It’s true, folks- after a false start a few months ago, Jim Fusco’s Laptop Sessions acoustic cover song music videos will be broadcast in full HD (high definition) on YouTube!
We here at the best music video blog ever created want to keep up with the times an create new, nicer-looking videos that you’ll love to watch.
With Jim’s new higher speed Internet, professional stereo microphone, and HD video capability, you’ll feel like you’re in the room with Jim while he’s recording your favorite songs acoustically!
Welcome, welcome to another edition of the Laptop Sessions with me, Jim Fusco! Tonight, I bring you the classic standard “Stand By Me”, made famous by Ben E. King and then covered by John Lennon years later. And, no, I did not base my pick tonight on the cheesy movie we watched while growing up…
Tonight, as it has been in the past with a couple other songs, the version of “Stand By Me” that plays in my head is a combination of the John Lennon version and the Ben E. King version. I hear the music to the Ben E. King version but John Lennon’s voice. It’s probably because Lennon did such a spot-on cover. Man, watching this video of John performing “Stand By Me” just makes me wish he were still alive to make music today. I know he would’ve still been great today and that he would be coming out with the kind of music that Paul and Ringo are coming out with now (not to mention the great stuff George did before he passed-away).
Anyway, I’ve known this song for as long as I can remember- just listening to the radio growing up. Then, while jamming with the Acai Berries a few weeks ago, we happened upon this tune and were going to do a cover video ourselves. But, I figured I could just do it on my own because it doesn’t require another singer or really any other instrumentation (unless you want to be a purist and have someone play the riff constantly in the background).
As much as I don’t like the fact that my studio is gone, I’m really happy with the acoustics I’ve been getting! You know, it’s terrible to have so much echo and reverb when recording a multi-track song, but it’s the greatest thing ever when recording a solo acoustic video like this. On another note, I’m trying to justify purchasing an HDV video camera for two reasons: to play the high definition video tapes of our wedding into the computer for editing, and the prospect of having the Laptop Sessions in high definition! How cool would that be? I’m watching an auction on eBay- let’s see what the Mrs. has to say…
We just found out this evening that we are CLEAR TO CLOSE on the house this Friday- right on schedule! It was a rough ride getting to this point, but everything is finally ni place and we’re hoping that we’re all moved in and set up by end-of-day Saturday. We bought all new furniture, hired movers, boxed everything up, got the condo rented- what a project. The best part is that we’re doing it all at once and (hopefully) that’ll mean it will be DONE all at once, you know? I hate stringing things out. So, this weekend will be very busy. Then, the Acai Berries are getting back together to record some more tracks- we’ve got a TON of songs in mind, but we’re ready to do about four of them, so stay-tuned.
Have a great week (make sure to stop back on Thursday for Jeff’s post!) and please, please, please wish us luck with our crazy weekend ahead. It promises to be one of the most important weekends of our lives! Until Tuesday…
As the Mamas and the Papas would say: “Monday, Monday!”
Welcome to the first acoustic cover song music video of a brand new week here at the Laptop Sessions. Tonight, I’m bringing you my second cover from Johnny Cash’s first posthumous release, American Recordings V: A Hundred Highways. Yes, that’s right… I specified “first” posthumous release, because I just read that American VI is scheduled for release later this year. Apparently, Cash was working on V up until he passed away. I was under the impression that V was a collection of material that was still unreleased, but that’s more along the lines of what VI will be. Even so, I am very excited to hear this final collection when it is released.
What brought on this sudden return to Johnny Cash’s recent work, you might ask? Well, I found the first American Recordings CD on sale at Newbury’s last week and decided to pick it up. Truly good new albums have been far and few between this summer, with the exception of the Fruit Bats’ The Ruminant Band earlier this month — a very pleasant surprise to say the least!
I’ve been enjoying American Recordings thus far; it clearly displayed a lot of potential, which was explored on the four — and soon to be five — subsequent editions of the series. The only one I have yet to hear is American Recordings II, which includes the classic “I’ve Been Everywhere,” which Jim worked into my version of “Folsom Prison Blues” way back when for my second Laptop Session cover song video ever.
The song I chose for tonight is “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” one of my favorites from American Recordings V. It is a traditional song that Cash truly made his own, a song that has the ability to be simultaneously catchy/rockin’, and yet haunting/foreboding. I had a fun time playing and practicing it the past few days, and I hope you’ll enjoy watching it. As I mentioned earlier, this is the second song I’ve covered from this album, if you count Johnny Cash’s cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind,” one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
In other music news, I spent some time tonight reading about R.E.M.’s forthcoming double-CD live album that will include 39 tracks culled from their 2007 shows at the Olympia. To be more specific, they played five shows in a row as they tried out new material for their 2008 album Accelerate. In addition, they also played their hits and deep tracks. I’ve wanted to hear these performances since I heard their new album, and I’m truly thrilled to hear this concert when it comes out in a couple months. If you’re an R.E.M. fan, too, you should check out the videos for the two songs — the excellent “Living Well is the Best Revenge,” for which I recorded a Laptop Session, and Automatic for the People opening track “Drive — that have debuted on RollingStone.com.
And if you’re someone who has lost interest in Michael Stipe and company since they went through what can only be called a boring streak recently, then you need to give Accelerate a shot. You won’t be disappointed.
I’ll leave you with one final, music-related note. I added to Paste Magazine‘s trending topic on Twitter.com about the best albums of the 00’s, and shortly thereafter learned that I am the only person in the universe to have ever tweeted about the Wallflowers’ Red Letter Days, much less mention the album as one of the best during the decade.
For the acoustic cover song music video, CLICK HERE!
“Solitaire”
Wilco
(Capo I)
Intro: E F#m7 E F#m7 E
E
Once I thought the world was crazy,
F#m7
Everyone was sad and chasing
Happiness and love and
I was the only one above it.
Once I thought, without a doubt,
I had it all figured out.
Universe with hands unseen;
I was cold as gasoline.
E G F#m7
Took too long to see
F#m7 C F#m7 E F#m7 E F#m7 E
I was wrong to believe in me only…
Once my life was a game so unfair
It beat me down and kept me there.
Unaware of my naysaying,
F#m7 E
Solitaire was all I was playing.
INSTRUMENTAL: G F#m7 C F#m7 (x3)
Took too long to see
I was wrong to believe in me only…
** 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. **
