May 2010
1 post
4 tags
Mother #1
Guitar: This is Jewel-style guitar slapping. I keep wanting this dude to break into “who will save your soul.” I guess you have to do something with this song, though, since there isn’t really anything to it. This guy is doing a better job than many of the other youtube versions. C.
Singing: Inoffensive for a while (again, sort of a mix of Glenn Danzig and Jewel) but...
April 2010
2 posts
3 tags
Rebel Yell #2
Guitar: This is the same version as the other “Rebel Yell” I just reviewed, it must come from a tablature site. I still think the chords are wrong though. I will have to figure it out. This one is played a little better but I’m reluctant to give it a better score than a B+
Singing: Well this is what I thought the other guy should’ve done — try to sound like...
3 tags
Rebel Yell #1
Guitar: this has the germs of a great arrangement, but seems to be off. Are those really the right chords for the main part of this song? But the riff parts are nicely done, especially the opening. B+
Singing: Well, it’s there. This is kind of about my singing level which is a gentleman’s C
Extras: Is he wearing some sort of MasterCard sweatshirt? Not very British punk! ...
March 2010
3 posts
3 tags
Rebel Rebel #1
Guitar: as simplified as can be, but still with bad transitions, so I have to say an F. This is how guitar sounds when you’ve only been playing for like a few weeks.
Singing: kind of horrifically amusing… C+ for entertainment value.
Extras: Wow this one has everything going dramatically wrong/right. I like how it looks like this guy is in a classroom with drawings on the wall,...
3 tags
Live Forever #1
Guitar: Ok. Nothing much to pay attention to here. This is an easy song (though you wouldn’t know it from youtube). B.
Singing: So-so. The most difficult thing in this whole song is the high part where Liam is all, “you and I are gonna live forever” in falsetto. This girl hits it ok, not great. And why does it cut off before the last chorus? Another good part is the...
3 tags
Surrender #1
Guitar: The strumming is good but some of the chords are wrong. On the other hand he does manage to modulate. This is a solid C+.
Singing: Mediocre I guess. Another C+.
Extras: Nothing really. To think that this is the best version I could find on youtube! This shouldn’t be a difficult song. Do kids today not know this song?
Overall: Sad… I will have to do my own version...
February 2010
3 posts
3 tags
Crazy Train #2
Guitar: Huh. Well this one is perplexing. Guitarwise,it is pretty great at first. Then it totally sucks when it gets all strummy at the end. It is like he switched from playing jerky math rock to playing Dave Matthews. What a let-down. For the great first half I will give it an overall B+
Singing: Bad. And also in that bad Dave Matthews style. C-
Extras: I like the jerky motions, and...
3 tags
Crazy Train #1
Guitar: Apparently this is an arrangement of a piano version. Not hard but still creative and recognizable. I only wish she would incorporate more of the main riff and a little of the staccato of the bridge part (“I know that things are going wrong for me…”) . A
Singing: Mostly good but a little too much at times. Still, nothing to seriously criticize. A
Extras: This...
3 tags
Wonderwall #1
Guitar: Pretty good, though you can’t actually see whether this person is really playing it. I like the arrangement, though this is another of those songs that are hard to screw up. I think there is some overdubbing of two guitars at once (or is the whole thing two guitars?), which is sort of a cheat, so this gets a B+.
Singing: I sort of like this style. A
Extras: This one is...
January 2010
10 posts
3 tags
I'm Your Captain #1
(Embedding disabled, so you will have to watch this video here.)
Guitar: Quite good. A
Singing: Also good, I like this style, and his little “doo doo doo”s at the start. It’s a little bit too soft, but better than the original. B+
Extras: My favorite videos so far are these older schlubby guys playing old songs in their basement. It’s sort of poignant, and this...
3 tags
Disarm #1
Guitar: Ha nice try. It isn’t so bad at first but goes awry to the point of a D.
Singing: Horrible, or so horrible it’s awesome? I can’t decide so I will give this a B.
Extras: Was this filmed in a tent? And those plush monstrosities are almost Lynchian. Great setting!
Overall: C+ sort of amusing to watch once but not more.
3 tags
Celebrity Skin #1
Guitar: B. Simple version of this song but it sounds pretty good.
Singing: A. I am not that crazy about this style of singing (heartfelt girl singing I guess) but she does a good job here.
Extras: This girl actually looks a lot like Courtney Love. With good looks and enough talent she could be pretty successful if she wanted to perform live.. maybe she does. (And ok maybe this is not...
3 tags
You Don't Know How It Feels #1
Guitar: C-. This is an easy song but this guy isn’t much of a guitarist. I am not even convinced the chords are right during the chorus. It is passing, though.
Singing: B. So if you look for Tom Petty covers on youtube you will find that most of them are either very country-sounding, or else very soft soulful pop versions. Apparently John Mayer has a cover of “Free...
3 tags
Beth #1
Guitar: really well done! this is nicely arranged and actually sounds a lot better than the overproduced KISS version. i like the sound of this song on classical guitar, too. A+
Vocals: they make me smile. this dude is so low-key about it… it’s like he really does feel bad for Beth but, hey, he and the boys are playing, and he is trying to gently remind Beth that he’ll be...
3 tags
You Shook Me All Night Long #1
Guitar: D. These are the right chords, I guess. This song only has G, C, and D, I believe.
Vocals: C+. Wow. This is awesome! It is hard to find bad examples that are any fun (usually they are just boring) but this has a total terrible charm. He sounds kind of like Jason Molina! A terrible version of Jason Molina. Wait for the ending…
Extras: What can I say? This is exactly...
3 tags
Wish You Were Here #1
Guitar: at the angle you can’t see her play but it sounds real. nothing impressive about the guitar — she gets the rhythm wrong on the early lead-guitar riff but plays it ok. i guess this is about the same level that I can play this song, so I’ll give it a B.
Singing: i wasn’t really impressed until the end when she did the “doo doo doo” part which i kind...
3 tags
Elderly Woman #1
Guitar: bouncing around that room it sounds like a 12-string but otherwise is not exceptional. aren’t the chords to Elderly Woman in the liner notes of the album? Or is that “Better Man”? anyway this is basically a C.
Singing: whoah! this dude — Johnny Ezzell — is great at pulling off the Eddie Vedder mumble! actually it reminds me even more of Scott Stapp. ...
3 tags
Patience #1
Guitar: electric AND acoustic on the same song! neat trick! yet requires editing and smacks of too much effort. the leads are really good, better than the rhythm. no little outro riff either — one of the best parts of the whole song. B-
Singing: pretty ok, not much foreign accent here. a little overdubbing! i think she ought to have overdubbed the vocals at the end too, to match...
3 tags
Dust in the Wind #1
Guitar: good use of capo; some minor mistakes. a little out of tune? strange ending. B-.
Singing: passionate; pop idol style; outstanding use of humming. A+.
Extras: nothing much, but the open v-neck of the hoodie feels kind of ’70s to me.
Overall: A-. A good start to the series?