Flashback Friday: Cover Album Roundup Madness

Rage Against The Machine

"Renegades"
1 1/2 out of 5

Deftones 

"Covers"
4 out of 5

Ah the cover album. The classic cop out usually released because of pressure from a record label or out of sheer laziness; a rarely functional affair full of unnaturally cringeworthy and pointless songs. I have had both the pleasure and displeasure to have happened upon two very different collections of cover songs by two very different bands that I worshiped when I was fourteen years old: rap-punk-funk sloganeers Rage Against The Machine, and moody shoegazing alt-metal mainstays Deftones. On one hand we have a posthumous collection that feels utterly unnecessary and on the other we have a vinyl only treat for fans that's deserving of a broader release.

"Renegades" was released in 2000 after Rage had already imploded, and it stinks of forced fury. For all their genre-bending and experimentation, as a band RATM only truly excelled at their own brand of riff fueled, hip-hop inspired political rants. In theory the MC5 classic "Kick Out The Jams" should fit perfectly in the Rage formula. The proto-punk riff and revolutionary attitude definitely has grandfather status in Rage's lineage, but the resulting cover version feels slow, plodding and lacks the fire that sparked both bands creative drive. Likewise, the unrecognizable "Street Fighting Man" was a poor choice, even if guitarist Tom Morello has an obvious boner for classic rock, the cock rock swagger of The Rolling Stones doesn't mix well stylistically with Rage's aggro pontificating. The same could be said of their Stooges cover, which sways and struts like a flaccid penis in a darkened room. Really, that good. My other gripe is with the clashing lyrical content of the EPMD and Cypress Hill covers. Rage functions best when tackling political or social issues and hearing the line "So I stepped back, and started sprayin' niggas" from EPMD's "I'm Housin'" just comes off as unintentional comedy. There are two tolerable songs, Eric B & Rakim's "Microphone Fiend" and Bob Dylan's "Maggie's Farm": the first is serviceable, the second builds to nothing but feels emotionally genuine. The two songs that actually work are Minor Threat's "In My Eyes", a band/song that shares the same political fury and directness as RATM, and Bruce Springsteen's "The Ballad Of Tom Joad", where the band conjures a huge groove riff that blends with the populist lyrics to allow the band to work in their comfort zone making it arguably the best song here.

"Covers", in contrast, is a labor of love made exclusively for fans. Released on Record Store Day 2011 as vinyl only and limited to a run of only 5000 pressings, this collection is made up of post album recording sessions that span the bands' entire career and despite the time between recordings feels fluid and enthusiastic. I've found that the Deftones are an extremely divisive band. Either you love them or hate them; either you can look passed their connection to the Nu Metal scene of the mid-late 90's or you can't, which is a shame, because you've missed some of the best Post-Metal influenced rock of the last decade. Mixing influences that range from Gothy British Post-Punk, American Post-Hardcore and shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine, the Deftones carved a niche in major label hard rock that hasn't been explored since Smashing Pumpkin's "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness". The songs here span all of these influences, from The Cure, Depeche Mode and The Smiths to  Jawbox and Drive Like Jehu, and each cut feels vital and pressing; Chino Moreno's croon makes each song feel like an original. My only complaint is the Lynard Skynard song "Simple Man" which, although not great, really isn't offensive, just a puzzling inclusion. All in all it's a beautiful package with a subtle black and white gatefold that complements the material. Had Warner Bros forced this albums creation then who knows what would've come out, similar to the rushed confusing nature of "Renegades". 

Oh well, win some lose some.