Cover Wars: Helpless Edition

Cowboy Junkies: Vocalist Margo Timmins says in the intro that it’s “another song written by Neil Young”, as they had already played Tired Eyes earlier in the set. The band has also an official live recording on their 2006 release Long Journey Home. Source: 7-26-2002

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Fareed Haque Group: This week’s only instrumental rendition comes from the Fareed Haque Group. This ensemble recorded Deja Vu in it’s entirety as part of the Blue Note Cover Series. Source: 6-24-2002

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Some great video footage from HSMF ’03:

k.d. lang: This track comes to us from an album full of covers by fellow Canadian artists recorded in 2004. Canadians are all about Canada. Source: Hymns of the 49th Parallel

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Lang fills in for Neil Young at the Juno Awards in 2005:

Nick Cave: Interesting phrasing, and I think a few added words, from Nick Cave. If you’re familiar with Cave’s style, you will not be surprised that this rendition is sung an entire octave down from the original. Source: The Bridge: A Tribute to Neil Young

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Outformation: Maybe a little too mumbly, but the vocals here are very Neil-like. Tasteful solos from both the keyboardist and guitarist round this slightly uptempo cover out nicely. Outformation transposed it down a whole step from D to C. Source: 7-15-2007

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Patti Smith: This is the third Cover Wars to feature a cover off of Patti Smith’s 2007 covers album (See Boy In The Bubble and Everybody Wants To Rule The World). I am not doing that intentionally. It’s a nice take, a lush acoustic arrangement that is also transposed down to C. Source: Twelve

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Video from June of 2008:

Perpetual Groove: PGroove vocalist Brock Butler really makes this one his own, like he does with basically everything he sings. Helping out on vocals is guest female vocalist Shantel. I don’t know what it is about this part of the alphabet, but three in a row – transposed down a whole step. Source: 9-17-2008

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Reid Genauer & Jamie Masefield: At Reid Genauer’s solo show last year in Burlington Vermont he welcomed Jamie Masefield of the Jazz Mandolin Project to the stage for a number of tunes. Check out the whole show for great renditions of Speculator and Same Ol’ River with Masefield helping out. This version is in the key of Ab, but I assume Reid was playing it in A and had his guitar tuned down a half-step. Source: 4-24-2008

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Ryan Adams & Gillian Welch: What a pair! A stellar recording and an even better performance. Ryan Adams fans should check out this entire set from Nashville’s Exit/Inn. Ryan & Gillian have brought bus back to key of D, what the song was recorded in. Source: 10-28-1999

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YARN: This is a nice take from the folks who ultimately upset Phish in the Oh! Sweet Nuthin’ Cover Wars. Wish the electric guitar was a little louder in the mix, but that happens sometimes on SBD tapes. Key of C. Source: 5-7-2009

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This video is shot through the “looking glass” at the Pour House in Raleigh.

Looking back at last week, the Time Cover Wars is too close to call. Can you help us declare a winner?

Also, the voting for this week: