One of my favourite Buddy Holly records, loved since first heard on its release soon after his death, is ‘True Love Ways', a track of shimmering beauty. There's such a perfect mix of understatement with lush orchestration, of emotion and restraint. Such an exquisite sax solo, too, matching the spellbinding and immaculate voice, which was never recorded better and is so wonderfully high in the mix: so there, even as it resonates always with his absence. It sounded like no other record when it was new, and still does:
The song has been covered many times (and it's one sign of Holly's total ownership that you can't say it has been interpreted by others), including, for the tribute album Listen To Me, by Jackson Browne, who seems to me strangely to miss the mark - strangely because his own admirable and still under-celebrated work so often resonates with a kind of judicious balancing of delicacy and love comparable to Holly's on ‘True Love Ways'. So I'm sorry not to have warmed to this:
The cover version I have found touching and faithful to the song's spirit is by My Morning Jacket. It's here:
Thank you for posting these Michael. Agree with you about the Jackson version, enjoyed the Jacket's, but Buddy's is a truly majestic 'pop' record. I was born in '51 but no matter how familiar it is, it still stops me in my tracks whenever I hear it.
ReplyDeleteSteve(Hothead)Nelson (not sure how to post other than anon, which I think rather rude).
Thanks, Steve. As for not being Anonymous, there's normally a little box with drop-down menu underneath the Comment box, saying Reply as and then a choice. But Blogger is never completely stable, and maybe it also depends when you came to it as to what version it gives you. It's sometimes a mystery to me. Not an interesting one.
DeleteThanks. I'll check it out. On the subject of great songs, here is the best song I've ever heard about that era - Jesse Winchester's fabulous 'Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding':
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch
feature=player_detailpage&v=5uKGWpqnS8E
Steve
The Mavericks also did a beautiful cover version of this song on a Buddy Holly tribute album called "Not Fade Away" in 1996. I assume it wasn't mentioned here since there's no YouTube clip for it (?).
ReplyDeleteNo, it wasn't mentioned because I didn't know it existed. And still haven't heard it.
DeleteMichael
ReplyDeleteThanks. My first LP bought in the sadly lamented HMV in Oxford Strret London was The Crickets "The Chirping Crickets" Buddy influenced Bob, John and Paul and so many others
Don McLean's version of "Everyday" is beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteA little off the topic I know, but Don McLean also does a stunning version of "Black Sheep Boy" by Tim Hardin.
DeleteMichael
DeleteSpeaking of Tim Hardin, here is a fine version of 'Lady from Baltimore' which Bob did in 1994:
http://vimeo.com/62068699
If you're not quite sure about cover versions regarding Buddy Holly songs you should have a long look at the world's largest and most visited Buddy fanpages, made in Germany.
ReplyDeletewww.buddyhollylives.info
There you can check all cover versions and all tribute songs so far.
Cheers from Dortmund, Germany
Hans
Buddy Holly fan from the beginning