Posted this piece about Prince a couple months ago… and figure today was a good day to bring it back just to bid the man, the myth and the legend farewell. Man. Sucks you are dead.
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Goodbye Prince – Prince Cover of Radiohead’s Creep
For those of you that have been reading my random ruminations (oh snap, that was awesome. Illiteration & Rumination in a single bound? Hah!) for some time now, you know my tastes run a bit eclectic. But you didn’t realize just how eclectic… until now.
I believe I am on record as stating that Radiohead’s ‘Creep’, is the single best song of the previous millennium. No? If not, I am now. Don’t know Radiohead. Bah. I don’t even know where to begin. If you don’t know Radiohead it just means you are too young for your own good. Here – dangit. Here’s the song played out a little differently if you’ve seen it before – and will also help get the rest of us (us, used really liberally here) up to speed:
Now. I have tears running down my face after watching that. If you don’t – then obviously, this song is not for you. But DAMN, that’s an awesome song, amazing words, and just a kick ass-poignant deep well of pain and desire there. Johnny Depp killed that stand in role, and what a way to turn the standard role on it’s head. Fashiznits I love that song. Wait right there… I’m hitting play again on that version. Adore it. And yes, I’m aware how most hipsters today love hating on Creep. Whatever.
Ok ok ok… yeah, I’m moving on. So we have Radiohead sort of explained. No, actually, I don’t think it’s possible to “explain” Thom Yorke. Impossible. But you have experienced Creep anyway. Well, let’s take this experience now up to eleven… by letting you know that Prince covered this song. Prince, doing Creep? This post is worth it’s weight in gold already. I don’t even need to play it. That is fantastic. Prince and Creep. Brilliant.
So here’s the shocker in this piece – Prince’s Purple Rain is possibly one of my favorite full CDs ever. It’s rare now days that people consider entire albums. Right? If you want one song you buy one. But back in the day, no no no – that didn’t happen. You buy all thirteen to get that one you liked on the radio. I still think Depeche Mode’s ‘Music for the Masses’ (or shoot, maybe even 101) is the top of that particular pile from a holistic CD standpoint. VAST’s Visual Audio Sensory Theater has made a play for my love – but Purple Rain is possibly a solid number 3 in my book. Such a crazy good LP.
Well, back in 2008, Prince did a live cover at Coachella – but he took all live performances down of Coachella. And poof, out went this legendary performance of the greatest song of all time. Welp. Yorke had something to say about that:
“Well, tell him to unblock it. It’s our … song,” said Thom Yorke when he learned of the ‘Purple Rain’ singer’s decision to pull all live footage of his 2008 Coachella performance from the Internet.
And since it’s back – why don’t we take Prince’s version out for a spin around the block…
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And with tears in my eyes… Prince, we will miss you. I will definitely miss your antics and your thrills. And mostly your voice. You really will be missed. The world is now a lesser than place because you are gone.