Covered from your head to your toes

Ponder this, as I did…

What the hell is up with punk bands covering arena rock acts? How did music that was a response to a certain style of music- specifically, prog rock, which was and is incredibly detailed and requires a great amount of skill to play- end up playing the very same songs that the musical movement was started in response to? Is it irony? Is it a purposeful ruination, in that a song is played sloppily and poorly to show how much said song is despised? I really want to know.

What brought this about? Two songs. I bought the Vagrant compilation West X North-South, whicyh features the Meices covering Blue Oyster Cult‘s “Burning For You.” Then I heard some local station play the Ataris‘ cover of “Boys of Summer” by Don Henley.

What happened to the Clash playing “I’m So Bored With the USA” with Don Law in the audience and dedicating it to BOC? What, for that matter, happened to “Don Henley Must Die”?

When I think of all the shit the Circle Jerks took when they recorded “Jerks On 45”, I’m amazed that bands today can do this and not be heckled within an inch of their lives. Maybe it’s the pop in the pop punk that gets them the leeway from the punks… but if that’s the case, then why did the Ataris change the lyrics in “Boys of Summer” to “Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac”?

Don Henley – “Boys of Summer
the Ataris – “Boys of Summer
the Clash – “I’m So Bored With the U.S.A.