2 Cigarettes (cover)

For this month's MeFiMu Challenge: Here's my fuzzy, fizzy, buzzy cover of chococat's original, one of my very favorite MeFi songs.

The rhythm track is the "Rock 2" preset on the Realistic Concertmate-200 (a clone of the Casio VL-1). Other keyboards used include the MicroKorg, Korg Poly-800, and Kawai X40. Oh, and a marimba.

This also marks the debut of my new EWI 4000 (which I bought with my stimulus check -- thanks, Mr. President!), a MIDI wind controller -- it's like a synthesizer in the shape of a soprano sax. So, yeah, I used a sophisticated electronic instrument to make a sound like a cheap, distorted tin whistle -- that's how I roll.

(Get Flash to see the track player.)
posted by Karlos the Jackal (13 comments total)

Fantastic. I love the effect of covers, how they bring out the essence of a song by presenting it with a different flavor. It's great to see what changes and what remains there despite the changes.

That chococat is a remarkable songwriter, and your cover is solid. Congrats Karlos.
posted by micayetoca at 7:12 PM on June 9, 2008

Awesome.
I have a giant, stupid smile on my face right now.

Also:
Da Da Da.
posted by chococat at 7:18 PM on June 9, 2008

That's just fantastic. (And, dang it, I was gonna say "da da da.")
posted by uncleozzy at 7:56 PM on June 9, 2008

This is so cool. This is my favorite cover so far. I had also never seen the original, which I'm also very glad to know of now.
posted by Corduroy at 8:31 PM on June 9, 2008

Sweet. I was in a particularly toxic mood, and you totally turned it around. I love the casio-clone rhythm and the marimba.
posted by umbú at 10:04 PM on June 9, 2008

The original is a favorite of mine as well, what fun. Made me smile too, makes cataloging ever so much better. Nice work.
posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen at 4:58 AM on June 10, 2008

OK, it's official: this is my favorite challenge so far. And it's only 1/3 through the month.

Great job, k the j.
posted by ORthey at 7:23 AM on June 10, 2008

"Da Da Da" kinda says it all :-)

Quite the collection of instruments. I like it :-)
posted by ibfrog at 9:17 AM on June 10, 2008

Trio, of course, used mostly the "Rock 1" preset, so this is totally different. It's different by 1.

It's interesting (to me) how what I had envisioned before I started assembling ended up bearing little resemblance to the finished song. All the handclaps and percussion fell out, the autoharp was dropped, and I just kept adding keyboards.

Oh, and I have no idea where "the 401" is.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 1:00 PM on June 10, 2008

Is this the 401?
posted by Corduroy at 2:27 PM on June 10, 2008

Is this the 401?

Bingo.
posted by chococat at 6:32 PM on June 10, 2008

Wait, hold up. I've been singing a song about Canada?
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 10:38 PM on June 10, 2008

This IS a great cover, man, of a great song. And...

Wait, hold up. I've been singing a song about Canada?

That just cracked me the eff right up!!!
posted by snsranch at 3:28 PM on June 11, 2008