Monday, December 25, 2023

Cover of the Year - Micky Dolenz

 


Finally, finally getting through to 25th December has felt personally a bit like battling through a blizzard of attrition. I'm not actually exaggerating particularly. I won't bother you with tiresome details. No 'Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart' or 'Oh Come Let Us Adore Him' from me because I'm thoroughly sick of them both. Call me Scrooge if you please. You may not care for my reply.

As Cover of the Year you get this instead. A weird take on Radio Free Europe the lead of song of R.E.M's Murmur by Mickey Dolenz. A record that meant so much to me 40 years ago when it was released and I was seventeen.. Murmur and early R.E.M. were my launching pad an starting point in many ways as I never tire of telling people and recording here. Sorry I'm not going to stop. They helped me discover myself among other things.Debts like that are impossible to pay.

Dolenz did a wonderful job on his four cover EP of which this was the highlight for me. He captures the true otherness here which made the band so special and utterly fantastic from the start. I still haven't really recovered. I only wish it had been an album an we'd got to hear his take on Seven Chinese Brothers. This will more than do for now.


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