“Odds and Ends” (Bob Dylan Cover)

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Chris Moore

For Bob Dylan chords / tabs / lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

Well, it may not have been recorded in my basement with an as-yet-unknown Canadian rock band, but this is the best version of “Odds and Ends” you’re going to get out of me! I’ve always loved this song. It sets the tone nicely for the 23 songs that follow. Indeed, “Odds and Ends” encapsulates the spirit of The Basement Tapes: often absurd lyrics sung over raw yet warm instrumental tracks. For Dylan, this set of songs signified his retreat from the “wild, mercury sound” of Blonde on Blonde and the wild world tour of 1966. At the same time, you can listen as the Band begins to really gel and find their collective voice.

The primary reason I chose this song tonight — one of two that I will post tonight — is in honor of Dylan’s brand-new album being released tomorrow. It is titled Together Through Life, and I’ve already recorded a Laptop Session of the lead track, “Beyond Here Lies Nothin.’” There is at least one other song that’s been leaked online, but I’d rather save the other nine tracks for my first listen to the album as a whole.

Instead, I’ve gone back to this 1975 release of these 1968 recordings.

Why choose The Basement Tapes to cover now?

The answer, quite simply, is that I was too busy with other videos and writing to be able to record these songs a couple weeks ago when several Dylan albums — The Basement Tapes, New Morning, Dylan and the Dead — were reissued in digipack format. I saw them in the stores, and although I really don’t see why anyone who already owns these albums would want to buy the updated versions (aside from sound quality, of course), I can’t help but feel it necessary to celebrate any and all attention that Dylan’s back catalog is given.

It hasn’t been all that long since I would scan the CD racks at stores like Sam Goody, FYE, Best Buy, Borders, and a host of others, looking for Dylan albums to complete my collection. For a while, I would buy two at a time in an attempt to satiate my thirst for new Dylan material. Although I don’t feel that same urgency for Dylan’s releases when I walk into a CD store, I have lost none of my passion and respect for his music.

As Jim knows and is probably already thinking (and he’s right), I’ll jump at any excuse to record a Dylan song!!

Okay, that’s it for the first post.

See you next session!

More Laptop Sessions covers

“Sex and Candy” (Marcy Playground Cover)

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Chris Moore

For Marcy Playground chords & lyrics, CLICK HERE!

By Chris Moore:

After both technical difficulties and more than my share of human error for the night, my “Chris Moore Monday” post is here! Not only am I posting a video tonight for the best acoustic cover song music video blog known to man — and humble, too! — but this is actually the first of a double header. Since Jim is away for one more “Jim Fusco Tuesday,” I didn’t want to see anyone go without new material for even a day more.

Tonight’s song is one that would have made me blush in 1997, and to be honest, it still does. Back in late ’97 and early 1998, Marcy Playground’s “Sex and Candy” was everywhere, particularly if you listened to a modern rock radio station. (CT locals may remember the alternative station Rock 104’s hey day in the nineties.) At the time, this song broke the record for most consecutive weeks at number one on the modern rock charts — 15 weeks, to be specific. Meanwhile, this song catapulted Marcy Playground to one hit wonder status, peaking at a solid number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

To this day, I’m not exactly sure why this song was such a big hit at the time. Structurally, it’s a very simple song, and the vocals are very straightforward. I think the song’s success can be attributed to its provocative lyrics and John Wozniak’s distinct vocals. Fortunately for me, “Woz” as he refers to himself has a vocal range that is well within my own, at least on this song!

There are two reasons I’ve chosen this particular song for tonight’s session. The first is that it reminds me of a time when I was first becoming interested in music, listening to the radio and just beginning to buy CDs at the overpriced Sam Goody’s store in the mall.

You know, another sign that this song was successful is that “Weird” Al included the chorus of “Sex and Candy” in his “Polka Power!” polka medley. If only I, too, could one day have a song parodied by the man, then I would truly know I had earned success. But, until then, I’ll just have to enjoy the new “Weird” Al video for his new song, “CNR.” It’s a style parody of the White Stripes and the video was produced by JibJab, so it’s all the more hilarious. While I thought the “Skipper Dan” video a couple weeks ago was enjoyable, this one is truly great — it made me laugh out loud a couple times and want to watch it again.

Okay, so that’s it for me for now. I’ll see you back here, same Laptop Sessions time, same Laptop Sessions channel.

See you next session!

More Laptop Sessions covers

“Jonathon Fisk” by Spoon – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Chris Moore

To see how it’s played in the music video cover, CLICK HERE!

“Jonathon Fisk”
Spoon

Intro: A D

A
Maybe you remember, maybe you’re locked away.
A D
Maybe we’ll meet again some better day, some better life.

A
Mmmm… Jonathon Fisk speaks with his fists
A D
Can’t let me walk home on my own.
A
And just like a knife, down on my life,
A D
So many ways to set me right.

B A
It’s such a long way home.
It’s how the story goes.
A D
And it’s like atom bombs and blunt razors,
D
Atom bombs and blunt razors…

A
Jonathon then says it’s a sin,
But he don’t think twice ’cause to him
D
Religion don’t mean a thing —
It’s just another way to be right wing.
A
Just like a knife, down on my life,
So many ways to set it right.
D
That’s how it goes.
That’s how the story goes.

It’s such a long way home.
You’re too old to understand.
‘Cause I just want to get home now;
I just want to get home now.

Jonathon’s right, down on my life,
So many ways to set me right.
On the long walk home,
That’s how the story goes.
And Jonathon Fisk, always a risk,
Tells me he counts my teeth every night.
I want to get them all back now;
I want to get them all back.

E D A
And I want to turn it around.
Ooo-oo… Turn it around…
Ooo-oo, oo-oo… Turn it around…

** These chords and lyrics are interpretations and transcriptions, respectively, and are the sole property of the copyright holder(s). They are posted on this website free of charge for no profit for the purpose of study and commentary, as allowed for under the “fair use” provision of U.S. copyright law, and should only be used for such personal and/or academic work. **

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“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (Traditional; Arr. by Brian Wilson) – Chords, Tabs, & How to Play

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Chris Moore

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
(Traditional) Arr. by Brian Wilson

Intro: (Bbm – F) x2

(nc) Bbm F Bbm F# F
God, rest ye merry gentlemen; let nothing you dismay.
Remember Christ our savior was born on Christmas day.

F Eb Ab Bbm C# Ab
To save us all from satan’s power when we were gone astray…

Ab C# Ab Bbm Ab
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy.
Ab C# Ab Bbm
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.

From God, our heavenly Father, a blessed angel came,
and unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same.

How that in Bethlehem was born the son of god by name.