Cover Wars: Walking The Cow (Daniel Johnston)
Considering this week’s song, Walking the Cow, was first released via a 1983 self recorded cassette tape, made in the home of Daniel Johnston, the covers sound quite different from the original. Johnston’s take from his album Hi, How Are You is a poignantly simple and honest delivery from the Austin, Texas mainstay whose well documented mental illness has both informed and hampered his creative output. His influence on recent artists from the Seattle grunge movement to the current wave of independent bands is undeniable evidenced by two of the contenders coming from tribute albums featuring impressive lineups of inspired musicians. For a true appreciation of the song and the covers start with the original recording by Johnston.
The Contestants:
Artist: fIREHOSE
Album: Flyin’ The Flannel
The Skinny: Bassist Mike Watt’s snapping notes punctuate this mellowed out version and only cover on their 1991 album. The California band puts just a touch of country twang on the Texan tune.
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READ ON for more covers of Daniel Johnston’s Walking The Cow…
Artist: Mike Watt
Album: I Killed The Monster
The Skinny: Watt must really like this song, as he and his post fIREHOSE band recorded this version for a 2006 tribute album. Thalia Ferriera provides the pop friendly vocals and Wilco’s Nels Cline steps in with a blistering guitar solo.
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Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: In Rock We Trust
The Skinny: This version by Pearl Jam was their debut performance of the song at the 1994 Bridge School Benefit concert. The acoustic arrangement is also the only time the full band has played the song live.
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Artist: Eddie Vedder
Live Show: 4-13-2008 (Thanks to sgordo for the track)
The Skinny: Vedder has taken a liking to this song as well. The YouTube clip shows a solo pre-show performance before a 2006 Pearl Jam concert. It’s common for his solo shows, like the one I saw in Seattle a few weeks ago which was the impetus for this contest, to open with Vedder’s take on Johnston’s song.
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Artist: TV On The Radio
Album: The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered
The Skinny: This sparse recording from the 2004 tribute album is a fairly close recreation of the original repetitive keyboard and basic drum beat. Tunde Adebimpe delivers a moving vocal as the track builds around TVotR’s typical sonic tapestry.
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Artist: A Camp
Album: A Camp
The Skinny: The side project of Nina Persson of the The Cardigans took the song and turned it into a disco-rocker. Her sultry vocal over a wash of synthesizers and distorted guitars was produced by the late Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse for A Camp’s debut release.
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Artist: The Reivers
Album: Translate Slowly
The Skinny: This Austin band was a contemporary of Johnston’s in the local music scene of the early ‘80s. The relatively short live band’s revved up rocking version appeared on their 1985 debut album.
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Artist: K. McCarty
Album: Dead Dog’s Eyeball: Songs of Daniel Johnston
The Skinny: Lush strings layer this version that stays relatively true to the original. A member of the Austin band Eye, McCarty’s 1993 solo album, which this appears on, was a tribute to Johnston.
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Artist: Alicja-pop
Album: Shining Apple
The Skinny: The Memphis based member River City Tanlines and the Jay Retard project Lost Sounds recorded this as a b-side to a one-off single. Centered on a driving tempo its one of the more upbeat versions among the group of contestants.
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Checking in on the It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue Cover Wars: the Grateful Dead has emerged as the winner.
If Eddie Cheddar wins this, the terrorists have truly won. Go back and listen to the Mike Watt version….