We first glommed onto the A.V. Club’s covers project via Owen Pallett’s take on Guided By Voices’ “Game Of Pricks”; in the subsequent weeks more bands have entered the studio and chosen songs from a finite list, leaving one less option for the next band around. The project’s nearing completion, but since that Pallett day I’ve checked religiously, waiting patiently for someone to take on this Replacements Let It Be classic. So when Mates Of State answer the question “why did you chose ‘I Will Dare’” with “Because we didn’t have many options!” at the top of this video, it’s a classic woof moment. But you can understand their hesitation — they’re a tad too cutesy and squeaky clean and married for the ‘Mats raw boozed jangle, and Westerberg’s hopeful uncertainty in “I Will Dare” is pretty untouchable for such a stable pair. So they don’t really try: Peter Buck’s guitar handled by a trumpet, the iconic hook shifted into 3/4 time, a cutesy bop to what the ‘Mats made feel a reckless one, Todd Barry on drums (looking good, Todd) — an attempt, at least, to mask a fundamental disconnect with the tune. Watch it, but then spend the day with Let It Be please.
(via A.V. Club)
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I wanted to give this a chance, since I like Mates of State, but I just can’t do it. Talk about butchering….
And that’s why you get in line early.
Weird, I can’t stand this band, but enjoy this cover.
“Don’t fuck with the ‘Mats.”
-Amrit
That’s turrble.
So. Very. Very. Disappointing.
just like the actual covers record
It was fine until the time sig. switch. After that was song-murder.