DISQUS

Ian B · 1 year ago

I remember hearing, just after Rod's version of Waits' "Downtown Train" came out, that Bob Seger had at one point discussed his plans to do a few Waits covers - maybe an entire album's worth - and was subsequently surprised when Rod went ahead and did the same. Is there any sense of when Rod 'discovered' Waits? I put it this way from another cover context: when Annie Lennox told of 'discovering' Neil Young's skills as a songwriter when looking for material for Medusa. It would be an interesting study in musical forensics to place when one artist encountered and found influence from another.

The Mod · 1 year ago

As far as I know Rod was given the song by his manager , because he felt Rod could turn it into a hit, because Rod hadn't had a hit song in a long while.
Rod said he felt Tom was hearing the melody right or something so he changed it for that reason.

The Mod · 1 year ago

*wasnt

WHarrisBullzEye · 1 year ago

"Spanner in the Works" also has a surprisingly decent cover of The Blue Nile's "Downtown Lights."

jefito · 1 year ago

What? Rod covering "Downtown Lights"? Get out of here.

WHarrisBullzEye · 1 year ago

The hell I say!

DwDunphy · 1 year ago

I don't know how to react to that... Good for Rod? Bad for The Blue Nile? (I love that song...)

David_E · 1 year ago

Hmm. After hearing that, what I most want is a Tom Petty version. Anyone? Anyone?

Johnny Bacardi · 1 year ago

Aah, this still sounded a million times slicker and more overproduced in that 90's way than his classic period (which, I insist, extends to 1976). For me, it stands as the last time I would ever get my hopes up for this guy again. Not even covering Ron Sexsmith (really bad choice of song) on New Boys could help.

CarlosRamirez · 1 year ago

Rod's version of "Secret Heart" is really solid.

Johnny B · 1 year ago

Maybe, but I don't think that's one of Sexsmith's best songs...

The Mod · 1 year ago

I also thought the title of the album was in reference to how the critics thought about his career after 79...That his career was always a "Spanner in the works."

The Liner sleeve to the album boast this definition:
A spanner in the works : (To cause) an obstruction or hindrance.

Well this album is most traditional album since the 70s, and it touches all bases of Rods styles of singing, genre's of music in one polished 90s effort.

As for Bob Dylan, that seems shocking for him to say as he has always noted since the 60s that he's loved bob dylan. Why else would he cover some 12 dylan songs in 40 years...Oh Rod.

As for Tom Waits his comments on his recording Tom Trauberts blues:
"After playing each other some tunes, I asked Rob to play me a wild card. He played Tom waits song and when it was only half way through I knew I had to record it. I loved the lyrics and still spend hours trying to work out what they mean. " 93