Published on Sep 18, 2001
We’ve all heard enough bad cover albums in our times – you know,
groups who have no right even owning musical instruments attempting
to play songs we know and love in a fashion that makes us want to
strangle them with their own Stratocasters. Lord knows I’ve stepped
on enough of these musical landmines in my time, so one could
understand why I’m a bit shell-shocked when any disc in this
category arrives in my mailbox.
And then, there’s
Ska Chartbusters, a disc originally issued in Germany which
apparently hit these shores not too long ago. Imagine it: 25 bands
all playing in the style of Madness or early No Doubt, taking on
such musical stalwarts as Queen, Wham, Marillion, and… John
Denver? This disc was either going to be enjoyable, or it was
guaranteeing I would be living on Mylanta for a week.
Surprise!
Ska Chartbusters is amazingly refreshing, putting spins on
well-worn songs that I never thought could be applied. Throwing on
a generous layer of horn-laden ska while staying as true as
possible to the original songs, these bands do an admirable job,
even if you’re hearing these groups for the very first time.
Being a German release, it’s no surprise that most of the bands
on
Ska Chartbusters are from Germany. (Their control of English
is to be applauded; if I had no liner notes to go on, with the
exception of the tracks sung in German, I’d have thought these were
all American bands.) Even the tracks sung in German are somewhat
enjoyable, even if I don’t understand a single word. Not being
familiar with the original works from artists like Nina Hagen and
Die Aeronauten, I’ll assume that the bands who cover these artists’
songs (like Blascore and Frau Doktor, respectively) stay true to
these particular originals.
Now, I’ll admit that while I appreciate ska, it’s not always the
easiest form of music to get through in one sitting. Then again,
when you’ve got bands covering songs like Metallica’s “Seek And
Destroy” (Suspects), Frank Zappa’s “Dirty Love” (Gangster Fun), Bob
Marley’s “Soul Rebel” (The Butlers) and – good grief, Wham’s “Wake
Me Up Before You Go-Go” (Greenhouse), it’s surprisingly easy to get
locked into this two-CD set.
Ska Chartbusters applies this style of music to genres you
never would have imagined combining it with. Frank Sinatra’s “New
York New York”? Skanatra does it, and actually puts a sense of
humor in it, too. Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloop”? It’s here, as Los
Placebos’s “Skantaloop” – and a damn good job they do on it, as
well. John Denver’s “Leaving On A Jet Plane”? Dr. Raju handle it
well, though it loses just a touch of the melancholic nature of the
song being played at a danceable tempo. Still, not the band’s
fault.
Are there any faults on
Ska Chartbusters? I count but two. The first is merely a
personal preference – namely, why Abba’s “Mamma Mia” and Europe’s
“The Final Countdown” get covered twice. Oh, all the covers are
enjoyable, but doubling up on these, with one version of each song
per disc, is a little repetitive. Second, the only ska cover which
doesn’t really take off is Thumper’s take on Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy
Train” – mostly because the band doesn’t stay with the original
lyric pattern. (Full disclosure: Benuts could be accused of the
same thing with their cover of “Dancin’ In The Streets,” but they
do keep it sounding interesting. Besides, there have been
alternative versions of this song over the years, so it’s a little
easier to accept changes on this track.)
If you’re not really into ska, or you’re curious to discover
what it’s all about,
Ska Chartbusters is a nice way to get into this genre of
music while keeping a musical lifeline tied around your waist.
Taking on such a diverse collective of artists was a dangerous
feat, but with the rare exception, all the bands on this set not
only succeed, but they dare to stake some kind of claim on these
songs.