"Bad artists copy. Great artists steal."
- Pablo Picasso

That adage goes double for music.

In my eyes (ears?), any artist or band who seeks to remake a previous work of another artist/band should do two things:
1.) Take a preexisting tune and adhere strictly, nearly religiously strict to the feel and emotion of the original work, down to the most minute detail, and
2.) Do not merely copy, make it your own.
This is a very difficult line to straddle, as it means outright theft of a song and putting so much aftermarket stuff on it that it stands on its own as an original piece, or at least as strongly as an original piece would if it were an original recording. Many people cover great songs, and a majority of them fail in my eyes.

This entry is about those who didn't fail in the least.


- EVERYDAY LEGEND IS LOST UNDER THE COVERS -


Lazlo Bane - Overkill

This song was originally done by Men At Work, an Austrailian outfit most popular for their songs "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under." Lazlo Bane is best known for their song "Superman," the theme from Scrubs.

Talking Heads - Take Me To The River

This is one of the best covers I have ever heard. Hands down. David Byrne is called a genius for a fucking reason.

Van Halen - Pretty Woman

This is a live version, because finding the video on YouTube outright sucks. However, these guys were in their damn prime in this recording, and it shows.


Deadsy - Tom Sawyer

Not a big Deadsy fan. But this cover did it RIGHT.


Disturbed - Land Of Confusion

Not a big fan of Disturbed, either. Too many instances of "rah" and "ah." In fact, I know of two covers they've done, and this is the only one that I'd say they really succeeded with.


Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

Say what you will about this choice, but the fact remains: they did a damn good job of translating a Michael Jackson pop song to modern rock sensibilities. Any arguments are therefore rendered null and void. So there.


Ben Folds - Bitches Ain't Shit

It's a shame that the last time I saw him live, he wouldn't play this song. A lot of people asked for it. The live video here proves why.

The (English) Beat - Tears Of A Clown

Wow. Amazing cover of a soul classic by Smokey Robinson, done by a group highly regarded os one of the originators of ska as we know it today.

So, that's all for now. If I get a second shot at it, then I'll drop some other covers here for you all.
Smother all 'yall in them shits. Yeuh.
- EL

Coming up:
Th: Everyday Legend Tours the Japanese Bomb Factory
Fr: Everyday Legend Thinks Videogame Music Counts As Actual Music

I was raised on a lot of different tastes and styles of music. In fact, my dad still prefers classic 70's rock and old country tunes, while my mom drives around in a giant Yukon with a bass tube in the back and jams out to Tupac's All Eyez On Me. That should give you quite a bit of background on what to expect from my musical foundation - varied ain't exactly the word for it, not strong enough, to be completely honest. I have a good friend of mine that calls me "The Human iPod," as I have a tendency to know what song is playing over any speaker within 5 seconds of it playing, no matter at what point the song has progressed to at the time of my picking it up.

Granted, that's an extreme exaggeration. I'm not "The Human iPod," but I am damn close at the strangest of times.

So, today I decided to do a little bit of "soul-saving," not in the sense of religion, but in the sense of saving the memory of one incredible era of musical achievement. Congregation, please rise and turn to
page 777 in your hymnals, we're about to get the spirit moving.

The spirit of love, that is.


-EVERYDAY LEGEND'S RIGHTEOUS SOUL CHARGE-



James Brown - The Payback

If you've ever had someone do you wrong, double-cross you or just straight up stab your ass in the back, you'll identify with this tune. This song has been used everywhere, but since I was raised on old 60's soul music from a very early age, this track has never lost its luster over time no matter how many places I've heard it played. I am not a man who cries easily, but when James Brown died on Christmas Day 2006, I wept openly. It wasn't that he was famous or anything like that, but because I had such a deep respect for his particular art and knew that there would never be another like him - the mold that cast him was broken the moment he was born. There cannot be another James Brown. God rest the Godfather's soul, he paid the cost to be the boss.


Bill Withers - Grandma's Hands

This song got ripped off by Dr. Dre and Blackstreet for the single "No Diggity," but anyone who knows the original work that inspired the beat behind the song knows that the original work was downright untouchable. This is a live version, put on here just to display that this man needed no fucking voice modulator. He didn't need studio cleanup of any sort, no ProTools, no production bullshit to weigh the song down under any kind of artifice of any kind. This is his voice, natural and clean, and live. This, my friends, is an actual musician performing actual music. Take notes.


The Four Tops - Standing In The Shadows Of Love

This is old-school soul in its absolute finest, purest form. I remember my dad playing his greatest hits albums when I was a small child and bugging out over this song, especially during the "now, didn't I" break. The harmonies were on point, the instrumentation lent a weight that was light and breezy and yet deadly serious, all in simultaneous sonic synchronicity. This is one song I consider to be absolutely perfect in all senses of the word.


Al Green - Take Me To The River

Talking Heads did a phenomenal cover version of this song, and that's a topic I plan on covering (pun intended) later on in the week (stay tuned for that entry, it's going to be a great one). However, the original remains the undisputed champion, and the Reverend (not Burch this time) is one of the all-time greats of the genre, this song being a high-water mark to me. I'm a sucker for a good brass section, but adding organ and strings and a slick drum beat with slicker changeups just kicks my entire being into a sense of happiness that my body absolutely cannot contain. I dance when I hear this song, I can't help it. Al Green is so good that he's the only person on this list that I feel I have to mention twice.


Al Green - Here I Am (Come And Take Me)

Again, a song that was originally his covered by another group years later, this time by UB40. Unfortunately, the YouTube copyright gestapo has put the nix on the audio track of the one version that was an album cut, which I would have loved to put here. Instead, I am bringing you a live version sung by the man himself on September 7, 2007 at the B.B. King Blues Festival at Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, California. Is it the album cut I wanted? No. Is it still worth listening to? Well, listen to how the crowd is going buck-wild and determine that for yourself. The man's still got it, no doubt about that, and his position as an ordained minister hasn't dulled his edge one bit - he can still get right down to the point. It's not like he can deny the impact of his own music, when it has contributed to if not directly caused the conception and subsequent births of thousands, if not millions, of human beings alive today. You tell 'em, Reverend. You tell 'em.


That's 5 songs for you to get your Tuesday morning soul groove on. Peace be with you. Don't forget to have your favorite girl (or guy) in the room while you're listening, 'cause love is the message, baby.

Can you dig it?
- EL

Coming up:

We: Everyday Legend is Lost Under The Covers
Tr: Everyday Legend Tours the Japanese Bomb Factory
Fr: Everyday Legend Thinks Videogame Music Counts As Actual Music

I hate Monday.

SERIOUSLY. I hate Monday.

It's the one day that can single-handedly ruin a perfectly good weekend. Just think, it's the time where all that partying actually catches up to you, the day you realize your bank account is righteously f**ked up and you're to blame, the day that the game you want comes out tomorrow, the day you have to go back to real, honest work...let's face it:


-EVERYDAY LEGEND'S MONDAY MORNING PLAYLIST OF DOOM-

Monday just f**king sucks. Thankfully, music is here to soothe it all.

When I start a Monday, I usually am in a pretty righteously foul mood, what with waking up at the asscrack of dawn to make a 5:30am run to the gym before work. When I have to be up that early, there's only one kind of music that fits the scenario, and that's something really, really angry.


Mudvayne - Dig

RRAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGHHHGHHGHHHHHH!
That's a real fuckin' treadmill song for your ass! No "I should be on ecstasy" rave music, and none of that pussy-esque Beyonce bullshit, nothing for the fucking single ladies. Bombs away.


Del The Funky Homosapien - Press Rewind

Whew. Now that all that pent up morning rage is out of my system, it's time for something that's a little more chill, yet no less motivational. That's where my man Del comes in. You may recognize him as the rhyme guru on the first Gorillaz album, but if that's all you know of his work, then you should be rightfully ashamed of yourself. Deltron 3030 is one of the finest albums I've ever listened to, even though this track is off of Both Sides Of The Brain, which is still a damn good entry.


Datarock - Fa Fa Fa

This song has the most catchy, infectious beat I've heard since the heyday of Daft Punk's Homework. This shit gets me moving, man. I can't tell you how much sweat I lose to this song in the gym. It's crazy. And probably life-threatening to some degree. But I don't care.


The Prodigy - Narayan

Booyah. The beat is sick, and vocals by Crispian Mills of Kula Shaker are dreamy in nature - just the right zone to get into when you want to forget that you're only staring at the same wall for 30 minutes on end.


Atmosphere - Hockey Hair

And so begins the drive to work. Gotta have something with enough attitude to shrug off the fact that it's fucking Monday, and that nothing will change that fact other than your state of mind, so I listen to a few songs during my commute that assist in doing just that.


Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)

When you roll into the parking lot of a sales job, you really want something that makes your boss(es) think that you mean business. This song does that.

Daft Punk - Da Funk

And this, folks, is how you take a lunch - with style.


Ween - Piss Up A Rope

And finally, this is how you leave work on a shitty Monday - with a laugh.

Monday's through. Tomorrow, I examine the power of soul.

- EL

Coming Up On EVERYDAY LEGEND'S dTunes Week!:

Tu: Everyday Legend's Righteous Soul Charge
We: Everyday Legend is Lost Under The Covers
Th: Everyday Legend Tours the Japanese Bomb Factory
Fr: Everyday Legend Thinks Videogame Music Counts As Actual Music

Last day. Since trying to get favorites for a lot of games is rather....huge, and not to make the post ridonculiously long, i'm just gonna stick with music from fighting games I enjoy (minus Shinobi.) I enjoyed being unlazy and actually blogging in some sense again. At least this helped me in trying to blog more on dtoid again. Hope you enjoyed seeing the things I listen to and get a general idea of what you'd hear if you were to step into my mind.

Shinobi
More than happy we got the PS2 game after falling in love with Shinobi III on the genesis (and very vague memories of me playing Shinobi II.)Both games have awesome soundtracks worth listening to and playing the game for. Too bad Kunoichi sucked.

Waiting place


Transfiguration


Strange Device (Oni Fave)
Green Dragon
Red Blade

Solitary (Oni Fave)


Sakura (Oni Fave)


Idaten(Oni Fave)
My Dear D(Oni Fave)
Izayoi

Street Fighter
all 2D street fighters have awesome themes. This is something I can't deny. II set up character themes, Alpha gave a mix of stage/character/series themes, and III gave a more street/gritty feel to stages and themes. 4 did a ok job for remixing some of the old themes. Every other stage in that game (outside of USA and Ship stage) sucked.

Leave Alone (2nd Impact version)


Twilight (Oni Fave)


Street Fighter III Opening Theme

Arcade version There are times I prefer the arcade version.

Tomboy(Oni Fave)
Spunky(Oni Fave)

Guile's Theme


Dee Jay's Theme (Oni Fave)


Sagat's Stage: SNES/Arcade(Oni Fave)
Balrog's Stage SNES
Cammy's Stage Arcade(Oni Fave)

Tekken
I've always liked Tekken's music. It's a shame they don't do arranged tracks for the games anymore. They were pretty damn good. Tekken 2 still holds the title of favorite musicwise.

T2 Kazuya's Theme (Oni Fave)


T1's Chicago/Lee's theme for T2

Original version

Jack-2's Theme
T2 Paul's Theme: Arranged/Arcade
Character Select: Arranged/Arcade(Oni Fave)

Tekken Tag PS2 Ogre Stage


Tekken Tag PS2 Xiaoyu Stage


Tekken Tag Arcade School Stage


Tekken 4 might suck, but the music is good.
Touch and Go
Authentic Sky
Fear

Tekken 5/DR was also good considering everyone hung off Midnight wilderness like crazy.
Moonlight Wilderness
Poolside
Estrada da Estrela

Then there's Tekken 6...i'll just do 1 since I'm only really obsessed with just 1 track right now.
Mysitc Forest

Arcana Heart
Arcana Heart 2 was a disappointment in both port and music. Mine is sitting somewhere collecting dust. So i'm sticking to Arcana Heart 1.

Night Beat


Heartful!


Thank you!
Fantasyland
Calmly

Rival Schools/Project Justice
A lot of these tracks are awesome. But that's cause a fighting game about Japanese schools fighting for something was a awesome thought to begin with. Plus both games do really well in having that "high school" feel/sound.

Taiyo Highschool Rooftop


Gedo High School construction site


Mountain Area


Seijyun Girls High school courtyard
Taiyo High school classrooms
Taiyo High Classroom
Pacific High

hope you enjoyed this week to some extent.

continuing on from yesterday's Japanese music, we'll just blend it in with Anime openings.

Brilliant Green
This group apparently is pretty popular in Japan and i've only caught wind due to their Gundam 00 opening. I keep forgetting to check out more their stuff as apparently they've done drama show openings. (and the few of their songs I have are kinda meh.)

Ash Like Snow

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The Anime opening version. I really love this song. It's a strong and powerful one and it's my favorite opening out of Gundam 00 (considering all the openings were done by rather known bands/singers.) Plus both versions (anime/music video) are awesome. Not so sure why people hate on Gundam 00 so much. It's not Gundam Seed emo.

Stand By Me

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while I love Ash Like Snow, this song grabs me the most from them. This is my favorite i've stumbled across by Brilliant green as of now. Enjoy.

Completely unrelated to this theme. But come on...I have this in my favorites in youtube and it is MY picks....you'll either love me or hate later.

Doc Gerbil's World

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10 mins of pure bliss. Back on track...

Air
Switching it up a bit, The Air anime is one of my all time favorites since I watched it back in 2005. Along with the rather good story and beautiful visuals, the music was on par and awesome. Sadly, since I don't know how to read moonspeak, I haven't had much success in the visual novel bit (and everytime I do go to anime cons, I DO look for it, see it, ask the seller about it EVERYTIME as if something will change) but one of these days i'll buy it and let it sit in my room collecting dust until I learn to read moonspeak.

Tori no Uta

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This is something I never stop listening to either. It's a very beautiful song and the artist, Lia, does it justice. I'm a fan of Lia, but I really can't find any of her songs. (except a few she's done while she was under the I've Sound group). Apparently she does hardcore happy stuff and she's very fluent in english. Here's a another version of the opening. I think this just adds a few pictures or something. Visual Novel version is here.

Eiko Shimamiya
Another from the I've sound group, she's done a few anime openings (mainly thinking of Higurashi and something else I should know.). Most of the stuff she's put out have a rather dark tone/eerie feel to them. Considering I had music sex over I've Sound's music over the summer, I appreciate her stuff more.

All alone

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This song was with the Higurashi opening's CD single. It turned out I really liked it. That's about it...lol. I like how it ends.

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

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Along with Air, Higurashi is another anime/visual novel i'm rather obsessed with. I won't talk about it unless someone brings it up or suggesting anime to watch. (and i'm sure some of you who've seen my past avatar of the chick laughing? well there you go if you were wondering where it was from.) upon hearing this the first time I started watching the series, I thought "Oh wow..different for a sweet looking anime." But of course that was before I realized the nonsense that went down in Hinamazawa. Same as Air, I don't read moonspeak so I can't do much but stare at the visual novels at Cons and ponder if I should buy them or not. Anime opening for those interested.

Mami Kawada
Another I've Sound singer, She's my current love interest when it comes to the current singers of I've Sound. Something about her voice, along with the songs she does that makes me automatically say "ok I like that." She's known for doing the opening/ending theme of an anime while Kotoko does the other of the same anime. (the Onegai series and Hayate no Gotoku series come to mind with this in effect.)

Joint

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after watching this, I found a new love interest to take over Ayumi Hamasaki. Anime opening here. I like the breakdown in this song and obviously Mami's voice. Shakugan no Shana is another anime I like.

Hisyoku no sora

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anime version here Yea uh...I think this song confirmed for me that I can listen to Mami songs and not be disappointed.

Sense

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Ending theme to the second season of Shakugan no Shana.

Asu e no Namida

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Anime version Here. Hope i'm not scaring yall folks away lmao.

Kotoko

Kotoko's an artist I just like some of her music...some being some of her anime openings and just that.

Being

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Anime opening with the full song Here. This gave me some Faith that Kotoko was pretty good. Just that. This is probably the only song from her that'd I listen to nonstop.

Another song done by Kotoko under another name (Outer) that I can't find (and just may upload and put in tomorrow's segment) is Synthetic Organism. Too bad she didn't stick with that style.

There's a lot of songs/openings I want to add but I don't want to take too long in trying to get this out today. Maybe there will be a round 2 in the future week so I can dwell on some of the older anime/Japanese artist.

Today is might be small as I had a good amount of music planned from I've sound but finding out just about anything that isn't Kotoko/Mell/Mami Kawada/Eiko Shikamiya aren't on youtube (and I personally don't have the time right now to upload all my personal fave) this will just continue to be a jpop day...just..not as big as I planned.

Ayumi Hamasaki
This is where my jpop roots started. Back during Thousand Arms and hearing this song (and then finding out a bunch of remixes years later..not surprising.) I kinda was interested in this "new music" as I didn't hear much of anything outside of rap/R and B and game music not featuring singers...especially in another language. Internet was starting to get big and you can imagine Napster was the thing back then...

anyway, I consider this chick my first female artist crush. (or at least the one I remember). I still love Ayumi Hamasaki but most of her new stuff is a hit or miss.

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Since I can't find my favorite version of this song on youtube (Violin mix), here's a A Piano version which is pretty nice.

Two of us

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Along with the opening to Thousand Arms, she also did the ending theme which I personally like a lot more than the opening. (the original opening at least.) Perfect song for a ending I barely remember. Don't hate me, I didn't officially beat TA. I watched my sister do it and my saved data ended up getting erased one day. anyway, I only know of 1 version for this song (gasp). But run with it. Worth a listen.

Surreal

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Sorry. no explination here lol.

M

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I liked the opening this song...then I don't remember why I like it. Oh there's one of those Remixes I was talking about. I do enjoy the whole thing for that though. The other songs I wish to find seem to be live and personally...I like Ayu songs in studio over her live. Songs worth checking out though:

Evolution
Flower Garden
Hanabi
Trauma
Game
Duty

Utada Hikaru
This is somewhat like Daft Punk. I don't need to do much explaining. She got big in America with simple and clean (and I can't deny I listened to the trailer of KH for this song nonstop after hearing it.) and she's also a rival to Ayumi Hamasaki (at least I think she still is.) A lot of people say Ayumi is a entertainer while Utada is a Singer. Either way, I still love the music they put out.

Passion

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Here's the Japanese opening of Kingdom Hearts II which is another I listened to a lot/nonstop during my small stench in college. I like Utada in english but for KHII, Passion >Sanctuary and KHI, Simple and Clean > Hikari. for me at least.

Sakura Drops

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I have sex with this song. It's a calm and peaceful mind relaxer to me. This is something I can stare off into the stars till the night is over.

Tokyo Nights

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Here's another "raid the night" song for me. Very upbeat song for me. I think of the nighttime highlife with this song. Club hopping or just out getting lost in a city of lights. This, along with Sakura Drops, are songs I don't like to skip and feel bad if I do...which makes me go back on my zune and listen. I'm usually not disappointed afterwards.

Final Distance

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This is supposed to be one of her big "MUST LISTEN TO" songs. I love it, but I personally wouldn't go to Final distance first. (I guess that's Sakura Drops for me.) But you can't deny it's a very beautiful song. One of those "pick me up when i'm down" songs and it does good.

Gentle Beast interlude into Celebrate

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from Utada, this has been my sexy song. These songs are seperate on her Heart Station album but they connect into each other. (and even though this video doesn't get rid of the time gap, you can tell.) I think the fact they're seperate tracks and connect is what makes me like it. Plus Celebrate is a very upbeat song already.

Song worth mentioning:
Colors
Traveling
Paint it Black
Any song off the Heart Station album.

UVERworld
So it's not all Jpop now. UVERworld is a band I will admit I got hooked on through their bleach opening. But when listening to their stuff, I loved it. Now they're my jrock favorite band. D-technolife is good but it seriously lacks in their non anime themed stuff. Plus they're known for some pretty badass beatboxing.

Chance

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This came from one of those Bleach Heat the Soul games but I love it just for the startup. After that....it's ehhh.

Revolve

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This was the opening theme for Gundam 00's second season. (first opening.) I was trying to hold anime openings for a later day but screw it.

Just Melody

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JUST MELODY, MELODY!

since I can't find the few others (and the awesome sick live concert of them beatboxing before performing the song, we'll end it here. Mentions? you know it

Yasashisa no Shizuku
Toki no Namida
Mixed Up
Ai Ta Kokoro
Colors of the Heart
Shamrock

I honestly didn't expect to branch off like that but i'm going to continue this into tomorrow and mix with Japanese fave/anime openings and then start grazing into the video game music at the end. sorry guys. I tried my best to not get a bunch of AMVs and whatnot for some of the songs.