Remake Rivalry
I remember a compilation CD I had years ago called Golden Throats, which was a collection of celebs from the 60s singing well-known songs. It was more kitschy than quality, a special kind of tortured lounge — funny, but not something you’d put on repeat. When I think of covers, that’s where my head goes first. Or wedding bands you see in movies that are the butt of a joke.
Every year, an Austin radio station devotes a weekend to play nothing but covers and I’m reminded how vast the catalog of covers is — well beyond your Shatners. I look forward to it. When a particular song grabs your ear, it’s time for the Shazam + Wikipedia one-two, educating yourself on the when, where, who of it all.
The weekend always becomes an interesting exercise of discovery. Discussions happen. Playlists are made. I wouldn’t say this makes me a cover fan (is anyone?), but I appreciate the surprises. While some songs feel like a misstep, many make it their own: Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”, Aimee Mann’s “Avalanche”, Mariachi El Bronx’s “I Would Die 4 You”, Nouvelle Vague’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”. Musicians are paying homage to other musicians or creating a new sound out of the familiar. There’s respect in there even if it doesn’t always hit the right notes.
What about movies then? Like music, films get remade or rebooted, with less frequency than music and a lot more fanfare. Isn’t a redo a redo? Yeah, movies and music are different mediums, but they live in a similar creative universe. They receive more/harsher criticism, opinions that deem their releases lazy, greedy, unnecessary. Perhaps the increased exposure leaves them open to more dissension, or maybe they just don’t have the same mix of heart and soul? I won’t argue with this short list. The bad is much longer, and when they stink they really stink: “Psycho”, “The Fog”, “Point Break”, “Robocop”, “The Lone Ranger”.
I find myself in the music-remakes-are-generally better camp. Could be that songs are less involved, take up less space in my brain, or I’m less nostalgic about the reference material? But tell me, have I invented an imaginary competition? Is this just apples and orange? Maybe it’s all just bad? Almost nothing is original, but maybe remakes aren’t even really trying?
