The Laptop Sessions Cover Songs & Original Music Video Blog

For Johnny Cash chords & lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

And, introducing a new performer to the Laptop Sessions…

Mr. Elijah Bartholomeow Wilco (the cat)!

We usually call him Eli for short, and yes, he’s my cat.  And, yes, if you listen closely enough, that’s him in the background providing some harmony vocals.  To be honest, he’s not much worse than I am, although I’m not sure what that says about his abilities.  I tried explaining that Johnny Cash’s American series doesn’t really lend itself to multiple vocals, but he just wouldn’t listen.

In all seriousness, welcome to the start of a new week for us here at the best cover song music video blog in the world!  After I wrote my review of Mudcrutch for last night’s Weekend Review (written while sitting in my car in the Panera parking lot after they had closed but hadn’t turned off the wireless), I considered recording another Mudcrutch cover (in addition to my take on “Scare Easy”) to atone for my lukewarm review.  I really do love Tom Petty and want to love Mudcrutch, but –

Well, you should go back and read the actual review.

Instead, I decided to dig into the recent posthumous Johnny Cash album.  American VI: Ain’t No Grave is an excellent final chapter in Cash’s legendary catalog.  The songs are nothing surprising and are certainly in keeping with the tone of the other five, but the selections and the performances are all just right.  This track, “1 Corinthians 15:55,” is one of Cash’s final original compositions and, as you may have guessed, is based on the scripture referenced in the title.  I found chords and lyrics rather easily on the web, but – not surprisingly – I found that they were a bit off.  For one thing, the chords were more complicated than they needed to be for the average acoustic guitar player.  I speak from experience here.  Also, the lyrics were a few words off here and there.  So, I did what I love to do – I sat in front of the speakers, typed out the lyrics, replayed it to transcribe the chords and mark the changes in the proper places, and posted it all for your non-profit enjoyment.

My post will be somewhat abbreviated tonight, as I’m only minutes away from beginning an exciting evening of friends, fast food, and TNA wrestling fun.  Tonight is the first TNA Impact! scheduled for a regular weekly live Monday night slot.  This is big news for this show and is hopefully a sign of great, exciting things to come in the future.  Best of all, wrestling is an evening of entertainment and relaxation with one of my dearest friends and one of my favorite restaurant locales!

So, that’s it for tonight.  I hope you enjoy my take on this contemporary Cash song, and be sure to hurry back for more new acoustic cover song music videos to come – a Laptop Session tomorrow and a Guest Session on Friday.  Also, since I feel bad about cutting this short, you never know what I’ll whip up for your post-reading pleasure as the week goes on…

See you next session!

To see how it’s played in the cover song music video, CLICK HERE!

“1 Corinthians 15:55″
Johnny Cash

A
Oh, death, where is thy sting?
E                                           A
Oh, grave, where is thy victory?
A                                        D
Oh, life, you are a shining path, and
D                                      A
hope springs eternal just over the rise when I
E                                              A
see my Redeemer beckoning me.

A
Oh, row my ship over the waves of your sea; let me
E                                     A
find a safe port now and then.
A       D                                   A
Don’t let the dark one in your sanctuary
B                                  E
until it’s time to pack it in.

Oh, row, row my ship with the fire of your breath
and don’t lay a broadside on your ship as yet.
Blow, ye warm winds when it’s chilly and wet,
and don’t come too soon for collecting my debt.

Oh, death, where is thy sting?
Oh, grave, where is thy victory?
Oh, life, you are a shining path,
and hope springs eternal just over the rise when I
see my Redeemer beckoning me.

Oh, let me sail on with my ships to the east
and keep my eye on the North Star.
When the journey is no good for man or for beast,
I’ll be safe wherever you are.

Just let me sail in to your harbor of lights
and there, and forever, to cast out my line.
Give me my task and let me do it right,
and do it with all of my might.

Oh, death, where is thy sting?
Oh, grave, where is thy victory?
Oh, life, you are a shining path,
and hope springs eternal just over the rise when I
see my Redeemer beckoning me.

By Chris Moore:

RATING: 3 / 5 stars

I’ll never forget the day I first read the biography of Mudcrutch.

It was a surreal set of circumstances — Mudcrutch was a band that had gone unnoticed by most and been forgotten by those few who had taken an interest during their five year run from 1970 to 1975. They had formed as a small town band, moved out to Los Angeles in pursuit of a record contract, and broken apart under the pressures of their record label and the departure of band members.

A year later, three of the Mudcrutch refugees would go on to form a band that you may have heard of…

It was a tantalizing tale, and I could barely contain my excitement for this music. In some small way, I felt like I would be able — for once! — to take part in the debut release of a band I felt truly passionate about. This was not simply the unveiling of a band’s first album; this was an opportunity to be transported back in time nearly four decades to an entirely different rock and roll landscape than I’ve grown accustomed to in the new millennium.

You get the idea.

And, at least initially, Mudcrutch held up to the hype.

Mudcrutch's self-titled debut (2008)

The first song that caught my attention was “Scare Easy,” a mid-tempo number that may have Petty’s trademark vocals on it, but is clearly not your typical Heartbreakers track. If anything, it sounds more like his previous solo album, but even then, it has a unique sound.

Other tracks on the album are standouts, even amongst the considerable catalog items that Petty, Campbell, and Tench have amassed over the years. Songs like “The Wrong Thing To Do” and “Bootleg Flyer” are unique, upbeat, and very promising. “Orphan of the Storm” may be one of the best examples of what this band sounds like, blending older country and blues textures with a seventies rock and roll mentality lurking in the backbeat.

These excellent tracks notwithstanding, there are a number of tracks that suffer from that middle-of-the-road, “so what?” stupor that few can induce like Tom Petty. In fact, most of the second half of the album is forgettable, populated by a pedestrian tune from Benmont Tench, a forgettable Tom Leadon track that confirms why he fell short of the success his brother (the former Eagle) and Petty achieved, “June Apple,” and “Topanga Cowgirl.”

In fact, two of the best tracks on the album are covers: “Six Days on the Road” and “Lover of the Bayou.” The former is a pretty straightforward number, but an exemplar for country rock. The latter, co-written by Roger McGuinn (of the Byrds) and Jacques Levy (popularly known for his collaborations with Bob Dylan on 1978’s “Street Legal”), is a candidate for the best Mudcrutch performance on tape to date. Even the traditional “Shady Grove” is beautifully translated as the perfect opener.

On first listen, Mudcrutch was a joy. Track by track, I loved it. It was only after repeated listens that it began to lose its luster and fade into mediocrity. This is a case where I think my excitement for the story surrounding the band colored my perception of the music they produced.

Each time I return to it, I try to feel what I did that first week after its release in 2008, but to no avail. Even though I’ve hesitated to admit it, Mudcrutch is a three star album from what could have been — and, at least, three fifths went on to be — a five star band.

Take note of that: in music, as in life, some combinations just weren’t meant to be, no matter how much you love the individuals. You may look back and ponder what could have been.

It’s perhaps better left to the imagination.

By Federico Borluzzi:

Acoustic cover of “Tomorrow Never Knows,” from Bruce Springsteen’s Working On A Dream album (2009).

** EDITOR’S NOTE: **

Tonight, I’m happy to add another cover song from Federico. This time around, he’s picked a beautiful little gem from Bruce Springsteen’s latest album. “Tomorrow Never Knows” may conjure memories of the classic Beatles tune of the same name, but it’s an entirely different track, believe me. If you’ve heard the original, then you know that this is an excellent choice for an acoustic cover song.

We hope you enjoy Federico’s Guest Session — leave comments, submit a session of your own (click on “The Guest Sessions in the weekly calendar above), or simply kick back and listen!