A few months back, we gave you a heads up about the Walkmen’s song-for-song take on Harry Nilsson?s John Lennon-produced Pussy Cats. The tribute was the last album produced at Marcata Studios before it shut down this spring.
Via AMG:
The relationship between Harry Nilsson and John Lennon is legendary. They were notorious booze hounds and carousers, getting kicked out of clubs for misbehavior and enerally terrorizing L.A. during Lennon’s “lost weekend” of 1974. They wanted to make an album together ? hell, anyone working at such a peak would ? and the result was Pussy Cats, a Nilsson album produced by Lennon. Almost immediately, Nilsson got sick, resulting in a ruptured vocal cord. Not wanting Lennon to stop the sessions, Nilsson never told his friend, stubbornly working his way through the sessions until he lost his voice entirely. These are the sessions that make up Pussy Cats, an utterly bewildering record that’s more baffling than entertaining.
But it is entertaining, and a Walkmen favorite according to Hamilton Leithauser:
“Since our studio is closing, it just seemed like a last fun thing to do. We did it sort of quickly, but it turned out great. I mean, we’re not going to make any money off of it. … It really is a band favorite. It’s our common ground. Everybody likes it a lot.”
“Mucho Mungo” was also Walkman Walter Martin’s wedding song.
Finally, we get a taste of Walkmen’s Pussy:
Anyone know if the band’s playing the songs on their current tour?
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“Finally, we get to taste of Walkmen’s Pussy:”
Now, was that really necessary?
I suppose not. (Hangs head in shame.)
After the bland and incomprehensible nature of the last album, here’s hoping for a return to Bows + Arrows greatness!
It’s a Harry Nilsson covers album, there’s no way it’s going to sound like Bows + Arrows. In any case, I like A hundred miles off.
I love the walkmen and harry nilsson. I’m not sure how crazy I am about this version. It’s good and it stayed true to the original, but maybe a little too true. I was hoping it would have more of a walkmen sound to it.
Scott, you should put up the Nilsson version along with it. I think even the nilsson version is a cover?
-charlie
I love the walkmen and harry nilsson. I’m not sure how crazy I am about this version. It’s good and it stayed true to the original, but maybe a little too true. I was hoping it would have more of a walkmen sound to it.
Scott, you should put up the Nilsson version along with it. I think even the nilsson version is a cover?
-charlie
I love the walkmen and harry nilsson. I’m not sure how crazy I am about this version. It’s good and it stayed true to the original, but maybe a little too true. I was hoping it would have more of a walkmen sound to it.
Scott, you should put the Nilsson version along with it. I think even the nilsson version is a cover?
-charlie
Yeah, it’s a Jimmy Cliff song, originally. Tons of people have covered it, though, so it’s sort of appropriate, given the circumstances, that the Walkmen’s version sticks very closely to the Pussycats version. If they’d done a more Walkman-esque take on it, it would be more of a Jimmy Cliff cover than a Nilsson/Lennon cover, if that makes any sense.
I actually don’t have the Jimmy Cliff version. Someone send it? I’ll post.
How about the better john lennon version??
I thought john lennon wrote this song
There’s also a pretty great Ted Leo cover from a Vietnam Vets Benefit Comp. from several years back. But nothing beats the “Harder They Come” soundtrack version.
Nah, John Lennon didn’t write it, Jimmy Cliff did.
Ah, it makes sense. Lennon was doing a ton of covers then. I forgot about the (original) version in the harder they come…
When did Lennon do it? Are you talking about the Nilsson version? Lennon produced it and plays/sings bgvs on it (I think).
I really want to hear how they do “Don’t Forget Me” the best song on the album, I do believe.
there’s a few takes of lennon doing many rivers to cross. I don’t think any are officially released..but they all appear on lennons lost tapes and other bootlegs. The whole take of it by him is amazing..just lennons vocals and a beat box.