I'm Waiting for the Man

July 3, 2009 10:31 PM

Aren't we all?

Instruments in use:

2-string cigar box guitar
jawharp
hand drum (small conga)
cowbell (doesn't need more...)
little plastic clacky things

posted by flapjax at midnite (47 comments total) 117 users marked this as a favorite

Dammit, Samm. It's too good! I cannae take na more!

Considering that I don't care for VU's original versions of the songs, I'm looking forward to more unique, interesting, good versions like this.

You may be the best jawharp player I've ever heard. Your recording fidelity is always impeccable, and your voice is smooth as ever. It makes me want to strip naked and dive into a vat of melted milk chocolate.

...You know what I mean.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 10:44 PM on July 3, 2009


Yeah, I know what you mean, LOOM. That's actually a good way to warm up your voice. I recommend Côte d'Or, or Suchard. Nobody does chocolate like the Belgians.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 11:06 PM on July 3, 2009


I really like the original version of this song. This one is better.
posted by jaybeans at 11:16 PM on July 3, 2009


Some might not realize, you're actually pretty well dead on with that. Dark chocolate, especially, helps me quite well (milk or white chocolate has too much dairy, and just produces blechh)

I've actually recently taken to the Danny Elfman-style yodel for a flexibility exercise. I also just recently recovered my voice after losing it perpetually for about 6 weeks (not fun at all), and warmups and warmdowns went by the wayside in the process. I need to start doing them again. I certainly need to not attempt singing like this, first thing in a recording session without a warmup--not a good idea at all.
posted by askmeaboutLOOM at 11:20 PM on July 3, 2009


Not much to say except: right on.
posted by doubtfulpalace at 11:46 PM on July 3, 2009


Bloody hell, flapjax, this is truly astounding. I liked it from the very first sound. The sound of that two-string guitar box guitar was a brilliant addition. Congratulations.
posted by micayetoca at 5:36 AM on July 4, 2009


This is just excellent. Thank you.
posted by mojohand at 6:22 AM on July 4, 2009


w00t! w00t w00t w00t!
posted by CarrotAdventure at 6:39 AM on July 4, 2009


Awesome.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:26 AM on July 4, 2009


Really, really nice.
posted by Forktine at 7:53 AM on July 4, 2009


This is so great!
posted by cavalier at 9:45 AM on July 4, 2009


Yep, out of the park Flapman.
posted by doctor_negative at 9:47 AM on July 4, 2009


Reminds me of Phil Collins
posted by azarbayejani at 10:14 AM on July 4, 2009


Really cool jam!
posted by abc123xyzinfinity at 10:49 AM on July 4, 2009


This song does great with the flapjax treatment. Awesome, in both the 1980s and the grand canyon sense of the word.
posted by umbú at 11:06 AM on July 4, 2009


This is so fantastic I had to tell people to get onto the internet to listen to it.
posted by winna at 11:46 AM on July 4, 2009


Holy shit. This is incredible. I have to listen to it again...
posted by biscotti at 12:35 PM on July 4, 2009


Just landed here from the MeTa post, so this is my first time on the music sub-section. Any way I can download this as an Mp3? I'm logged in but don't see a download button.

Nice work! Love the VU so was accordingly skeptical, but this is terrific.
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 1:17 PM on July 4, 2009


Yeah.

My first time in music. That was absolutely bad ass, man.

I played it and my girlfriend turned and said, "What is that? That's great."

It is!
posted by kbanas at 1:34 PM on July 4, 2009


flapjax, that was fucking fantastic.
posted by eyeballkid at 1:38 PM on July 4, 2009


Wow, Samm, just Wow. Smooth, and the music is pitch-perfect.

I want this for driving music.
posted by pjern at 1:41 PM on July 4, 2009


Wonderful: I want this for my radio show. Both my listeners will love it.
posted by Kinbote at 2:13 PM on July 4, 2009 [2 favorites]


Click on the little diskette icon next to the flash player to download the mp3.
posted by umbú at 2:18 PM on July 4, 2009


Oh holy shit Samm. This the good shit, right here. And it takes an act of God to get me to comment in MeFi Music threads.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:21 PM on July 4, 2009 [2 favorites]


Yes. More of that.
posted by darth_tedious at 2:34 PM on July 4, 2009


I knew you'd do a good job with this - and I was right. Triffic!!
posted by MajorDundee at 2:54 PM on July 4, 2009


Lou Reed doesn't always deliver in the depth of feeling department, but you certainly do here.

And that's what makes for great art, eh? One doesn't need to experience the depths of hell to know and feel about them. You sound like you understand them in this piece.

Excellent and beautiful.
posted by snsranch at 6:24 PM on July 4, 2009


So, flapjax, that wouldn't be a "home made" two string box guitar, would it? I've been collecting cigar boxes and long sticks so that I could make some box guitars with my kids. We haven't done it yet. Looking forward to it though, and this song is very inspiring to that effort!
posted by snsranch at 8:08 PM on July 4, 2009


Wow. This is really, really great!
posted by onlyconnect at 8:34 PM on July 4, 2009


Lou Reed doesn't always deliver in the depth of feeling department, but you certainly do here.

Really? Man, I like this quite well, but it has transformed the gritty, creepy, self-loathing, menace of the original into a kind of passion play. Sounds great, but not the heroin-sick venturing-into-the-wrong-part-of-town vibe the lyrics suggest, imo.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 10:09 PM on July 4, 2009 [1 favorite]


Really love the groove you created here, flapjax. Fantastic work.
posted by edlundart at 10:32 PM on July 4, 2009


Thanks so much for all y'all's comments. It's very gratifying.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:43 AM on July 5, 2009


I can't stop playing this. Fantastic!
posted by maurice at 8:57 AM on July 5, 2009


I've just uploaded a video for I'm Waiting for the Man at YouTube, so if any of y'all wanna see it, it's here.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:38 AM on July 5, 2009


Found this through the MeTa, and found it sublime.
posted by Jilder at 1:31 PM on July 5, 2009


Great work, flapjax! Undeniably brilliant!
posted by Effigy2000 at 1:58 PM on July 5, 2009


Hey thanks a lot, flapjax! After all of the versions of this song that I've been listening to, YOUR vocals are the ones that keep popping into my head when I pick my bass to work on this thing.

And I reckon that's a big compliment right there. Great work, man!
posted by snsranch at 4:05 PM on July 5, 2009


...that wouldn't be a "home made" two string box guitar, would it?

No, sns, it's a cigar box guitar I bought earlier this year in Greenville, SC. And it's a four-stringer, actually, but two of the strings broke and I hadn't replaced them yet! I think I'm gonna just leave it like that, though. Two's about all I can handle anyway!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:27 PM on July 5, 2009


I am not a music aficionado or anything but I know a badass jam when I hear one, and this is the Shaft of badass jams.
posted by zoomorphic at 7:38 PM on July 5, 2009 [1 favorite]


Can't think of much to say that's hasn't already been said. This one's a solid hit. That guitar sounds awesome. I want one.
posted by dagosto at 11:55 PM on July 5, 2009


Yeah, this is fabulous.
posted by maxwelton at 12:25 AM on July 6, 2009


And it's a four-stringer, actually, but two of the strings broke and I hadn't replaced them yet!

Heh, choice.
posted by cortex at 1:43 PM on July 7, 2009


Damn, that kicked ass. This is a real inspiration to get my song done.
posted by InfidelZombie at 4:45 PM on July 10, 2009


wow. this is an amazing VU remake.
posted by dejah420 at 8:29 AM on July 21, 2009


I'm obviously super-late to this party, but I think that what I like most about this is that it feels like I'm being told a story, like you're speaking directly to me, telling me a story that is emotionally-important. There just happens to be this great, hypnotic music swirling all around at the same time.
posted by uncleozzy at 6:36 AM on July 30, 2009 [1 favorite]


Damn, this is fantastic. I love a cover that can take an already great song to a totally new level. That hypnotic rhythm captures the spirit of the original without merely copying it. Well done.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 7:08 AM on August 16, 2009


I still think this is the best ever version of this song.
posted by penduluum at 8:49 PM on December 8, 2016 [1 favorite]


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