God only knows

Who’s the lass after Elton Fatface?

EDIT: Ahhhaaaaa!

It’s my favourite song ever and the fact that – two listens in to this BBC extravaganza – I’m not disgusted by this cover, suggests I must quite like it.

The drumming and the soprano are lame tho’

For those that like it – do you think it’s better than the original?

I remember my house mate hearing the BBC’s Perfect Day all those years ago and getting excited about it – mostly it seemed because he didn’t know the original. Maybe there’s a place for getting old great songs on TV like this so that younger people hear them – and maybe realise that there’s more to various boy bands who seem so popular these days.

Dad.

I heard it on the radio, I thought it was pants; because once you’ve got past the novelty of spotting singers, it’s a bit of a ‘too many cooks’ because each singer only has 4 bars so no consistency – and as the others have said the delicacy is lost

and by the way.. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/10298691/BBC-Big-Band-cuts-are-shameful-mistake.html the BBC should be using their cash to generate content not adverts for content, if you say you love music you should support people who make it
I like the BBC but it shoots itself in the foot sometimes

Mr Woppit – Member
Thing is, “Perfect Day” was an intelligent, literate classic with a sly, knowing sub-text completely missed by most of the people who liked it and, I suspect, the British Broadcorpsing Castration.

This other thing is just a weepy bit of nonsense based on a ridiculous premise by a writer of pretty little pop songs

Not sure what the “thing is” there… They’ve both been shat all over.
Anyway, I won’t be listening to either of them, ever, so they can shit on whatever they like.

do you think it’s better than the original?

No, not even near. It’s a rare cover version that is better than the original

British Broadcorpsing Castration

WTF are you on about this time?

It’s just noise.
🙂

It really doesn’t matter.

Not sure what the “thing is” there… They’ve both been shat all over

A day spent on heroin.

WTF are you on about this time?

Quoting Clive James.

A day spent on heroin.

Ah. That explains your post.

What you on about?

Maybe there’s a place for getting old great songs on TV like this so that younger people hear them

But there’s always music from the baby boomers on TV. Couple that with other officially sanctioned blandness, most kids are plenty exposed to the acceptable canon of “old” music.

Now, there’s no denying the simple beauty of the original God Only Knows, but that was absolutely execrable.

Just watched it.

Seemed a bit of a backslapathon, but has Dave Grohl in it, so gets a pass.

Difficult to get upset about.

Ageing people grumbling about how everything from the 1960s is unsurpassable is one of the most depressing things about today.

🙂

You mean stuff like this? (I am only 32 by the way)

Ageing people grumbling about how everything from the 1960s is unsurpassable is one of the most depressing things about today.

Nonsense, can’t stand most sixties music, but will appreciate music with musical merit from whatever era. Even if there is true raw passion in it and no musicianship I’ll admire it. Especially that! Yet this self-promoting circle-jerk of bland shite actually makes 60s poppy shit sound shittier for having inspired it! Can’t knock them for raising worthy cash along with their look-at-me meters though. GrrrAARGH! I thought I liked Paloma Faith. Having word with self.

Mr Woppit – Member
This other thing is just a weepy bit of nonsense based on a ridiculous premise by a writer of pretty little pop songs.

And this is where you are totally wrong!

Pretty pop songs being incredibly hard to write and Brian having a huge amount more musical talent than Lou Reed – who incidentally though I also still think amazing either with or without the Velvet Underground. Brian Wilson was a musical genius with an ear and pen for harmony and melody which is pretty much unmatched in popular music. Who cares if the core premise of the song is naive and gauche. It is still an absolute masterpiece.

Quite liked it. Don’t hate it anyway. Not an improvement on the original but then I got the original scratched into my soul a long time ago so I’m ok with other things being less brilliant, you know? And I didn’t know David Coulthard can play violin!

But yeah, it kind of falls apart completely for a moment when Brian May turns up, and too many of the artists only get to say “God Only Knows”. Poor ol Jake Bugg just gets La La La. Perfect Day worked better because everyone got something to get their teeth into. Dave Grohl might as well have stayed in bed. Maybe just not the right choice of song for this sort of thing.

Some good individual performances though, interesting the ones that are actually recognisable.

Northwind – Member
Quite liked it. Don’t hate it anyway. Not an improvement on the original but then I got the original scratched into my soul a long time ago so I’m ok with other things being less brilliant, you know? And I didn’t know David Coulthard can play violin!

But yeah, it kind of falls apart completely for a moment when Brian May turns up, and too many of the artists only get to say “God Only Knows”. Poor ol Jake Bugg just gets La La La. Perfect Day worked better because everyone got something to get their teeth into. Dave Grohl might as well have stayed in bed. Maybe just not the right choice of song for this sort of thing.

Some good individual performances though, interesting the ones that are actually recognisable.
Pretty much my feelings, really. I think there’s a bit of ‘too many cooks’ going on, sadly. May’s guitar can be too intrusive, it may have been better to have a more sympathetic guitarist, like Knopfler, who has done some lovely soundtrack work, and the bint dangling from a balloon near the end was a bit squawky.
Loved the trumpet bit by the girl in the cage, nice touch, that.
Nice to see a representative from 6Music sitting on the edge of a balcony as well, not sure if she was actually singing, although she can.
I was actually watching it on my telly while writing this, rather than my pad, so got a better view, and sound, and I don’t mind it at all, really; there are far worse covers out there by far.
And the original song is one of the most perfect pop songs ever written, despite what some on here might like to think.

Maybe just not the right choice of song for this sort of thing

I think this, it’s a passable homage but ultimately feels a little soulless.

Music buy committee.

Although, as per Jamie:

has Dave Grohl in it, so gets a pass

I am unable to criticise Sir Dave of Grohl

So what’s more fun/better? Newly written songs, such as Do They Know It’s Christmas?, or covers like this? Perfect Day was quite fun I thought.

So what’s more fun/better?

Nothing wrong with the song, just a completely crap composition that completely misses the soul of the song.

But they could have been a bit more original, instead of just trawling the 60’s why not something by the Jam or Nirvana or a hundred great groups that came after the 60’s. They have done the 60’s, now do something else, and something that the performers understand at least musically, on perfect day 90% of the performers seemed to get the song on this they are just trying to show their “talent”and **** up the overall effect.

Having taken another look at Perfect Day, I notice it had some bloody awful warbling by Lesley Garrett on it, plus Bono, obviously, so I’m mystified why I liked it at the time.

Perhaps I’m just older and grumpier now.

Yeah, the Lesley Garrett was the low point, but this time round it’s a collection of Lesley Garrett’s with very few of the better balanced performances.

awful warbling by Lesley Garrett

I’m no hater of opera, but God Only Knows why people insist on opera singers singing on pop records. It’s worked once and once only

The title of the piece is, of course, a notable oxymoron.

MSP – Member

But they could have been a bit more original, instead of just trawling the 60’s why not something by the Jam or Nirvana

I’m not sure that word means what you think it means 😆

mudshark – Member

So what’s more fun/better?

‘Better’ doesn’t apply to music.
It’s just noise, you either like it or you don’t.

Your taste doesn’t make you a better person.

martinhutch – Member

Having taken another look at Perfect Day, I notice it had some bloody awful warbling by Lesley Garrett on it, plus Bono, obviously, so I’m mystified why I liked it at the time.

Perhaps you weren’t as much of a snob back then?
😀

Your taste doesn’t make you a better person.

You try so hard to be un-snobbish! In your heart you know the BBC things are piles of steaming excrement 😉

That’s true. Contact with the STW massive over time has increased my feelings of superiority. 🙂

DezB – Member

You try so hard to be un-snobbish!

Just let it go Dez, free your mind and musical tranquility will follow.
🙂

If you need to get to a Music Snobs Anonymous meeting, just let me know.
I take my responsibilities as a sponsor very seriously. 😀

I’m not sure that word means what you think it means

I’m sure you don’t understand context.

I liked some of it and TBH I am not that bothered if it works or doesn’t work as a complete song/cover.
A long time ago Yello brought out an album (One Second)that turned me on to the notion of small perfect sounds. How many times do you hear a perfect intro ,then the rest of the song/tune just doesn’t deliver ,or the part of it doesn’t quite work and almost spoils the whole thing ?
For me,those little perfect moments of sound are fantastic,even if they are trapped in something bland.

Couldn’t agree more.

I liked the Perfect Day cover for all the litte touches in it, the timing changes, vocal contrasts etc.
And the subversion of the original delighted me, as it annoyed the snobs.

Just let it go Dez, free your mind and musical tranquility will follow.

I just can’t. I have to exercise my right to be offended!

DezB – Member

I just can’t. I have to exercise my right to be offended!

I had it bad.
No synths, no drum machines, no suits etc.
I was frothing at each fresh platitude spouted by the NME, angry at the ignorance of others, stifled by the rules I’d imposed on myself.

Then I realised that I was never going to get laid at that rate, ‘cos chicks think snobs are sad, so wisened up sharpish.
🙂
The last 30 years have been a lot easier than the first 15.

Alternatively, imagine a whiny teenager sat at the dinner table seething with injustice at the indignity of being served fish.
Fish that his loving parents have paid for.

That’s you that is.
😀

I love fish

ALL fish?

😀

I do miss it now and then.
When drunk I can still sometimes be coaxed into a lusty rendition of ‘See I TOLD you Oasis were shite at the time’.