It is today I ask you for your recommended albums where your favourite poptastic pop stars have decided to do either an acoustic version album, or an album with piano type versions of their songs.
e.g St Vincent MassEducation
Acoustic Version Album Type Thingies
Both live albums, but if that counts John Cale’s Fragments of a Rainy Season (just him, a piano and acoustic guitar) and 10,000 Maniacs’ Unplugged are my favourite collections by both.
I haven’t heard it, but on my long shopping list is The Silver Seas’ ‘blue’ version of Chateau Revenge, which is apparently the stripped down version of the ‘red’ parent album. The latter is a doozy.
I have both versions, having had a bit of a Silver Seas thing a while back.
I love the ‘Blue’ album, and prefer most of the song versions on it.
Very nice stuff.
Fragments is a masterpiece.
The 2007 deluxe edition of Prefab Sprout’s “Steve McQueen” came with a second disc of acoustic versions of 8 of the tracks done by Paddy McAloon. It’s rather good.
I think it came out as a stand alone vinyl for record store day either last year or a couple of years ago.
Kylie has The Abbey Road Sessions, featuring orchestral/acoustic versions of many of her top tunes. And very good it is too.
Richard Thompson’s Acoustic Classics.
Richard Thompson’s Dream Attic originally came with a CD of the acoustic demos which was, arguably, as good as the final album.
I hear Boo Hewerdine’s one-man-and-an-acoustic-guitar live album, A Live One, is quite good.
I wouldn’t have produced it like that…
The recent Kim Richey remake of Glimmer 20 years after it came out is very lovely.
Probably one of the largest gaps between the original recordings and the acoustic album would be Nirvana Unplugged – with the 10000 Maniacs one of my favourites from this series. When did the shark jump on ‘acoustic sessions’ bloody Jo Whiley that’s when. Everyone and his dog-on-a-string turning Kraftwerk or Britney Spears into busking classics.
The only album by Thorns (Matthew Sweet, Pete Droge and Shawn Mullins do CSN-style music) is really lush and overproduced, but a special 2CD edition came out with a set of the same track listing, done live and acoustic. It’s the only disc I play, very good it is too.
Yes, I have that, but I love the “lush” CD, and find the acoustic versions anaemic by comparison. I played it to death on first release. Outstanding collection of songs, but ‘Dragonfly’ and ‘I Told You’ really stand out.
Don’t know the acoustic one but I loved the lush one. The first Shawn Mullins is due a spin too actually. I played that to death when it came out.
Another vote for 10000 Maniacs unplugged. I’ve got the Rod Stewart one somewhere too but I seem to remember it was slightly disappointing. Not a fan of the Clapton one either.
In a change from the above trend, where rock bands strum demos and put them out as unplugged versions, or singer-songwriters finally get the chance to put their stuff out as they originally intended before the rekkid company put them in the studio with a ‘name’ producer, here’s a splendid example of exactly what the OP asks for:
“Yes – the Piano Variations” is a fantastic trip into Yesland with ol’ Rick on the Joanna, mostly solo.
Highly recommended if you like yer Yes toons.
Live Alone in America by Graham Parker is great. Last years acoustic solo retread of Shooting Out Sparks less so but a still interesting document.
Warren Zevon did a splendid live album featuring just him on either 12 string or piano over various of his hits. Possibly called Splendid Isolation, like the song and which opens proceedings.
Oyster band did 2 live albums in the 90s, one unplugged and one leccy. since which time they have veered rather more in the acoustic direction, Alan Prosser hardly ever playing other than a miked up acoustic.
The Warren Zevon album is called Learning to Flinch. And it is indeed splendid..
That’s the fella. Glorious shimmer of 12 string.
Luke Haines sings his Auteurs “hits” with an orchestral backing on Das CapitaL. I’m pretty sure it was for a contractual settlement, despite that it’s actually pretty good
Three Men and Black saw Pauline Black teaming up with (variously) Jake Burns, Bruce Foxton, Jean Jaques Burnell, Mick Walsh, Eric Faulkner (yes, he of the Bay City Rollers), and a bunch of acoustic guitars. One album released and well worth seeking out – if only to prove that these snotty punks can actually play, and their songs have some depth.
This (sort of) mutated into Dead Men Walking with even more punky names on the roster: Segs & Ruffy (The Ruts), Glen Matlock, Captain Sensible, Kirk Brandon, Mike Peters.
Kirk Brandon now owns the rights to the name in the UK – Captain Sensible, Mike Peters and Slim Jim Phantom now do the rounds under the name The Jack Tars
Nothing new to add, except to say that Teenage Fanclub did an EP of their tunes donkey’s years ago (Teenage Fanclub have lost it) in a stripped down style and rather good it was too. Would happily hear them do more of this.
The Steve McQueen mentioned above is exceptional, one of my favourite albums of all time with just an acoustic guitar and that voice – I actually prefer a couple of the versions on this release. Rumour has it that it took Paddy longer to record this than it did the original LP.
Also the Luke Haines is a good shout, a very unusual release for him but sounds great.
Prince’s The Truth is largely acoustic and is one his very best albums.
I’d love The Estate to release an official version of the Piano & A Microphone shows. I have a couple of bootlegs, which are fine in their own right, but a properly sanctioned one would be amazing.
Patience, dear boy. The keepers of The Vault have a coherent plan.
Unlike the Bowie people, who seem to be taking the “blunderbuss” approach.
More coloured vinyl please, whoopee.
It’s because the next box is delayed. Or, at least I hope it’s just delayed.
The Sales brothers are doing what they do best – being assholes.
They could make a lot more money from a DB box than they would from TM reissues. But I’m sure they know better.
Why not just leave the Tin Machine albums out? They’ve just been reissued anyway and they would take up three discs in the box straight away.
The second one’s been reissued. Not remastered, mind.
But yeah, pick up the story from Real Cool World.
Off the top of my head –
Pretenders – Isle of View
Randy Newman – Songbook(vols. 1,2 &3)
Bryan Adams – Unplugged
Dwight Yoakam – dwightyoakamacoustic.net
Isle of View is magic. Chrissie is in fine voice. That version of Private Life is my favourite, I think.
In a minority of one probably, but Jagged Little Pill Acoustic by Alanis Morrisette is really good.
Minority of 2, I love JLP (A)
I’ll check it out.
Thank you to all of you for your contributions!
It’s strange: the very minute that Foxnose launched this thread on Tuesday, a new CD arrived in my letter-box. And what was that CD? Why, it was the new Oumou Sangare album “Acoustic”, which (mainly) consists of acoustic reworkings of tracks from her previous album “Mogoya”.
And very good it sounds, too.