Mike, don’t read this.
24 06 2003Yesterday, I heard a cover of “Mad World” by Tears for Fears, done acoustically (on guitar) on a CD Nikki owns. The lyrics are really amazing, and have been haunting me all day, so I downloaded the original, and I find it just staggering how badly 80s synth can ruin some of the best lyrics I’ve heard that aren’t Radiohead.
And I find it kind of funny,
I find it kind of sad,
The dreams in which I’m dying,
Are the best I’ve ever had
I mean, this is clearly utter, utter genius. Sheer poetry on every level. And the original just plain blows.
The same goes for Easyworld’s cover of Depeche Mode’s Enjoy the Silence. Stripped down and with the lyrics in their most vulnerable form, it’s a delicate and penetrating piece of music that sounds brilliant and is overflowing with emotion. Listen to the original and it’s suddenly some kind of upbeat, forgettable disco record. The lyrics are kind of drawled in the background while you’re assaulted by the Best Artificial Noises of the 80s.
Of course, I’m probably on some kind of Acoustic compilation overload, since I’ve also become horribly attached to Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Boxer”. Maybe this is some kind of Radiohead backlash, now that I consider it. I’ve been drumming their last 4 albums into me for months and suddenly it’s different to hear things that are just a singer and guitar. These songs do lack electronicness in huge amounts.
I guess that’s all I’ve got to say on the subject. General musings rather than artistic deconstruction. It’s been an uneventful couple of days so I won’t bother with the excruciating details this time around. I do, however, have many recycled plans for tomorrow, so who knows what I’ll update with next?
Gary jule’s “mad world” recently thrown back into the spot lighton the soundtrack to “Donnie Darko.” Being the song at the end that everyone now loves. :P
Hmm, is Gary Jules the one who did the original or something? I assume they haven’t put the tears for fears version at the end of Donnie Darko (unless it’s a wedding singer style 80s film, which I doubt). The one on Nikki’s CD is “Micheal Andrews featuring Gary Jules” anyway.
My overall point still stands however. The 80s, while being a golden age for Rock and Metal, really managed to fuck up some seriously decent songs in the pursuit of synth-hood. Except that one Simple Minds song from the Breakfast Club.
You were right to hide this post from me. Perhaps, I you will not join me, your sister will. Erm…
Anyway. Might I put it to you that you just don’t like 80’s synth pop as a musical style? For example, I don’t like Jazz much and I do like 80’s synth pop but I wouldn’t say that Jazz is inferior to 80’s synth pop. Indeed, some of the many styles of Jazz are quite admirable artistically and technically.
Depeche Mode is one of my favorite bands and Martin Gore is one of my favorite song writers. I /will/ grab and listen to this acoustic version at some point. There are a couple of acoustic DM versions too.
I’m sure that if I were to hear one of the songs of one of your indie bands performed by erm… No. That wouldn’t work really would it? :-)
[Mike chuckles to himself while thinking of the distress he has caused to the indie-liking trendies.]
James (crying, face down on the bed) - “The things he said. They were horrible.”
I love that song, when the Donnie Darko soundtrack came out I went and bought it and listened to Mad World on repeat for hours. It reached me on a really deep emotional level. I think it was probably just due to my mood at the time, but the lyrics are amazing.
YES!!!! I heard that version of Mad World track on Virgin yesterday and thought it was brilliant. Can you tell me who the artist was please?
Thanks!
ive been looking for “mad world” by gary jule on the internet. i’ve been tryin to find a site where i can listen to it and download cos the local shops i’ve been to dont even have a copy of donnie darko for me to buy so i very much doubt they have the soundtrack. my dads looked through all his old cassettes for the tears for fears tape on which i could find “mad world’. i havnt been i n luck so far but i found to other cassettes by t.f.f. tha t also contain head over heels( also from donnie darko which i didnt previously know). i love the lyrics for “mad world’. and i’ve been thinking of the song since i last watched the movie.its hauntingly beautiful in its simplicity. i’m a little afraid that i’ll be put off by the eighties style original, but hey i’ll keep looking! :)
Hmm. I should update this by saying since I wrote this entry I have come to believe that the Tears for Fears version is actually the cover. I’m not really sure to be honest, these things seem hard to find out on the internet. What with all the idiots giving out conflicting information (*cough*likeme*cough” ;-)
Anyone know the actual way around things go?
Tears for Fears did the original version of Mad World they also did Head over Heels another class song also featured in Donnie Darko. The original mad world was faster and this was to show how fast the world is around you. The new version by Gary Jules is so haunting with vocals ala Michael Stipe. The arrangement is so atmospheric and this along with Gary Jules reinterpretation of the songs amazing lyrics make it in my view the best cover version of all time. I hope that it gets the Christmass No1 as those pop idol twats ruin a great song
Aha. Thanks for clearing that up!