The Biggest Cry Baby Mix You Ever Will Hear

So i started physical therapy for ye olde broken down back today, and suffice to say, it was not a painless affair. As such, i'm circumventing witty and going straight for tears.

You, you lucky bastard, get the Biggest Cry Baby Mix You Ever Will Hear, assuming my barely suppressed sobs don't get in the way. Seriously, call me a baby all you like (certain folks pay big bucks for that kind of treatment), but having a catheter inserted wasn't as painful as today's workout back spasms.

mp3: I Cry Alone (The Black Keys from thickfreakness)

mp3: I'm Not Crying (Flight of the Conchords from The Distant Future)

mp3: Cry for Help (Flying Lotus from July Heat)

mp3: Cry Out Your Name/As the Crow Flies (Frank Bang from Frank Bang's Secret Stash)

mp3: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank Williams from The Ultimate Collection)

mp3: City Don't Cry (Jimmy Page & Robert Plant from No Quarter--Jimmy Page & Robert Plant)

mp3: Cry Me a River (Joe Cocker from Mad Dogs & Englishmen)

mp3: The Sky is Crying (Stevie Ray Vaughn from The Sky is Crying)

mp3: I Saw Gener Cryin' in His Sleep (Ween from Pure Guava)

mp3: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (Willie Nelson from Red Headed Stranger)

mp3: Cry Baby (Janis Joplin from Pearl)

mp3: Tears in the Typing Pool (Broadcast from Tender Buttons)

It's Covered: You Can Leave Your Hat On

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I was raised in a Joe Cocker-friendly household. The Old Man remains a huge fan, and I've seen him a few times myself. Highlights include seeing him at Tower Theatre and watching a 6' 5" black female security guard trying to get an obviously pregnant woman to put out a joint, catching him at Woodstock '94, and opening for Stevie Ray Vaughn (at the time, I thought that was criminal. That changed about five minutes into SRV's set, but I digress). Since Joe arguably is the world's greatest song coverer (I say it's a word), it's probably going to come as no shock to any that I chose to use him again for this episode of "It's Covered."

Today we're going to take a listen to the classic "You Can Leave Your Hat On." Originally penned by Randy Newman in 1972 on his landmark Sail Away, the track has since taken on somewhat of a life of its own. I recall seeing an interview with Randy a few years back where he essentially said he wrote it as a bit of a small ditty. It wasn't until Joe gave it his own spin, though, that the song skyrocketed.

Newman's take is a slow builder. It rides on a basic piano line and Randy's engaging lyrics, which deal with the speaker essentially telling an assumed woman how to strip for him. It never rises above much of a mumble, with a tad of percussion here and a touch of electric guitar there.

Not one to simply do a faithful rendition, Joe blows the track up, adding a lot of brass, female backing singers and his own powerful vocals to take the track to the next level. Though it was originally released on his Cocker CD, it was its inclusion in 9 1/2 Weeks that placed it firmly in the public consciousness. Let's face facts, Joe made this track sexy in ways that Newman admittedly never played up. The results speak for themselves.

Next up, we have the incomparable Etta James' take on things. She seems to fall somewhere in-between the two previous versions, funking things up a bit. The guitar has a bit of wah wah to it, and the bass line is much thicker. Essentially, it's got that EJ stamp on it.

Then we've got Marc Broussard's version. Fittingly enough, it comes from Sail Away: The Songs of Randy Newman. Though you might not think it possible, Broussard funks things up even further. He combines Etta's slinky guitar, Joe's horns and some earthy keys to create his own unique slant.

Finally, we've got an acoustic take from Paul Curreri and Devon Sproule. The tempo is altered slightly and the couple trade lines back and forth. I stumbled upon Paul's site a few years back and he's got plenty of covers up for free. Every Valentine's Day, he does a duet album with Devon, initially his girlfriend, now his bride. (Ed. note--it appears they didn't do one in 2009.) I strongly suggest checking them out, as them's good eatin'.

And since the Interwebs offer no shortage of wonderful goodies, here's a lesson plan on how to discuss the song with intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced students regarding phrasal verbs.

To further your educational needs more still, how 'bout a pole dancing lesson?

God, I love the interwebs.

And with that out of the way, I believe I have a few suggestions I need to go make to my bride.

mp3: You Can Leave Your Hat On (Randy Newman)

mp3: You Can Leave Your Hat On (Joe Cocker)

mp3: You Can Leave Your Hat On (Etta James)

mp3: You Can Leave Your Hat On (Marc Broussard)

mp3: You Can Leave Your Hat On (Paul Curreri and Devon Sproule)

It's Covered--Let's Go Get Stoned

(Ed. note--this post was inspired in part by the always wonderful She'll Grow Back blog and their dedicated mission to bring multiple covers of a given track.)

A sad, but true thing happened to me the other night whilst I was attending the St. Vincent show at the Black Cat. Out of nowhere and apropos of nothing, a couple seemingly not much younger than me approached and asked if I could settle a bet. They had seen my iPhone and wanted to know if I could Google to see if Joe Cocker still was alive. There was no need for that, however, as I knew the answer, having already secured tickets to his upcoming gig at Wolf Trap for myself.

I understand Joe has been off the main radar for years, if not decades, but still, this harmless question somehow hurt me. My Pop got me into JC years ago. Pop tells of seeing the gravely voiced belter during the Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour, and how, at one show, Joewas so drunk he fell off the stage not once, but twice! For whatever reason, I still consider that the height of concert viewship--seeing someone so messed up, s/he falls off the damn stage. I came close at a Pogues concert a few years ago, but, alas, such an occurence has escaped me thus far. One of the first times I ever smelled pot was at a JC show. The fact that it was being smoked by an obviously very pregnant woman who was then apprehended by an over six foot woman security guard still ranks as one of the more surreal things I've ever seen. And don't get me (or any other Gen-Xer for that matter) started on The Wonder Years. It was Joe that heralded the arrival of our favorite mathematician-to-be once an week and then heavily in syndication.

While I understand Mr. Cocker has long since cleaned up his act and gone the path of the sober, that's no reason to dismiss the man's legendarily infamous past. In fact, Let's Go Get Stoned. And with that, it's covered.

Originally performed by the late Ray Charles, the song was penned by the soon-to-be-famous-in-their-own-right Ashford & Simpson, as well as Joey Armstead. Others have covered it, too, including the Hardest Work Man in Show Business himself. Ray obviously set the standard, while JB goes the instrumental route here. Joe updates the lyrics to reflect a more contemporary selection of, um, "party favors," so there's that. I'll leave it up to you whether or not any advice offered in the music is worth heeding yourself.

NOTE--WE HERE AT LET DO NOT CONDONE PEOPLE THAT DO NOT CONDONE. SO, YEAH. MOVE ALONG; MOVE ALONG.

mp3: Let's Go Get Stoned (Joe Cocker)

mp3: Let's Go Get Stoned (Ray Charles)

mp3: Let's Go Get Stoned (James Brown)