By now, it’s no secret of how big of a fan I am of The Smashing Pumpkins. To me they are the perfect blend of hard rock, shoe-gaze, psychedelic with a bit of metal thrown in for good measure. One day I was at the gym and I ran into a friend and she told me about Tame Impala doing a cover of one of their songs. Well after a quick search, it turns out that not only is there a cover but it’s for an upcoming tribute album which is perfect for today’s Head To Head: Covers. With that, let’s take a look….
I mean what can you say about an album like Siamese Dream that hasn’t been said already?? It’s one of those perfect albums from start to finish and the song “Hummer” is absolutely one of those standout tracks. First up is the original……..once that cool distorted intro starts, you know you’re in for a great listen. What makes this song standout are the transitions from psychedelic to hard rock to the softer outro. What makes this song so great is the emotion that you feel when you listen to it. I do have to say that one of the highlights of this song is that bass and bass tone which some will say that original bassist D’arcy Wretzky wrote it but in fact it was Billy himself. The best way I can describe this song is that it’s simultaneously cruel, kind, and sweet all while being badass and melancholy.
Now we get to the Tame Impala version. I’ll be honest, I’m not super familiar with their music but they certainly put a different spin on it. It’s more atmospheric, spacey, and even psychedelic (if that was even possible) and I have to say it’s a very interesting cover. This is the kind of cover of that pays respect to the original while putting the artists own spin on it and I definitely have a lot of respect for artists that don’t do a cover song note for note. This song is actually the first single released for an upcoming tribute album called Sending Hearts To All My Dearies- A Tribute To The Smashing Pumpkins. Overall, it’s not a bad cover and “Hummer” is an interesting choice but a good one nonetheless. Interestingly enough, this will be released on Sumerian Records which is a record label primarily known for having metal bands like Kittie, After The Burial, and Slaughter To Prevail. Now comes the question…. Which do you prefer?? Do you prefer the original, this cover version, or both??? You decide. For me………..
Winner: The Smashing Pumpkins
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