Tusk

by

Camper Van Beethoven

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If you are a Fleetwood Mac fan with a sense of humor about their excesses, this one's for you. I'd never heard any CVB before, but this cover is a delightful intro. "Tusk" is my favorite FM album--in large part because it is so out of control--and CVB inverts, subverts, and perverts the original in a way that is alternately hilarious, wicked, and even moving. Because of the bare-bones recording techniques, some of the songs are actually better-illuminated--and more intimate--without umpteen Stevies, Lindsays & Christines harmonizing in your face. Part of the charm for me as well is the audacity of the project--like trying to re-make "Thriller" with a bunch of your friends and a 4-track. Favorite cuts: "Angel" (the "track a ghost through a fog" vocal chase is a riot); "Honey Hi" in Spanish with ukelele accompaniment (purportedly recorded on a street in Tijuana); and the trip-fest title tune that rivals "Revolution #9" for random sound samples. Check it out, unless you have a penchant for going to Nicks' solo concerts dressed like Rhiannon.

Then you might be offended...

There will be two different groups of buyers contemplating the purchase of this CD - Fleetwood Mac or Camper Van Beethoven fans. This reviewer writes from the Fleetwood Mac fan perspective. Unfortunately, I don't know much about Camper Van Beethoven to offer an alternative point of view.

Fleetwood Mac's 'Tusk' is my all-time favourite work produced from the band. Considering the West coast rock/pop genre of the times - Fleetwood Mac dared to be different in not offering Rumours Vol 2. You have to take your hat off to them for this.

You also have to take your hat off to Camper Van Beethoven. Consider the debacle of 'Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours'. The CD featured talents such as Shawn Colvin, Elton John, Matchbox Twenty, and Elton John. The result was inevitably dismal because 'Rumours' is one of those masterpieces that cannot be redefined because 'Rumours' was a journey to hell and back. Sure, The Corrs have pleasant harmonic talents but their version of 'Dreams' lacks the tormenting beauty that Stevie/Mac captured in the tumultuous cocained break-ups of the band members.

However, Camper Van Beethoven's make-over of 'Tusk' is far more successful because they were fascinated with the experimentation, and at times, bizarreness of 'Tusk'.

The better offerings come through Christine and Lindsey's songs but the renditions of Stevie's work are often very difficult to appreciate. Throughout the CD, it becomes obvious that Camper Van Beethoven was fascinated with Lindsey's producing capabilities and often throw in strange sounds to come up to scratch. At times, those are their failing moments because the songs sound better without them. Lindsey didn't just throw them in...he timed it all...and carefully weaved it in.

The first three songs: 'Over and Over', 'The Ledge' and 'Think About Me' work amazingly well - and you can easily detect the Fleetwood Mac style.

'Save Me A Place' is one of my fave Lindesy songs that shows his true genius capacity for producing and mixing. Unfortunately CVB does not come up to scratch but halfway through the songs try something very interesting.

'Sara' my all-time fave song has an interesting catchy electronic drum rhythm replaces strings and a dark vocal performance....its all hard to accept but the jury remains out.

'What Makes You Think You're the One'....wow...wow...wow...I just love this rendition...its much slower and doesn't have that awful crashing drum beat that has always put me off that song. After hearing this, I would love to see 'Coldplay'...do this song. Impressive in its simplicity.

'Storms' - this is pretty catchy as well. Again drum beats are foregrounded to substitute Lindsey's textural hypnotic weaving. There is a slight synthesized crescendo which works very well.

'That All for Everyone' - bloody awful...one of Lindsey's great works ripped to shreds. 'Not that Funny' - interesting with the bagpipes...and works okay. Rather infectious...

'Sisters of the Moon' - the strange thing about this song is that it has that dance beat that was being played and mixed at all the major dance parties during the early to mid-nineties with the...renaissance. Vocal performance is female and more spoken than sung. Very interesting...I can't believe they captured that dance beat during the early 80s. Anyway, the song has no driving momentum and all ends very abruptly. Still interesting though.

'Angel' begins like a bad mobile telephone tune. Has great vocal performances but I don't care much for the simple and outdated synthesizer sound/beat. Has potential to grow on you.

In 'That's Enough For Me', we hear the bagpipes and in 'Not that Funny', its the Irish dance hall violin and footapping type drumbeat. Again, quite interesting and its obvious that they were trying to find ways of putting a twist on Lindsey's experimental and genius producing.

'Brown Eyes' is a terrible rendition. There was no way they could pull this one off. An awful pastiche (what a nice word for it) of textures and sounds in an attempt to make something interesting. 'Never Make Me Cry' is not too bad but in no way does it capture Christine's pining soul.

'I Know I'm Not Wrong' is pretty cool and the bagpipes are more subtle here and its all good. This is the single song that is closest to any Fleetwood Mac 'Tusk' song. Very English New Wave.

'Honey Hi' is a bluegrass/folk attempt with banjo (or is it a ukalele?). Really interesting with sounds of cars beeping. Its got that 'busker on the corner' type thing happening.

Overall 'Beautiful Child' is really listenable with countryish overtones. It captures Stevie's desperation in terms of a vocal performance.

'Walk a Thin Line' yeah...Camper Van Beethoven really work this one out but has some truly bizarre noise interruptions as conterpoint but a great listen.

'Tusk' - this song is long clocking in at 10:10 . Let's face it, doing this song was never going to be easy. CVB did the right thing by not trying to copy the song but really taking it out there. It terms of beat it follows the song well but you know that bridging point when the drums take off....CVB do the oppostite and pull down the pace and offer a REALLY weird mix of sounds of bells, humming, and electronically effected voices, synthezisers etc.....but I gotta tell you its really interesting. Then the song resumes its normal pace..and we're back on track and plays with guitars and beats. What a great track!!

'Never Forget'.....nothing special about this rendition but not unlistenable either.

Overall, this is an ambitious take on an ambitious and over the top masterpiece. I say take a chance with this and really try to enegage with what Camper Van Beethoven were doing. You could very well be suprised. I only wonder what CVB fans think of this.