Eureka may be in the running for the best album cover of the year, but be advised: be prepared to vomit in your mouth at the “Promised Land” line that ruins the otherwise wonderful “I Can’t Get Enough,” try not to laugh at songs (like “The Hunch” or “Not In My House”) that sound like they could have been in the charts alongside Billy Squier’s “The Stroke,” and if you want to hear a Tom Petty song, don’t settle for imitations like “You’re What I’m Looking For” — at least sample some of the real thing on this year’s Mojo; it isn’t so much that Eureka is bad — in fact, it’s quite enjoyable at times — but rather that it is populated by so many nearly great, yet ultimately forgettable tracks.
We’re looking for more Guest Sessions submissions! So, sit down, pull up your acoustic guitar and camera, post the video on YouTube, and CLICK HERE!
As I always say, it’s never too soon for another Bob Dylan cover video! Personally, I’ve attempted to restrain myself from recording a comfortable, enjoyable Dylan cover this year. However, tonight’s installment of the Guest Sessions is a Dylan cover song music video with an interesting twist.
First of all, this is a song from Dylan’s 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. This is perhaps one of his best albums, and it was a transition point for him, half of the album being full band renditions and the other half being classic acoustic-only compositions. (For his next album, Highway 61 Revisited, he would dive deeply into the world of electric rock…)
So far, I’ve recorded two covers from this album — “Subterranean Homesick Blues” for the members-only area of the site and “Love Minus Zero/No Limit.” No one here has yet dared to take on the more noteworthy songs, such as “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” or the song that the Byrds launched to chart success, “Mr. Tambourine Man.” This being said, I was truly impressed with the apparent ease with which Stan Denski, our guest tonight, played “She Belongs to Me.” Granted, this is a fairly straightforward song, but he changed the tuning and plays in an interesting fashion. His version is true to the original, yet very much his own and sung well.
Thank you, Stan, for sending this very entertaining video!
I’ll let him introduce the video — Stan writes,
This is a cover of Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs To Me.” It is played on an old Guild 12-string tuned to an open D and played by barring chords from the top of the neck which allows the highest strings to ring open and create diminished chords. It also uses a lot of harmonics struck at the 12th fret.
I was showing a friend how to play this version and he videotaped it and, later, stuck it up on YouTube.
This is an outtake from a recent recording for the Laptop Sessions. I just had to share it, and I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did. (Keep in mind that this is completely unscripted — this is exactly how it happened; this is precisely my natural reaction!) I think it speaks for itself…
Check back for a new Original Wednesday Laptop Session, to be posted in about an hour or so.
Elvis Costello’s National Ransom (2010) – MAYBE NOT
National Ransom (Elvis Costello, 2010)
(November 2, 2010)
Review:
Aside from a few sparking moments and a couple notable tracks, National Ransom feels more like a collection of sixteen songs that didn’t make the cut for Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, which was in every way a more engaging, dynamic, and cohesive effort.
Top Two Tracks:
“A Slow Drag With Josephine” & “Five Little Words”
Cover Songs & Original Music Videos By Laptop Sessions Songwriters
The Laptop Sessions music video blog is a great combination of acoustic cover songs and original music. This website features cover songs from many of rock music's greatest bands, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan. The blog is updated every day with another acoustic cover video, how-to video, or article about music. We only play the best cover songs from the best rock bands of all time.
Here at the Laptop Sessions, we don't just sit down and do a bunch of cover songs- we make them our own. Yes, each cover will sound like the original, but it will also have a new, fresh sound to it. One of our specialties is taking a song from say the eighties and stripping-away the production. Then, we're left with just the song- simple (and most times, much better). We then record an acoustic version of that song and put it on this music video blog for all music fans to watch.
But, Laptop Sessions Music Blog is much more than just videos. There are informative blog posts, including the chords and lyrics to your favorite songs, recording tips, and much more. Plus, you can buy Jim Fusco's original songs right here on the music blog!
Right from the start, the Laptop Sessions Acoustic Cover Songs & Music Video Blog set out to be different. We wanted to give the best music blog for the world to enjoy. We wanted to put an end to bad YouTube cover videos forever. We wanted to bring great rock music back to the forefront with our great cover songs and original music. And, we guarantee we'll keep it this way- free videos that are updated constantly for your musical enjoyment. If you're looking for the best cover songs, the most exciting new music, and the most informative music articles, look no further than right here: home of the world-famous Laptop Sessions.
