Published on Oct 24, 2005
There are certain songs out there that one cannot imagine being
done by another artist. “Stairway To Heaven” belongs to Led
Zeppelin, “Time” is Pink Floyd’s, and so on. So here I am, a huge
Elton John fan, listening to an entire album of his songs being
performed by 16 different artists. Talk about a mind trip.
How much you really enjoy
Two Rooms depends on how much the original songs mean to
you. For the most part, the renditions are faithful; however, some
bands go out on a limb and try something different. Unfortunately,
despite the best efforts of a few groups, this album is rather hit
and miss.
Things get off to a promising start with Eric Clatpton’s take on
“Border Song.” This is the one track I think actually outdoes the
original. The whole affair has a bluesy edge that is total Clapton,
with a suitably kickass solo to boot. But then things take a dive
with Kate Bush’s performance of “Rocket Man.” Her warbling quickly
grates on the nerves, and the reggae beat isn’t exactly endearing.
“Come Down In Time,” with Sting on vocals, is another great
pairing. I am not a fan of Sting, but his tortured vocals mesh
perfectly with the track.
The next two songs fit perfectly for the bands that cover them;
“Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” for The Who, and “Crocodile
Rock” for The Beach Boys. The former is not as frenetic as Elton’s,
but it’s got that Who sound. To be honest, I got a real kick out of
hearing Daltrey belting out the lyrics. The Beach Boys in turn pump
out a harmony filled, warm version of “Crocodile Rock.” Brian
Wilson isn’t involved, but it still sounds good.
Then things get a little spotty. A good deal of the remaining
songs sound like they were recorded in the early 90’s; drum
triggers and electronic keyboards are all over the place. Wilson
Phillips turns out some good harmonies on “Daniel,” but it just
sounds fake. “Levon” has always been one of Elton’s more unsung
hits, but here it is not done justice via the arena rock cover from
Bon Jovi. Hall and Oates also are too sedated on “Philadelphia
Freedom:” they must have gotten tired from singing so
lackadaisically.
“Burn Down The Mission” gets the Phil Collins treatment, who
sucks out any soul the song had. In contrast, “Madman Across The
Water” highlights Bruce Hornsby’s keyboard skills, but his vocals
do not work with the lyrics. A tad bit of derangement would have
done him some good.
Some of these covers make me cringe and really appreciate the
quality of the originals. Others present an alternative to
well-known and possibly overplayed classics, getting us a: