Some Rapp music for you today. Tom Rapp that is.
Mr Rapp was the presiding genius behind Pearls Before Swine, a band who released two albums of what would probably have been called acid folk if the term had been invented then on ESP in the late 1960s then four more on Reprise. The band only existed to provide a vehicle for his distinctive songs, so when he went solo in 1973 it really just amounted to a change of name.
After a couple of solo albums Mr Rapp packed in the music business to become a civil rights lawyer and apart from a one-off album in 1999 and the occasional live guest appearance with his son's band that was pretty much it. He died from cancer in 2018 but his legacy lives on.
I was previously only familiar with Pearls Before Swine's debut "One Nation Underground". It is quite a thing - the choice of Hieronymous Bosch's "Garden Of Earthly Delights" for the cover art perhaps gives you an idea of what to expect. But then last week I found in a charity shop a copy of the 1998 compilation "Constructive Melancholy" which includes highlights from the four albums on Reprise originally released between 1969 and 1971. Here are a couple of them.
"Rocket Man" - Pearls Before Swine
"The Wizard Of Is" - Pearls Before Swine
Bernie Taupin has admitted to being influenced by "Rocket Man" when writing the lyrics for his and Elton John's better known song of the same name which came out a couple of years later. Here are two contrasting cover versions of that song.
As ludicrous as the William Shatner version is, it is still not nearly as teeth-gnashingly annoying as whatever the hell Kate Bush was up to.
ReplyDeleteI like Kate's interpretation of the verses, especially the first verse. The chorus though ... no. As for the Shat, well...
ReplyDeleteMuch as I have huge respect for Kate I heard her version on 6 Music some weeks back on a cover versions feature, couldn't believe it - shocking (and not in a good way) As for Mr Shatner, I'm the same as Martin - words fail me.
ReplyDeleteOne Nation Underground is a pretty good album as is Balaklava. His voice on Rocket Man has a touch of Tim Buckley it. As for Kate Bush, like everyone else says it's a rare misstep. She actually scared me when she came in strumming that uke. William Shatner did some good covers - Rocket Man was not one of them.
ReplyDeleteNobody disses Shatner on my watch.
ReplyDelete