I Go Blind

I got to really hate this mofo over the last couple of weeks. So I had no choice but to record it.

This dirge-like song, originally recorded by depressive Canadians 54-40 and subsequently massacred by twattish droners Hootie and the Blowfish, is on the setlist for our Canada Day gig. The original is like a folk version of Nickelback. Man, I fucking hate it. Same chord sequence for fifteen years, then just when you think it's going to break out into somewhere new, nope back we go.

I have a pump organ waiting for me about three hours from here but couldn't get it in time for this so used a harmonium sample instead, which is a bit too clean but you get the idea.

These are all first takes, couldn't really be bothered to show it any more respect than that I'm afraid.

• play
• pause
• min volume
• max volume

posted by unSane (8 comments total)

It's a nice little recording, and I'd never heard the original or Hootie's cover, but you are right that it does seem to just do that thing over and over again as if it is under the impression that it was a particularly good thing and thus worth such showcasing.
posted by cortex at 5:32 PM on May 16, 2011

For hating it so much you sure do give up a great performance of it. I feel your torment, though. It starts off with some promise but doesn't go anywhere. Good job, man, you made it better than it was!
posted by snsranch at 6:23 PM on May 16, 2011

Yeah, after I recorded this I could hear some other stuff I could have done but it was definitely a case of turd-polishing. The only point where it takes off is the outro. We've been having band arguments about it. The drummer (who's kind of organising things) insists we do this song even though the singer & I hate it. Every time we try to change something (speed it up, different feel) he says "Why can't we just play it as written" to which the answer is, of course, "because it fucking sucks".

Okay, now on to Loverboy.
posted by unSane at 5:26 AM on May 17, 2011

Great! When are you going to pick up the pump organ?? Woah, that Hootie and the Blowfish cover is just awful.
posted by Corduroy at 10:10 AM on May 18, 2011

I'm hoping someone's going to bring it up this weekend, otherwise I'll head down next week. I'm getting all excited about it -- there's a bunch of stuff I want to do.
posted by unSane at 11:03 AM on May 18, 2011

Every time we try to change something (speed it up, different feel) he says "Why can't we just play it as written" to which the answer is, of course, "because it fucking sucks".

Ahh, bands. Don'tcha just love 'em......

The song is obviously a stiff as a listening experience, but I guess if you have a bunch of people full of beer with guitars it's one of those ones that everyone can join in on without needing to be John McLaughlin or engaging brain too much. Perhaps that's what you should do with this on the night - get a couple of people up out of the audience and get them to play along - Christ, they'll certainly have plenty of goes at getting the 4 or 5 chords right before it's finished!

Acoustic guitars are very nicely recorded unS, btw. Delicious.

And I want form a band called the Twattish Droners.
posted by MajorDundee at 11:51 AM on May 18, 2011

Thanks, Major. I taught my eleven year old this song in three minutes.
posted by unSane at 12:35 PM on May 18, 2011

Unfamiliar with the other versions. I see what you say, but this sounds pretty crisp. I do like the harmonium/sample.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 2:05 AM on May 19, 2011