Eddie writesTop Five Yo La Tengo Cover Songs

by Eddie Sayago

One of the most exciting parts of attending a concert is the possibility that the band you are seeing and hopefully enjoying performing does a cover of a different band or artist’s song. Sometimes this is expected. Some bands even make their mark or earn their first or biggest hit thanks to a cover version of another song. Then there are times when a band will perform a cover that appears to be out of nowhere, but they make it work.

Yo La Tengo is obviously a band that enjoys performing and recording covers. (See their 2006 album Yo La Tengo Is Murdering The Classics, which includes 30 covers from all kinds of musicians and genres). From a lengthy list of outstanding contenders, here are their top five covers, all available to download and stream.

1. "Here Comes My Baby" from the 1990 album Fakebook (originally recorded and performed by Cat Stevens)

The first cover that came to mind was this Cat Stevens number, which is from 1990’s Fakebook. Originally performed by the artist formerly as Cat Stevens, this song is often the highlight to the soundtrack to Wes Anderson’s Rushmore.

2. "Big Sky" from the 1986 album Ride the Tiger (originally recorded and performed by The Kinks)

Despite containing some of the most innovative lyrics ever penned by Ray Davies, he admitted that he was not fond of The Kink’s performance of the track, which may be why “Big Sky” didn’t appear on their set list after the early 1970s. The trio perform with a bit more confidence and sense of content when they recorded their version for their debut album, Ride The Tiger (1986).

3. "Dreams" from the 2002 compilation A Smattering of Outtakes and Rarities 1986–2002 (originally recorded and performed by Fleetwood Mac)

Many bands have performed this signature song from Fleetwood Mac’s landmark Rumours, such as Irish family band The Corrs, punk band The Kills and '90s alt-rock band Letters to Cleo. Like another song on this list, if I hadn’t known who Fleetwood Mac was, I would assume that “Dreams,” which the Riverfront Times wrote is “a grungy dirge with Lou Reed-meets-Mick Jagger vocal delivery,” is a completely original piece.

4."My Little Corner of the World" from the 1996 album I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One (originally recorded and performed by Anita Bryant)

This song, which closes the album I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One, has had quite a journey. The song, “In My Little Corner of the World”, was written by Lee Pockriss, who also co-wrote “Catch A Falling Star”, the book for Vivien Leigh’s final Broadway musical Tovarich, and several songs for Sesame Street. “In My Little Corner…” was recorded by Anita Bryant in 1960, many years before becoming an orange spokesperson and a homophobic lunatic. In 1974, 15-year old Marie Osmond had a moderate hit with a country rendition of the song, which was also the name of her second country music album. Six years after Yo La Tengo’s slightly bouncy take, the song was featured in the original soundtrack and TV series Gilmore Girls, where it also is the closing track.

5. "You Can Have It All" from the 2000 album And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (originally recorded and performed by George McCrae)

Before I began writing this article, I had absolutely no idea that this seminal (and my personal) favorite was a cover. It does not sound at all like what a cover version of a decades-old song would be. The original artist is George McCrae, whom some may know only from his 1974 hit “Rock Your Baby”, which not only was a #1 song on the year of its release, but became one of the most popular songs of the 1970s, selling over 10 million copies. And then it inspired another wildly popular dance song, ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” (John Lennon later revealed he sampled McCrae for the chord progression of “Whatever Gets You through the Night.”) Listening to McCrae and Yo La Tengo’s versions side by side reveals how drastically different one artist can be inspired to interpret another’s work. While McCrae is in full dance club mode, Yo La Tengo take it a slow, almost sleepy vibe with a hint of soul. They pretty much own this.

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