Message-ID: <20000202082029.59054.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "chrislyn carter" To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: Book on Ready for The House Date: Wed, 02 Feb 2000 02:20:28 CST Hello - Seems to look like Christopher Marlowe. Does this seem accurate? Did someone offer this as a possibility earlier? Anyone seen a copy of the exact book? Dr. Faustus? Complete plays? Looking... Other (yellowish) book by J.B. Priestly? Thanks in advance for any help Christina Message-ID: <20000202.112203.-411061.1.benthos@juno.com> From: Chris D Woodward To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: Book on Ready for The House Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 11:22:01 -0700 nah, that's a portrait of bill shakespere.. I'm pretty sure of it. the eyes & pouty mouth look very much like him, and I think I've seen that portrait before. as per the publishing company, the design looks very similar to that of the penguin classics series (the title in white lettering in a black box at the top), but I'm not so sure that they were publishing that series in 1979. now, what I'd like to know about are those books on the table. the black one looks very similar to hymnals I have seen, with the red pages.. & it would seem to have solitary gold lettering on the front, though it's a little hard to tell. the yellow one is anyone's guess.. cheers, chris Message-id: From: "Eric W. Schlittler" To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Jandek Compilation Appearance Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2000 21:07:09 -0400 (EDT) Hello there, I just got an e-mail from Secretly Canadian that says that Jandek will be making an appearance on a compilation CD called "The Unaccompanied Voice" on Secretly Canadian Records. I dont have any other info than that but I thought that was pretty interesting. The Jandek tribute I am working on is still coming along but will most likely be pushed back for a Summer release. It is coming along very well though. I will keep you posted as more information about a final lineup of songs and musicans becomes available. All the best, Eric Schlittler Message-id: From: "Eric W. Schlittler" To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Jandek Compilation Appearance Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2000 14:19:43 -0400 (EDT) MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-jandek@cs.nwu.edu Precedence: bulk I talked to the person at Secretly Canadian, and he said that the song Jandek is contributing to the "Unaccompanied Voice" compilation is the song OM from the "Somebody in the Snow" LP. It's the same version as on the album. All the best, Eric Message-ID: <20000209.163530.-425621.2.benthos@juno.com> From: Chris D Woodward To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: re: later on Date: Wed, 9 Feb 2000 16:35:27 -0700 hey everybody, looks like "later on" has finally been reissued on cd! y'know, I don't remember sending a check in advance for this one, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the package from corwood in the mail today. it looks like the cd has some kinda ink problem on its face so maybe this was another fluke along the lines of the water-damaged stuff some people received. at any rate, many thanks to the corwood people (if you're out there), I will cherish it always. "later on", for the uninitiated, is (in my humble opinion) *the* most beautiful of jandek's recordings. it's very moody, alternately angsty and driving, then quietly reflective. perhaps even more pensive in its tone than usual. also, the guitar tuning is unique.. dissonant, as always, but it has a particular quality about it I can't describe.. somehow it always reminded me of javanese gamelan music. anyway, everybody on this list owes it to themselves to check this out. cheers, chris Message-ID: <11.fc67ba.25d3a8bb@aol.com> From: NCR13@aol.com To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: later on Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 00:38:03 EST Did Six and Six already come out on CD??? Message-ID: <20000210.110817.-347025.1.benthos@juno.com> From: Chris D Woodward To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: later on Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 11:08:15 -0700 >>Did Six and Six already come out on CD??? that's a good point, six & six came out before later on.. and yet, the catalog says it's not in print yet. looking at the corwood discography they sent, 0739 through 0766 are listed (that is, every recording), but only 0739 (ready f.t.h.) 0741 (later on) and 0761-0766 are currently available. chris Message-ID: <20000210234210.2007.qmail@cs.nwu.edu> From: Seth Tisue To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Reissues Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 17:42:09 -0600 I'm guessing that Jandek skipped _Six and Six_ in the reissue schedule in order to get a more balanced representation of his work out there... if he only does every other album or so (at least for now), he'll get to mid-period classics like _Interstellar Discussion_ and _Telegraph Melts_ that much sooner and get some of the noisier electric records, the records with Nancy, etc., represented on CD. The first six or so albums are all pretty similar in overall approach, although there's always individual songs that stand out. Like on _Later On_, "Your Condition" and "The Janitor", both sung in a very strange voice, it sounds like he's sneering while singing; particularly on the latter, it sounds like he's adopting the voice of character, which would fit the lyrics to "The Janitor" which express a contempt for the janitor that's certainly not Jandek's own. Not to mention "So Fly, Max" and the modest but perfect "Oh, Jenny". I kind of hope he doesn't skip _Chair Beside a Window_ though because it's got the incredibly beautiful "Nancy Sings" on it (the first "Nancy" vocal), but I guess you can't have everything... Seth Tisue s-tisue@nwu.edu http://www.cs.nwu.edu/~tisue/ "The Tao of progress appears as retreat" - Lao Tzu Message-ID: <20000211010540.7350.qmail@cs.nwu.edu> From: Seth Tisue To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: Reissues Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 19:05:39 -0600 In-reply-to: Your message of "Thu, 10 Feb 2000 16:52:31 PST." <20000211005231.19869.qmail@web110.yahoomail.com> >>>>> "Bradley" == Bradley Be writes: Bradley> --- Seth Tisue wrote: >> By the way, no one's transcribed the lyrics to _Later On_ >> yet... someone take a crack at it! Bradley> Hi. I have the lyrics for Later on and a few others on my Bradley> site at: http://geocities.com/bradleybee/jlyrics.html Seth, Bradley> please feel free to cut-and-paste them into the Jandek Bradley> website when you get a chance. They already have links in Bradley> them :) Thanks!!! I've merged them in to the lyrics page on my site. Sorry, you probably told me about them before and I must have spaced... Seth Tisue s-tisue@nwu.edu http://www.cs.nwu.edu/~tisue/ "The Tao of progress appears as retreat" - Lao Tzu Message-ID: <20000211045502.17985.qmail@cs.nwu.edu> From: Seth Tisue To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: More website additions Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 22:55:01 -0600 Lyrics for The Beginning (1999)... thank you Derek Perdue! Also pictures of the album covers of Telegraph Melts (1986) and One Foot in the North (1991)... thank you Ross Beach! Seth Tisue s-tisue@nwu.edu http://www.cs.nwu.edu/~tisue/ "The Tao of progress appears as retreat" - Lao Tzu Message-ID: <20000211201320.29627.qmail@cs.nwu.edu> From: Seth Tisue To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: More reissues! Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 14:13:19 -0600 Looks like the appearance of "Later On" before "Six and Six" was just a glitch... maybe a pressing plant problem? Ed Hardy at Eclipse Records (www.eclipse-records.com), a mail order operation that carries Jandek CD's along with a lot of lo-fi/experimental/drone/improv stuff, tells me that his last shipment from Corwood included a note that said: 0740 - S/B March 2000 [Six and Six, 1981] 0742 - S/B Feb 2000 [Chair Beside a Window, 1982] 0743 - S/B Feb 2000 [Living in a Moon So Blue, 1982] [My notations in brackets.] And where "S/B" equals, I don't know, "should be"? So supposedly by March, all of the first five albums will be out on CD! I was just listening to Chair Beside a Window last night. In addition to "Nancy Sings", the first non-Jandek vocal, it's also got the first full-on band cut, a version of "European Jewel" with noisy electric guitar, electric bass (pretty awkward and noodly sounding -- I think the decision not to use bass after this [with an exception or two] was the right one), and drums. It's interesting because it wasn't until several albums later that he really started working extensively with electric guitar & drums. But even that early he was trying it out... on the same song, in fact, that he first used electric guitar on, on the first album. Anyway, we're only talking about a two year time span here, since Jandek cranked out five albums from 1982 to 1983. Does anyone who's heard the record have an opinion on: - Whether the singer on "Nancy Sings" is really the same woman who sings on all the mid-eighties records - Whether the drummer on "European Jewel" is the same drummer as on all the mid-eighties records They both sound the same, but different, to me, in a way that could be chalked up to it being different people, or, just that on these early cuts, they hadn't settled into their later style. For example, the drummer on "European Jewel" is more frenetic, hits more drums, and seems to lack the distinctive one-drum-at-a-time thing from the later records. But that could just be because Jandek hadn't really settled on what he wanted from the drummer. (I love how as the late eighties wore on the drummer plays on fewer songs, and is ordered to play more and more quietly, until finally he disappears altogether...) And on "Nancy Sings", Nancy could just be reaching to sing higher & more ethereally than she generally does on the later records where she typically sounds brassier, Seth Tisue s-tisue@nwu.edu http://www.cs.nwu.edu/~tisue/ "The Tao of progress appears as retreat" - Lao Tzu Message-ID: <20000211.145003.-371083.0.benthos@juno.com> From: Chris D Woodward To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: More reissues! Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 14:50:01 -0700 that is very good news. you know, one thing I thought I'd mention re "later on".. it could be that I just wasn't listening closely enough to my tape copy, but listening to this cd, either the new digital format is revealing source imperfections with the tape (I'm thinking maybe the tape has worn with age) or it was there all along and I just couldn't hear it, given the imperfections of a cassette copy. mostly at the beginning of songs at points, it'll sound kinda muddy with slight speed fluctuation. otherwise, it's nice & clear. it's interesting, becoming reacquainted with this. as per the drummer and the mysterious nancy.. of course this is pure speculation, like everything else on this list, but something tells me it's not the same people as later on (no pun intended). especially the drummer.. whole different style. also, I think it's quite possible that jandek himself plays drums and overdubs them on a number of recordings. I suspect that he multitracks most every song. Chris Woodward Message-Id: From: "Sam M." To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: More reissues! Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 19:21:03 -0500 One thing I'm wondering is, how many people are on this list? I suppose this thought has come up before, but it would be nice if there were enough so that we could put up $10 or so each for certain titles, and then essentially force Corwood to reissue said titles (IIRC, the going rate for OOP discs was $3000 per 1000?) - assuming agreement could be reached on which titles to back! But in any case I suspect that the number of people here is such that we'd have to put up more like $50! C'est la vie. Message-ID: <20000212005857.14806.qmail@cs.nwu.edu> From: Seth Tisue To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: More reissues! Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 18:58:57 -0600 In-reply-to: Your message of "Fri, 11 Feb 2000 19:21:03 EST." >>>>> "Sam" == Sam M writes: Sam> One thing I'm wondering is, how many people are on this list? 131. Sam> I suppose this thought has come up before, but it would be nice Sam> if there were enough so that we could put up $10 or so each for Sam> certain titles, and then essentially force Corwood to reissue Sam> said titles (IIRC, the going rate for OOP discs was $3000 per Sam> 1000? Yes. Sam> ) - assuming agreement could be reached on which titles to Sam> back! But in any case I suspect that the number of people here Sam> is such that we'd have to put up more like $50! C'est la vie. It has come up before, back before there were any reissues at all. Now that Corwood is cranking out the reissues at a pretty fast clip, I think you'd have trouble getting the money together. It would have been tough enough before given the $50-$100 each that I'm sure would be required... Seth Tisue s-tisue@nwu.edu http://www.cs.nwu.edu/~tisue/ "The Tao of progress appears as retreat" - Lao Tzu Message-ID: <20000212033915.10670.qmail@web117.yahoomail.com> From: Bradley Be To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Favourite or 1st LP/CD Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 19:39:15 -0800 (PST) I would like to hear everybodies opinion on their favourite Jandek release. If you've only heard one or two, please post to the list which LP or CD (or song) was yr introduction to the "Wonderful World of Jandek", and what you thought. My favourite release is "ON THE WAY." I like the extreme difference between the loud rockin songs on side 1 and the moodier acoustic songs on side 2. "I'll Sit Alone and Think a Lot About You" is my fave Jandek song: very beautiful and sad. Message-ID: <20000212043729.22067.qmail@web125.yahoomail.com> From: Bradley Be To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: More reissues!/European Jewel Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 20:37:29 -0800 (PST) --- Seth Tisue wrote: > Does anyone who's heard the record have an opinion on: > - Whether the singer on "Nancy Sings" is really the same woman who > sings on all the mid-eighties records > - Whether the drummer on "European Jewel" is the same drummer as > on all the mid-eighties records I've asked myself these questions before. I haven't heard all of the early 80's records yet, so I can't really say about "Nancy." I can hear a vague similarity in the rhythmic flow of his guitar parts and the drummer's pounding. The maturity of the drummers style (comparing early & late 80s records) may be more than just that. If Jandek 'is' the drummer, than this progression involves his drum style and his multi-tracking experience. It is much more difficult to accompany another instrument if you can't see the performer. Taking visual cues from a guitarist's strumming movement or a drummers hand movements while playing helps an accompaniest keep in time. I can imagine "European Jewel" as an experiment in slapping four tracks on a tape and seeing what happens :) while later songs show the different instruments 'listening to each other' more. I think that on many of the songs he records the guitars and vocals first, then overdubs the drums. Mabye not... It's very difficult to multi-track, even if you are playing all the parts! By the way, I am assuming that the open-tuned plucked guitar parts are Jandek and the more 'traditional' guitar parts are other musicians he is jamming with. If he is in fact playing all the different guitar styles himself, then there goes my theory :) Message-ID: <38A770FB.DFEC31B7@libcom.com> From: langel@libcom.com To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: Favourite or 1st LP/CD Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 22:05:32 -0500 I found a used vinyl copy of ON THE WAY yesterday ($4 at Jerry's) - the purchase made my day, my week... My first real introduction to Jandek was hearing "The Electric End" on WRCT, Carnegie Mellon University Radio Station. What did I think? I thought it was incredible -- one of the best things I had heard in a long time. The radio show host recently played nothing but Jandek for the duration of his show (over two hours). The WRCT Record Library contains at least twenty-five Jandek LP's (all of which show signs of wear, handling, and play), as well as a handful of Jandek CD's. Message-ID: <20000214035352.551.qmail@web1006.mail.yahoo.com> From: Matthew Perpetua To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: plea Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2000 19:53:52 -0800 (PST) > My first real introduction to Jandek was hearing > "The Electric End" on WRCT, > Carnegie Mellon University Radio Station. What did > I think? I thought it was > incredible -- one of the best things I had heard in > a long time. would anyone, anyone at all on this list be willing to make me a tape with mid period Jandek material on it? I'm looking for a lot of the milestones that are mentioned on Seth's site, the songs with electric guitars, drums, Nancy, anything from Blue Corpse, etc. I've really fallen with Janky as of late, mostly thanks to my recent acquisition of "ready for the house", which I find I enjoy more than some of the more recent mid to late 90's records, and I'm dying to hear more. I'd be willing to do a 2:1 tape trade, pay for it, whatever. Matthew Message-ID: From: R Joseph Wright To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: My Jandek History Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 18:23:27 -0800 (PST) I just subscribed to this list, and I still question why, considering I rarely listen to Jandek anymore. I discovered Jandek about seven years ago while doing a radio show on KAOS Olympia Community Radio. They have a sizable collection of his albums. I played him on every show and my favorite song was "Painted my Teeth". A friend and I decided to write to Corwood and request that more albums be sent to the station. Not long after, we received several copies of "Graven Image" on LPs and CDs. There was a one page catalog sent along with the package with something scrawled in handwriting on it, I don't remember what. My friend kept it, and I haven't seen him for a long time. We went to the library and found the phone number for Corwood Industries in the Houston yellow pages under "record and cd manufacturers" which confirmed our suspicions that the only way he could have put out these albums would be if he owned his own pressing plant. One night, I got up the courage to call the number, with no idea what I would say were the mighty Jandek to answer the phone. It rang three times, and just as I was about to change my mind, it was answered with a booming "HELLO!" as if spoken through tons of reverb. The voice resembled that of Jandek's. I froze, with nothing to say. Then, I hung up. That year, my friend and I got a host of people from the radio station to sign a Christmas card which we sent to Corwood, along with a request that Jandek please come to Olympia to perform. Needless to say, Jandek was not swayed by our attempt to bring him out of reclusion. Message-ID: Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 20:49:10 -0800 (PST) From: R Joseph Wright Subject: Re: My Jandek History To: "Sam M." cc: jandek@cs.nwu.edu In-Reply-To: On Thu, 24 Feb 2000, Sam M. wrote: > Hmmm...when could Jandek's voice ever be described as "boomy"? Must've been > one of his mystery compadres - or perhaps J using his REAL voice! > > >Cool story! I like the part about the booming, reverby HELLO. > > > >> The voice resembled that of Jandek's. I wouldn't say that Jandek's voice is necessarily boomy. But put anyone's voice through an amp with lots of reverb, and it will come across that way. That is the effect that I heard. Message-Id: From: Ian Kasley To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: My Jandek History Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 22:20:51 -0800 In-Reply-To: >One night, I got up the courage to call the number, with no idea what I >would say were the mighty Jandek to answer the phone. It rang three >times, and just as I was about to change my mind, it was answered with a >booming "HELLO!" as if spoken through tons of reverb. The voice resembled >that of Jandek's. I froze, with nothing to say. Then, I hung up. i made a similar phone call to Corwood last year, was met with a similar boomy "HELLO", and similarly said nothing. audio evidence exists... http://www.kasley.com/jandek/corwood_4.28.99.mp3 http://www.kasley.com/jandek/corwood_4.28.99.ram -ian Message-ID: From: R Joseph Wright To: Ian Kasley cc: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: My Jandek History Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 22:37:23 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: On Thu, 24 Feb 2000, Ian Kasley wrote: > i made a similar phone call to Corwood last year, was met with a similar > boomy "HELLO", and similarly said nothing. audio evidence exists... > http://www.kasley.com/jandek/corwood_4.28.99.mp3 > http://www.kasley.com/jandek/corwood_4.28.99.ram My memory recalls the experience more intensely than what that sounds like. But I would say the voice is similar. Message-ID: <5a.1c47ad5.25e77fff@aol.com> From: NCR13@aol.com To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: My Jandek History Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 01:49:35 EST It's like the Wizard of Oz, if he hid behind a big metal Jandek head... Message-ID: <20000225161531.80041.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "bob lukomski" To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: My Jandek History Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 11:15:31 EST > >times, and just as I was about to change my mind, it was answered with a > >booming "HELLO!" as if spoken through tons of reverb. The voice >resembled > >that of Jandek's. I froze, with nothing to say. Then, I hung up. > >i made a similar phone call to Corwood last year, was met with a similar >boomy "HELLO", and similarly said nothing. audio evidence exists... Man, no wonder he's so reclusive, what with stalker-type phone calls and all. Do you guys get off on this? If you have no reason to call other than to harass the man, and these calls ultimately are a naive form of stalking/harassment, you are one sick fuck. And then to post a recording of the phone call like a prize pair of panties... This is no better than telling your buddies that you got in some priggish girl's pants (no offence to Corwood for the comparison). You 'boys' have a problem... Lukomski Message-ID: <20000225162459.75109.qmail@hotmail.com> From: "Jason Cooley" To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: phone calls Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 08:24:59 PST I wouldn't say the phone calls are THAT bad. What I don't understand is why you guys didn't say anything. I made a sort of hip hop version of "For Today" using a sample from "Cat That Walked From Shelbyville", but I didn't submit it to the covers CD. I thought maybe it was a little blashphemous. Was it? Do you think Janky gets fanky? Message-ID: From: R Joseph Wright To: bob lukomski cc: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: My Jandek History Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 09:48:37 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <20000225161531.80041.qmail@hotmail.com> On Fri, 25 Feb 2000, bob lukomski wrote: > Man, no wonder he's so reclusive, what with stalker-type phone calls and > all. Do you guys get off on this? If you have no reason to call other than > to harass the man, and these calls ultimately are a naive form of > stalking/harassment, you are one sick fuck. And then to post a recording of > the phone call like a prize pair of panties... This is no better than > telling your buddies that you got in some priggish girl's pants (no offence > to Corwood for the comparison). You 'boys' have a problem... What kind of weirdo *doesn't* tell his friends when he's gotten into some priggish girl's pants? Message-Id: From: Ian Kasley To: jandek@cs.nwu.edu Subject: Re: My Jandek History Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 10:10:17 -0800 In-Reply-To: <20000225161531.80041.qmail@hotmail.com> >Man, no wonder he's so reclusive, what with stalker-type phone calls and >all. Do you guys get off on this? If you have no reason to call other than >to harass the man, and these calls ultimately are a naive form of >stalking/harassment, you are one sick fuck. And then to post a recording of >the phone call like a prize pair of panties... This is no better than >telling your buddies that you got in some priggish girl's pants (no offence >to Corwood for the comparison). You 'boys' have a problem... bah. i was completely surprised that someone actually answered. i placed that call with the intent of getting the Corwood answering machine on tape. i couldn't have said anything even if i had wanted to as i made that call using one of those netphone thingies and didn't have a microphone plugged in at the time. -ian Message-ID: From: "Bette Schultz and Paul Payton" To: "R Joseph Wright" Cc: Subject: RE: My Jandek History Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 00:09:39 -0500 >What kind of weirdo *doesn't* tell his friends when he's gotten into some >priggish girl's pants? OBVIOUSLY, SOMEONE WHO IS MORE OF A GENTLEMAN THAN YOU. NO WONDER MUSIC FREAKS GET A BAD REP. OINK! Message-ID: <20000226050903.10822.qmail@web110.yahoomail.com> From: Bradley Be To: jandek list Cc: agentduckhugger@hotmail.com Subject: Re: covers Date: Fri, 25 Feb 2000 21:09:03 -0800 (PST) >The best cover versions of songs are the ones that sound completely >different than the origional. If this tribute project turns out to be a >bunch of people doing Jandek impressions then it will be pretty boring. yes.. i agree with you... like some of the songs on that residents cover comp., they let me down because it sounded way to close to the original residents songs themselves... you will be happy to know that my band "the early morning initials" did a cover of Jandek's song "remain the same" that is completly different than the original jandek tune... in the cover version i did i lay out a happy sounding guitar rhythm as i yodel and holler my heart out of the lyrics... my pal phil pounds out a bang crash crazy drum beat.. and then i came back in with my friends greta and maureen to add horns... so yes... i can only speak for myself.. but as for myself.. i taint' done no "jandek impersonatin'", eh. cheers, aerick duckhugger Message-ID: From: "Bette Schultz and Paul Payton" To: "Bradley Be" Cc: Subject: RE: covers Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2000 00:13:31 -0500 In-Reply-To: <20000226004015.25421.qmail@web120.yahoomail.com> - -Re: Bradley Be's comment: >The best cover versions of songs are the ones that sound completely >different than the origional. Agreed--the best ones would also stand on their own as another definitive version, and tell you that what you're hearing is a great song, not remind you that (as Jan and Dean said) "the original's still the greatest." Example: Cowboy Junkies' "Ooh Las Vegas" (on the Gram Parsons tribute CD) is a whole 'nother experience than Parsons' original. Both are (to me) great. Another valid reason to cover: to make an original version of a song "all that it could be" in the coverer's opinion. Viz: Diesel Park West's "All Come to Meet Her" on More Oar vs. Skip Spence's magnificent but sketchy original. The last thing a cover should make you think is "Why bother?" Life is indeed too short to be bored. Paul