This category was actually much easier than I expected. I honestly thought that it would turn out to be a dogfight between a couple of worthy competitors, but in the end, one clear winner rose above the rest. The surprising thing, for me, is that with all the rampant sampling that is going on in music currently, there are very few actual covers existing in modern music today. Add to the fact that there tend to be multiple covers of 1 or 2 songs, and it’s apparent that something is clearly awry. (I’ll define “awry” in another post). While doing a cover is often deemed a tribute (in which case Stevie Wonder has to be the most tributed artist alive, cuz I found no less than 5 artists covering “As”, and yes, I made up “tributed”)), I actually consider covers a creative cop out (unless it’s an instrumental). I mean no disrespect, but the same thing that made you, the artist, love a song so much that you felt the need to sing it over, means that I am probably not going to like your version unless you really have a creative new spin on it (and I don’t mean just adjusting the tone and adding some adlibbing on the high notes). It is going to sound like you were lazy, and added the track to your album as filler. And nothing stands out more glaringly than a filler track, into which a previous artist put their heart and soul. With that being said, I suggest going back and listening to Smokey Robinson’s original version of “Cruisin”. Savour it. It is a classic ballad. From concept to conceptualization, Smokey laid down a track that ensured it would live for the ages. Then, 16 years later, D’Angelo did the impossible. He topped the original.
I know that the D’Angelo cover is nowhere near as popular as the original. I know that the classicists are going to try to have me committed. But the neo-soul take on the melody adds something to the original. It breathes fresh air into it. Be it the slowed tempo, the additional breaks, or just the smoky-silky-smooth, jazz café styling that is added to the song. When you compare them, this is an entirely different beast: familiar, yet new. Timeless and treasured, yet edgy and daring. D’Angelo took what was largely a squeaky clean love song, and turned it into something way more visceral and sensual. And goddammit, the shit worked. There is a dimension to the song now, which is unmistakable. D’Angelo effectively pulled off the single most difficult trick in the musical book. He took the mould, but he didn’t break it. He simply reshaped it. And when he was done, what was left was a work of art carrying all the hallmarks of the original piece, yet now garnished with the detailed work of a fresh and inspired perspective. If more artists would learn that skill then maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have to shake my head every time I hear a cover.
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