Shazam! Another Frankensteining the Talent Pool idea! This one sparked by my husband playing a couple of videos by the band Disturbed on YouTube this evening.
The kicker was Disturbed’s version of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” The way Disturbed performs this song made me listen more carefully to the lyrics because they start slowly and quietly, with the music becoming louder and more emotional as it continues, until there is a pause that gives me goose bumps near the end. The lead singer, David Draiman, has a voice that sounds almost operatic to me. And it was that quality that brought to mind …
Devin Townsend … another musician who can bridge rough metal and melodic, soulful tunes.
Okay, let me find an example of a Devin Townsend song that shows off some of that operatic quality …
Here goes.
There’s “Ih-ah!” from the Addicted album that shows off a softer Devin Townsend sound, but it’s not the one I was thinking of.
Ah, here it is … “The Way Home” from the same album. That’s got the operatic section in it.
So, if I could arrange it, I’d like to see David Draiman and/or Disturbed perform with Devin Townsend just to see what the result would be.
Interesting post, Mary. I have long thought that many of Paul Simon’s songs were more interesting as covered by other performers.
Beth Waters version of Simon’s “Slip Slidin’ Away” is another beautiful example of how a cover focuses your attention on Simon lyrics more sharply than the original.
https://youtu.be/eyeQcTk48jI
Similarly, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes’ version of simon’s “I am a Rock” is a much more authentic interpretation of the song’s manic paranoia than the original.
https://youtu.be/1K6YcGCokuc
Thanks for sharing those versions of Simon & Garfunkel’s songs, John. They are, without a doubt, very talented song writers. While they are also great performers, there is certainly something to be gained from having others perform their songs … a certain perspective that reveals more than the originals.