Music Video Roundup

Interesting videos and liver performances

A handful of live performance videos that I’ve been enjoying. These may be familiar if you follow me on notes, but I wanted to collect them in one place.

I “I’m On Fire” — The Staves (Bruce Springsteen)

I recently discovered this cover, which gives a folk turn to a song which is memorable but, in my opinion, the original was uncomfortably lascivious¹. What was particularly interesting was finding the two live performances below. There are a variety of differences between them; the first is recorded in studio for youtube, the second appears to be from a concert.

But one of the interesting differences is the way they are mic’ed. In the first video the three sisters are singing around a single mic, and you can really hear the way their voices combine. I’m particularly struck by the moment at 1:23 where you can really hear the resonance of their voices. In the second video each of them has their own mic, and it provides more texture of their individual voices, but you hear less of them blending.

II “Satisfaction” Bjork w/ P.J. Harvey (Jagger & Richards)

I stumbled across this on YouTube and was immediately curious. I thought it was great; it starts slowly, with them deliberately underplaying the drive of the song (in some ways anticipating Cat Power’s great version 6 years later). As they go it becomes louder, more forceful and even more of a deconstruction of the Rolling Stones classic. Absolutely Rock & Roll.

III “Under Pressure” — David Bowie & Gail Ann Dorsey

My favorite performance on the song. I recently posted this on Notes and had a few nice responses; which was a good reminder that not everyone has heard it yet, and I’m happy to share it widely.

IV “Someday Soon” — Crystal Gayle (Ian Tyson)

A change of mood; we’ll close on a folk song rather than more rock. I’ve always liked the song, and had a difficult time finding performances that I think do it justice. Many people sing it with a slight remove, but this performance digs into the emotion of the young woman deciding that she has to go, even if she doesn’t know whether it’s going to work. It is what

Ellen from Endwell

calls a, “falling-in-love-and-heaven-help-me song”

1. This post on E Street Shuffle notes that the song is popular, and one of Bruce’s most covered songs but also verges on creepy.