“Bring It On Home to Me“
from the compilation Bridging the Distance: A Portland, Oregon Covers Compilation
2007
iTunes
Ah, the cover…the staple that has ruined and made many a band. Bob Dylan got his start here, covering old folk songs, and later provided fodder from everyone from the Byrds to Jimi Hendrix to Guns & Roses.
Nowadays, the cover is a touchy subject. Reimagining someone else’s music has become so cliché that only the very good can pull it off with any conviction, and sometimes not even then. Note for note remakes are boring, but going too far can be disrespectful.
Bridging the Distance matches 22 Portland-area bands with 22 rock tunes from yesteryear. It’s an ambitious effort, and for a good cause. Proceeds benefit p:ear, an organization that “builds positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives.” Bridging the Distance stalwarts like the Decemberists, the Dandy Warhols, and new transplant Britt Daniel certainly help.
Bridging the Distance could be read as the ultimate study in the variations that cover songs can take, withe 22 tracks range from excellent to awful. One of the better tracks is Daniel’s take on Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me.“ The Spoon frontman pulls off soul better than any white rocker around, and it’s on this track that he puts it up against the greatest. The sparse arrangement and muted guitar are up to the challenge of such an ambitious choice, and the result is sublime.
There are some great, old songs on this compilation getting covered by some very hip bands. As with any covers compilation, not all the songs work, but some are gems.