Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Interpreting the Grateful Dead

This is hardly breaking news, but something tells me there are a few readers of The Weight that aren't aware of this.  On their new album, 'The King Is Dead', released just last Tuesday, the Decemberist's cover the Grateful Dead's 'Row Jimmy.'  While I admire the attempt at one of the Dead's best slow songs, their take falls far short of the emotive original. 

Decemberists
Row Jimmy




Speaking of 'The King Is Dead', fortunately for us, Elvis Costello is far from dead and knows a little something about interpreting the Grateful Dead.  This is how its supposed to be done:

Elvis Costello
Ship of Fools




Bonus Content

Elvis Costello, Levon Helm, Allen Toussaint, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson, Larry Campbell, and The Imposters play 'Tennessee Jed' on the Costello hosted interview show Spectacle:

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

i respect the attempt, but the rendition of row jimmy is a trainwreck; elvis costello, on the other hand, brilliant.