"Oh Well" Fleetwood Mac (revised FP5)

The year is 2007, and as you walk down the street, you catch a glimpse of a tacky tabloid shoved on every single rack of newspapers and magazines available. Britney Spears is at it again, and her downward spiral that has been reported upon every step of the way has officially hit rock bottom. By publicly shaving her head and checking into her first rehabilitation center, the star has reached icon status. Images of Spears going nuts fill every front cover and screen available, as she is pictured running around smashing reporters' cameras, and ultimately shooting her celebrity status into stardom. But, becoming the 2000's Queen of all things pop and bat-shit-crazy wasn't all the way blamed on her genetic variation. While taking away from this and looking into researching some background as to what ingredients caused this crisis; I found this article from the Velvet Light Trap, a critical journal of film and television, that talks about the narrative that Spears evokes upon. In such a public expose of her inner mind, it all comes down to the famous reveal of her mental illness and how it effected her irrational actions. Ironically, she was rebelling against standardization and consumerism and everything that's causing her to go insane, while still unintentionally having it be used it as a medium to publicize her issues. A lot of times, stars do go crazy because of the pressure that they're under, and they crack. Whether they had prior issues to becoming famous, or the fame invoked the issues themselves, Spears isn't the only one that's gone a little "coo coo". Some turn to drugs, and some turn to shady hair salons, but we all have our vices. This week I'm going to talk about the founder of Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green. The original guitarist that ignited an undying flame of success initially chose music as his vice for all things seeming spiral in his world. However, as the band became progressively popular and the checks started coming, the only thing that seemed to be negatively impacting him was the fame itself. Turns out, over fifty years ago, Green had the original "Britney" breakdown moment himself.

Good ol' 1969, the pinnacle of cheap sex and even cheaper drugs. Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well” is the topic of discussion, and it was pretty early era-esque of the band, being released over 6 years before iconic Stevie Nicks came close to the picture. The group was yet to have skyrocketed but were at the brink of stardom, known all over the country for being rocky and bluesy and completely different than the norm. Peter Green was the current guitarist of Fleetwood Mac, and was known everywhere as being one of the greatest guitarists of his time. Green was not that big into drugs before the band, and he was not the type to crack under stress. As America grew to love the band, Green began to shut down. Having to please crowds constantly from inducing creativity is insanely difficult, something that most celebrities struggle with. Throughout this struggle, he found a substance that would help cope with the lack of creative juices flowing, LSD. In the 60's, the use of LSD and similarly acid was popular enough to not be completely sketchy. A lot of artists reported using it recreationally as either a coping mechanism or an idea machine for new work. Green reported using it as both, as he needed the getaway and the thought invoking trip to further his career. However, as his career kept getting higher up on the ranks, so did he. He became addicted to the drug, and dangerously if I must say. Although it aided in songwriting, it took away the man inside that he really was. He wrote the song "Oh Well" all on his own, and beautifully if I must say, but his heavy usage within the acid and LSD realm tripped him way deep into a fame-induced mental illness. Suffering a breakdown, leaving the band, and running around screaming that money is evil, “Oh Well” has lyrics that explicitly reveal the true shape Green was in all along.

The overarching theme in the original reflects equally in the cover I chose, provided by Led Zeppelin’s legendary Jimmy Page. Although Page has also had a relationship with heavy recreational drug use, he chose heroin instead. Throughout his career he was a frequent user to get inspiration from his highs, but as Zeppelin became more successful he began to lean on the drug more than ever. Correlating exactly to the situation that Green was in while at the pinnacle of success, this is the reason why I chose this cover. The two artists' paths take quite swiftly different turns however. Page's addiction began to hamper his guitar performance and he lost an insane amount of weight in a short enough amount of time to get everyone around concerned. Luckily, Page was able to escape the addiction early enough that it didn’t take his brain, career, or luscious hair with him.

Although starting with that background was something I do not do quite often, it was so vital to the understanding of both songs and how they feed off one another. I also do not include the lyrics of songs often either, as you'll soon see below. I also put in bold and underlined the more personal, and important, lyrics of the song to give more emphasis on how I interpreted the music. I know I'm breaking one-hundred rules, but trust me, you'll be thanking me later. Now let’s get to the music:

“I can't help about the shape I'm in


I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin


But don't ask me what I think of you


I might not give the answer that you want me to



Now when I talk to God you know he understands


He said stick by me and I'll be your guidin' hand

But don't ask me what I think of you


I might not give the answer that you want me to”

Lyrically and pretty explicitly, Green writes his heart out into this less-than simplistic ballad. While on the outside it may seem short and sweet, his inner battle is being exploited impressively well. He’s cutting his wrist and letting it bleed out into this song, as bare and raw and emotional it may be. Similarly to Britney (but obviously metaphorically), he's shaving his beautiful head of hair in front of the entire audience and letting his bald crown shine. He's exposing himself to the world, and is breaking down how he feels with words, rather than hair clippers. Short spoken but effective, the entire encompassing theme of Green’s slow-motion train wreck of emotion overwhelms “Oh Well”. The effects of being in poor shape mentally and physically, losing his physique to the drainage of drugs and relying heavily on a power that’s above him, is extremely telling on what state of mind he is in. Being one of the last songs that Green dropped before he dropped from the world of fame, I believe it was a beautiful finale to a really downright sad story.

Setting a precedent for Fleetwood Mac while challenging Green's own demons, the song embodies a funeral of its own. I can see the procession of Green's metaphorical casket as the hymnal lyrics walk us down the aisle, holding the cold body. Taken by fame and the detrimental effects that money and the risky behavior that the success-sphere entails, Green's talents were robbed and he was stripped of his own life. The electric guitar carries us all back to a heavenly state of mind where we came from. The references to God contribute to the mental image I got from the song, literally bringing both Green and the listeners to a higher state of mind. This higher state is the same condition that Green stayed in as he needed an escape from reality. To bring this understanding to the audience is both intelligent and cunning and I applaud him as being the song-writer, singer, and front man who did not quite pull through. He did not actually die, just to clarify, but the death of his career is a prominent overtone in this song. "Oh Well" is a mixture of rock and roll and poetry. 

Thirty years after the original release but seven years before Spears’ meltdown, Page dropped his version of “Oh Well”. Live and raw, with minimal room for error, the cover went seamlessly and shocked the entire crowd as well. Featuring the Black Crowes, the cover brings the rock and roll aspect of the song to life, and brings it up to Page’s era. A lot heavier and harder, this cover transforms the old somber ballad into something more heroin. I literally feel like I’m in that scene of Forest Gump where Lieutenant Dan loses his mind and hires hookers and shoots up heroin. Which in fact, is exactly what Page did all the time. The layering of electric guitar and the banging of the drums is a bit overkill though, and it may be Page's style, but it's not quite necessary. The original relies heavily on the guitar as well, but there is a bluesy aspect of the original that gets lost in transcendence. I feel like something is missing, no matter ho much harder Page tries to cover it up with his fast-paced tempo and brash vocals. There’s less of a personal connection here than the original, which sucks because I am such a huge Jimmy Page fan and I thought he could pull it out. At the end of the day, the cover is great. It's mention-worthy and a head banger, but I have to give Green the win for this one. 

Mental illness was parasitic and succulent upon the ever so talented Green, and you can feel his emaciated being literally withering away behind our fingertips. Vice-versa, with Spears you can visually see the public breakdown as she hit paparazzi cars with golf clubs and shaved off her head of hair at some mall's Great Clips. We all have our demons, we all face our battles, and for these two celebrities, fame is what did them in. The fame and the money and the all sorts of hells that accompany the two is what drew out such horrific effects on the mind, and we come to only having their work to show. The heavily shown effects of negativity in the world of fame and fortune may outweigh the positive aspects, which seem to simply be the great music that comes forth from mental deterioration. Is this cost, the toll of brilliant minds, worth the audience enjoying themselves for roughly four minutes, before switching to the next song? How do we end this hamster-wheel of a cycle, where money keeps flowing in and causing more damage, as the minds of musical innovators endlessly deplete? As we take away from this thought, recognize the cost of great music with meaning. It's not just the monetary $1.99 we maybe spend buying the track off iTunes, and c'mon, we don't even spend that much because we ALL illegally download. Rather, we are talking about the cost of the lives of musical geniuses whose sanity is converted into cash. At the end of the day, all we can do as listeners is our part by appreciating their work as artists regardless, because no matter what, Britney Spear's "Toxic" and Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" will always be on my play list of jams.

The Beatles Cultural Analysis (revised FP4)

This week I’ve decided to mix it up a little bit, just to keep my readers on their toes. As presented with a bit of a cultural reflection challenge to add to the mix of finding good covers, I figured what artist reflects culture more than The Beatles? Nobody on Earth compares in the slightest to the iconic English 60’s rock band whose music changed the world.  John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr combined, form quite spectacularly one of the greatest combinations of psychedelia and beat of all time. Alongside their ballads and masterpieces, The Beatles are so deeply engrained in the DNA of rock music that even their flaws are considered perfection.

Complex and wide-ranging, glorious and fascinating, The Beatles consistently provided not only catchy and popular music, but music with meaning. Their songs constantly reflected the time and situation that the band felt and lived at the time, with passion and fervor. The songwriting done is intimate; you always feel as though Paul McCartney is your best friend belting his heart out into your ear. The raw and honest musical geniuses incorporate this personal relationship with fans to expound upon important influences of the time. Politically, morally, socially, while sonically and lyrically, the music speaks for itself and speaks for the world around them. Whether sending a message with explicit references to the 60’s hippie outrage of the Vietnam War and expansive drug use, exposing differences between Eastern and Western culture, or promoting peace and “propaganda” to change the world through peace and love; The Beatles said it all.

Now, I’ll now talk about what I’m doing this week. I took a compilation of what I believe to be the most outspoken Beatles’ songs of their time, and put together my own little playlist of mentionable covers. To reiterate what I said earlier and firmly believe, nobody in the entire universe compares to The Beatles and comes close to what the band represented. Over fifty years after the original release of most of these songs, in 2015 they still manage to pretty much hit the nail on the head when providing an expose on popular culture and political advancements. The covers I chose highlight that modern aspect as well, by giving the originals a bit of a twist to the song's meaning and bringing it into centennial light. I don’t usually do track-by-track reviews, so I'm about to break my own rules. Please don’t sue me, because in this case, it’s totally necessary to get the individual point that each song has across. 
In no particular order:

1.     “Revolution”, Imagine Dragons cover  

Revolution is known as the very first overly politically influenced Beatles song, written as a direct response to the Vietnam War. The explicit connection to Chairman Mao (a Chinese communist revolutionary) clearly calls the man out, and goes on to say that supporting him is wrong and it’ll land you in the gutter. Lennon wrote the song as an emotional reaction to how he felt that “everything is gonna be alright” as quoted and repeated multiple times in the song. The Beatles were totally against the idea of war, and although they called for “revolution”, the revolution was only one for peace rather than physical and violent rebellion. In 21st century, we can take a lot out of the intention that the Beatles clearly had. Change can happen without being forced by guns and military, and it simply is "evolution" as McCartney sang. Change is natural, and we as a people should adapt peacefully. 

While still being relevant, the covers important because it’s also pretty fantastically reworked. Acoustically, the riffs are spot on and the vocals are silky yet grainy, the perfect combination that Lennon originally incorporated as well. The chords strike as though on cue, and the hymnal Imagine Dragons soothe the crowd while simultaneously lighting a spark in the air. Coming from songs like “Radioactive”, which was pretty mainstream try-hard pop for quite a bit of 2014; one would never know that this is the same band. The energy in the air is alive and calm and quaint, perfect. The lead singer, Dan Reynolds, does the best follow up of a Beatles classic that anybody possibly could, even Yoko’s shown bopping her head in the crowd.

2.    “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” Tom Petty,Prince, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison

      I’m going start this by noting how awesome it is that this track includes such Grade-A legends all together. Tom Petty the rock god, Prince is PRINCE for Christ’s sake, and Steve Winwood and Jeff Lynne bring in the band with retro rock in their blood. Even low-key Dhani Harrison, who is GEORGE HARRISON’S SON is in this rendition. I'm getting the chills just watching it on YouTube, I can only imagine what the live vibes feel like. Confidence oozes out of Petty, because he knows that he can redo a Beatles song and pull it off. It’s hypnotizing to listen to, and may I even say, comes close to the original. I must be losing my mind, because I’m almost forgetting what the original “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” even sounded like.

      Regardless of the legendary artists featured, the cover kills it. The guitar solo towards the end is beautifully executed with sonic fire soaring through the air, and the crowd goes rightfully wild. Although there’s still a bit of a chill vibe throughout the vocals, the mixture of hot and cold is comparably the yin and yang that makes the song work. It forces the audience into feeling every bit of the band’s exuberated passion. My only problem with the cover is that the lyrics go quite a bit unnoticed, and the lyrical perspective is what brought this song on my playlist to begin with.

      The story behind this song begins in 1968, while songwriter and vocalist for The Beatles, George Harrison, sat at his mother’s house thinking of the “Chinese I Ching”. Basically, it's an Eastern concept that whatever happens is all meant to be, there’s no such thing as coincidence. At the time, not only were there Cold War tensions in America, but also Vietnam War tensions alongside. This ideal was unfamiliar to the highly-stressed American population, and The Beatle’s subtlety introduced and promoted the idea to the hippie crowd, with soft vocals and Eric Clapton on the guitar.
     The modern retelling of the original made it on this list not only because of how it makes my heart literally overflow with joy, but also because the lyrical quality only enhances over time and the cover reflects so. In America, I hear frequently today that "everything happens for a reason", which is the similar concept with a Western twist. The saying explains the unexplainable, whether good or bad. It gives comfort to those without any. Conceptually, the saying is changing but remaining true to it's original intent.

3.     “Imagine” Neil Young

I love Neil Young, his “Heart of Gold” will always remain on the top #10 most played on my iPod, and more importantly it’s forever #1 in my heart. BUT, this cover is not my favorite on the list. Maybe “Imagine” is just overplayed and over-covered in my opinion, but this one feels dry. I can’t feel the classic Neil Young folky heart and passion that I always do. The cover is skin-deep, and I know Neil could have done better. Maybe it’s because "Imagine" is THE Lennon song, the absolute classic that everybody associates John Lennon with. But, it just feels sacrilegious to not listen to the original, as though I’m sinning against the music gods. Nothing comes close to the sonic magic that Lennon sparks, and the original always hits everyone with a soul in the feels. Regardless, the song made my list because everyone else seems to rave about it. Young's a legend, Lennon's a legend; the combination makes the cover a musical prodigy. 

The strong political message is sugarcoated in the pretty melody; it’s a softer approach to the audience. The message is to imagine a world without division, without things such as religion and war that separate the masses. The world would be a better place without the constant argumentation and clash of classes, and Lennon encourages us to literally “imagine” it.
Is this concept even possible today, with constant trouble wherever one looks? Somebody's always wrong and somebody's always right, whether within our own tiny lives or on a larger scale. On the news there is a constant headline filled with turmoil, and internally we all fight our own battles. Although Lennon's imagination hasn't quite come true yet, the peaceful notion gives comfort in a world with little. The majority wishes to see a day with ease, and the heavenly thought keeps us all in a nice little safety blanket.

4.     “All You Need is Love” Elvis Costello

            There’s something romantic about Elvis Costello’s sultry cover of “All You Need is Love”. I always had this set ideal that this timeless Beatles tune is upbeat and happy; I picture it as the color yellow. Costello’s live cover taints this yellow and turns it into a deep red, and with his ever-grainy voice, he turns the teeny bopper anthem into a bedroom whisper. I love how he completely redesigns the original into his own work, and I love even more how much of a risk it was to take. This being said, it still doesn’t compare to McCartney’s belt of the absolute classic. The original song was evolutionary and embodied the hippie movement of the time. To emphasize how overpowering the original is over any cover, even as I listen to Costello's version, I still hear Paul McCartney singing in the back of my head.

            The Beatles brought this song to life very simplistically. “All You Need Is Love” was a popular saying in the ‘60’s anti-war movement, and the song was released in the middle of the 1967’s Summer of Love. If that isn’t a direct allusion, I don’t know what is. The lyrical concept began by wanting to produce a song that would be understood by all nations. The song was gimmicky and catchy, so the words were easy to remember and the song was always in your head. Promotions of peace and love intertwined every word sung, and it totally encompasses the youth of the time period. 
            Now, our time period's youth is a little different. Social media has taken over the universe, and so has the idea that you need a little bit more than love nowadays. In rap music, you don't even need love to be successful; you need money and girls with big butts. True love is held on an unrealistic pedestal and loving each other platonically isn't really a thing. We'd all be better off if the world retained this endearment towards their neighbors and peers, and I have hope that this ideal will return.

5.     “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” The Flaming Lips ft. Miley Cyrus

I saved the most interesting cover for last. The Flaming Lips and Miley Cyrus combine their creative minds, and the obvious allusion to LSD, to redesign an iconic Beatles druggie hymn. The only word I have to describe the cover is... trippy. Disclaimer: I have no past history with psychedelic drug use, but I totally feel like I’m tripping acid while audibly interpreting this cover. Cyrus’ voice rings through your skull like a light in the dark, and the Flaming Lips channeling their electronic-psychedelic-rock side is kaleidoscopic and mind-blowing. I love this cover, it’s experimental and a total conscious experience.

This cover would be Beatles approved, 1000%. Lennon continually experimented with the drug, and hit a usage peak in 1967, when the song was released. The main inspiration claimed to be taken from Alice in Wonderland, the dreamlike imagery and verses are gentle and inducing. Drug use in the 60’s was obliterating the hippie culture, everyone was tripping off their asses and experimenting with the many sides of their personalities. It was a total fad, that embodied every music scene, club scene, and took over the hippie scene. 
Drug use these days is still just as idolized and popular, in any genre of music you turn to. A$AP Rocky just recently released, "L$D". "Stay High" by Tove Lo was on the top charts for weeks. Even Miley Cyrus, featured on this cover and previously known as Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana", releases whole entire albums based on sex and drugs. It's totally still relevant, and the cover exuberates the relevancy that drugs still hold over modern-day music culture.

      Overall, The Beatles incorporated important explicit and implicit messages within their songs to reflect on the current affairs at hand. They were total hippies that wanted peace, love, and drugs to make the world a better place. Similarly, all of the covers pretty much reflect the 21st century and modernize the original intent to make it brand new and relevant. The enhancement of messages, the quality of music, and the incorporation of the Beatles' intent, are what make these covers on my very exclusive playlist.