Well, Enthusiasts, the long-awaited Dead Tribute Album’s track listing has been announced; you can check it out here.
It’s a big release: 5 CDs and 60 tracks; coincidentally, I just looked up the definition of the word “editor.”
EDITOR (noun): a person who is in charge of and determines the final content of a text.
No idea why I looked that up.
Anyway, you wouldn’t imagine much was left on the cutting room floor, but as usual TotD has the scoop. Here are some of the rejected tracks:
Bubbemeister and the Smushy Tushees – The Eleven
The White Brooklynites (feat. Joanna Newsom) – Weather Report Suite
Wayne Coyne and an Oompah Band – Mexicali Blues
Eagles of Death Metal – Dire Wolf
Some Band Pitchfork Made Up – Dark Star
The Guy From Sonic Youth Who Wasn’t The Tall One Or Kim Gordon – Dark Star
J. Mascis – Dark Star
Ryan Adams – Dark Star>Shake It Off
Someone From Silverlake With A Soundcloud Account – Creampuff War
Yoko Ono (feat. Bobby on slide guitar) – Werewolves of London
Rush – King Solomon’s Mines
The 1975 – Blues for Allah
Father John Misty – Truckin’ (but he does it super-ironically)
Mumford & Sons – Tuning
Big-Dicked Sheila and the Sinthesizers – Box of Rain
OK Go – Fire on the Mountain (with bonus video)
I think all 59 artists should have just recorded Me And My Uncle. It’s the 50th Anniversary of the Dead’s first performance of the song, after all. What could be more important?
I’m old. I remember a previous All-Star tribute cd of Dead songs, called Deadicated, I think. It was OK, I guess. I think I listened to it twice. And I’d heard of all those bands, but i just couldn’t get interested.
Was that the one with Indigo Girls doing Uncle John’s Band? If so I hid it from my better half.
Yup.One of the stand-out tunes, I thought.
It was a good cover version, but my wife likes to hit the repeat button over and over.
Love Deadicated – The Harshed Mellows version of US blues is forgettable but as far as dumb band names go, it’s right up there.
Jane’s Addiction stole the show with Ripple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRtDImn9fLc
Snark-free, I’ll allow that I’m curious about Courtney Barnett doing NSB, Malkmus doing China>Rider, and Smog’s version of Easy Wind.
Fucked Up doing Cream Puff War is pretty perfect.
Whatever Tim Hecker is getting up to (some sort of weird, chopped up ambient Dark Star thing?) is promising too.
“Ryan Adams – Shake It Off”
You are a genius.
If Rush doing King Solomon’s Marbles was a thing, I’d buy. Provided it was Rush circa 1977.
I’ve heard that Ryan Adams medley. Like most things, Bryan does it better.