Giant Sand, "Cover Magazine"
Giant Sand's second release on Thrill Jockey, a record designed to seejust how well this configuration are connected musically as well as achance to bring in more diverse guest collaborators. As always, theringleader is Howe Gelb, this time with his rhythm stalwarts in JoeBurns on bass and John Convertino on drums, and, as the title suggests,covering other artists' songs except for one new track.
All songs getthe Giant Sand treatment, though, which makes for capturing music. Noone likes a cover album where the artists try to sound just like theoriginal, and Giant Sand do anything but that. Black Sabbath's 'IronMan' is realized as a loping lament about a lost soul rather than theshredding document of heavy metal it once was. 'King of the Road'becomes a modern lounge track, Nick Cave's 'Red Right Hand' sparserthan the original and therefore infinitely scarier. Every song soundslike the world Gelb lives in: shifting sands in the dark light, dirtycantinas, and hunted men. It's quintessential Arizona desert music, thesoundtrack to the misunderstood outcast movie of our time. As always,there's Gelb's haunting voice, somewhere around the darker part ofBruce Springsteen and the more understandable Neil Young, making themost of every note. And the revolving cast of characters this timeincludes Polly Jean Harvey, whose 'Plants and Rags' is also covered,and Neko Case. The last three tracks are recorded live, including onecomposition from Gelb's album "Confluence" featuring Jim Fairchild(Grandaddy) on guitar and running well over nine minutes. It's a veryexciting record, full of interesting sounds and songs. It's also one ofGiant Sand's strongest records, showing the innovation and range theyare capable of, even with music that isn't theirs to begin with. -
All songs getthe Giant Sand treatment, though, which makes for capturing music. Noone likes a cover album where the artists try to sound just like theoriginal, and Giant Sand do anything but that. Black Sabbath's 'IronMan' is realized as a loping lament about a lost soul rather than theshredding document of heavy metal it once was. 'King of the Road'becomes a modern lounge track, Nick Cave's 'Red Right Hand' sparserthan the original and therefore infinitely scarier. Every song soundslike the world Gelb lives in: shifting sands in the dark light, dirtycantinas, and hunted men. It's quintessential Arizona desert music, thesoundtrack to the misunderstood outcast movie of our time. As always,there's Gelb's haunting voice, somewhere around the darker part ofBruce Springsteen and the more understandable Neil Young, making themost of every note. And the revolving cast of characters this timeincludes Polly Jean Harvey, whose 'Plants and Rags' is also covered,and Neko Case. The last three tracks are recorded live, including onecomposition from Gelb's album "Confluence" featuring Jim Fairchild(Grandaddy) on guitar and running well over nine minutes. It's a veryexciting record, full of interesting sounds and songs. It's also one ofGiant Sand's strongest records, showing the innovation and range theyare capable of, even with music that isn't theirs to begin with. - samples:
