prove that declaration.
"You used to get it in your fishnets, now you only get it in your night dress."
The video clip for this one is gloriously camp, with its entertaining yet uninspired battle betwixt men and clowns. Somehow, the band is even able to interject a bit of true emotion in such a cornball scenario.
Brief flashbacks are seen in which one of the men and one of the clowns are both children, gleefully playing together. Later during the battle, when the clown has the man pinned, he implores "How did it come to this?" Tragic, isn't it?
"Aly, walk with me in my dreams, all through the night."
Hooray for distorted guitar reverb and high volume feedback! Thanks Mr. Lou Reed, really, I mean it. If you had not fashioned an album of utter ear-shattering noise, where would songs like this be today?
The Raveonettes have taken the Velvet Underground playbook and run with it, though it would be a severe discredit to unload their creativity wholly at the altar of Reed. There are shades of eighties new wave in the mix as well, not to mention the stunningly excellent balance between melody and misrule.
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