Song
My Body is a Cage by Peter Gabriel

Back story
Peter Gabriel has a fascinating new album, Scratch My Back.  It is the beginning of a song exchange with other artists.  Peter covers 12 songs on this record, and some of the artists have already recorded his songs, too (available on iTunes).  In addition to this concept, what makes Scratch My Back so interesting is that it is arranged for vocal and orchestra.  No drum set, no guitars, electronics, etc.  The recording is top notch, and the orchestral arrangements by John Metcalfe are stunning.  It’s both refreshing and challenging to hear well-known pop music reinterpreted this way.  There are many Peter Gabriel fans that have already dismissed this effort as “selling out,” but I disagree.  Sometimes good music takes time to appreciate, and that is certainly the case with this effort.  I do not love all the songs just yet, but several of them are amazing.  It’s a remarkable achievement for an artist who has relied heavily on percussion and effects in most of his previous music.

Why this song
My Body is a Cage is a cover of the 2007 Arcade Fire original.  It features a striking dynamic range rarely heard in popular music these days, and his vocals are stronger than I’ve heard in years.  Compared to the original, it offers a more somber, vulnerable presentation of both the lyrics and musical themes.  In an Amazon.com interview, Peter talks about the central character in the movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly as inspiration for this version.  Chilling.

More info
All Music
Peter’s website

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  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010

Song
Butterfly by the Robert Glasper Experiment

Back story
Robert Glasper is a Texas-born pianist currently residing in New York City.  He grew up musically in the church, where he mixed gospel and jazz harmonies.  He is equally comfortable in a traditional jazz setting (playing with folks such as Christian McBride and Terence Blanchard) as well as a hip-hop setting (playing with folks such as Jay-Z, Bilal, Kanye West, Q-Tip, Mos Def, and Maxwell).

Why this song
Who says the vocoder is dead?  This is a great cover of the ‘70s Herbie Hancock tune off Robert’s 2009 release, Double Booked, whose 1^st half is acoustic jazz and 2^nd half incorporates electronic and funk elements.  While no one can touch Herbie’s electric piano playing, Robert’s version has more energy, a modern groove, and none of the now-cheesy synthesizer strings.  Adding a twist, Casey Benjamin is featured on vocoder, which complements the retro sound and yet takes it in a new direction.  Also worth noting is that all the songs on this album were recorded live in the studio, most on the 1^st take, including this track.

More info
All Music
Jazz.com interview

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Buy it
Amazon

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2010