Come sail your ships around me

September 14, 2011 4:22 PM

"The Ship Song Project - Sydney Opera House reinterprets Nick Cave's iconic song." (SLYT) Performed by Neil Finn, Kev Carmody and The Australian Ballet, Sarah Blasko, John Bell, Angus and Julia Stone, Paul Kelly and Bangarra Dance Theatre, Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Opera Australia, Martha Wainwright, Katie Noonan and The Sydney Symphony, The Temper Trap, Daniel Johns and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Kinda disappointed they didn't loose the dogs upon her. I would love to see puppies romping through one of our most famous landmarks.

posted by malibustacey9999 (43 comments total)

Man, the quintessential rock apostrophe "baby" just sounds off coming out of an operatic singer.
posted by kenko at 4:29 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

Here's an awesome version of Nick Cave singing his song.
Amanda Palmer did a nice version too, at the Sydney Opera House, no less.
posted by King Bee at 4:37 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

I meant to post this, but never got around to it. I am glad someone did, however.

Frankly, this is a beautiful version of the song.

Also, wow, did Daniel Johns turn out to be the kind of haggard pretty I like.
posted by Kitteh at 4:47 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

The first mashup I ever heard, more than ten years ago, started with a live recording of Pearl Jam attempting to do The Ship Song, mixed with Nick Cave's intro, and then mixed and matched between Nick and the Concrete Blondes. I luuurved it.
posted by infinitewindow at 4:54 PM on September 14, 2011

The first time I heard this song was on a mix tape from a girl I had a terrible unrequited crush on. I was trying hard to stop being so romantic, swoony, and breathless whenever I thought about her. When she played me "The Ship Song," I thought "this is not helping."
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 5:07 PM on September 14, 2011 [4 favorites]

This approach sort of reminded me of the promo that the BBC did where they got a whole bunch of different people to all cover Lou Reed's Perfect Day. dig it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:17 PM on September 14, 2011

I thought "this is not helping."

To be fair, Nick Cave never did The Attention Whore Song.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:18 PM on September 14, 2011

Pretty awesome. Fuck yeah Australia.

I especially liked the Sarah Blasko portion.
posted by Sticherbeast at 5:21 PM on September 14, 2011

I refuse to listen to this, though I've been asked to make a post about it. I don't mind some of the artists, but it seems like a silly idea and I don't like it being advertised everywhere on my commute. Besides, none of the artists in this or the Nick Cave Tribute Tour approach one iota of Nick's power, beauty, darkness or sexiness.

I understand that he's an Australian icon. When I first moved here I was giddy at the thought of sharing a country with him, and I've seen him several times. But he doesn't need to have his songs 'interpreted' by lesser lights (anyone who isn't Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, or Tom Waits).

I have a Ship Song shirt that people keep trying to buy off me.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 6:43 PM on September 14, 2011

Kinda disappointed they didn't loose the dogs upon her. I would love to see puppies romping through one of our most famous landmarks.

they already did at Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson's Concert For Dogs
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 6:44 PM on September 14, 2011

Yeeeeeeeeuuuuuch, sorry, it smacks of some corporate video thrown together to "showcase" something or other. It started off so well.
posted by the noob at 6:49 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

When I first moved here I was giddy at the thought of sharing a country with him

AFAIK, Nick hasn't lived in Australia for many years, basing himself either in London, Berlin or Sao Paolo. I think London's the current address du jour.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:54 PM on September 14, 2011 [2 favorites]

I especially liked the Sarah Blasko portion.

Wait until you hear more of her music.

Might as well give a rundown of the artists I know about.

Neil Finn - genius songwriter
Paul Kelly - genius songwriter
Sarah Blasko - okay in small doses, boring otherwise
Angus & Julia Stone - so unutterably boring that I have stood 5 feet in front of them as they were performing and forgot their songs as they were singing them
Katie Noonan - horrible voice, seeing her perform at a university orientation week ruined my day
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 6:55 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

I refuse to listen to this, though I've been asked to make a post about it.

You should absolutely feel free to leave the thread, then.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 7:07 PM on September 14, 2011 [4 favorites]

Thanks.
posted by cjorgensen at 7:08 PM on September 14, 2011

I refuse to listen to this, though I've been asked to make a post about it.

You should absolutely feel free to leave the thread, then.

I'm in the target audience, but I'm saying that it's not working. It just makes me think the Opera House is less cool, though of course I'll still go there if they're hosting an artist I'd like to see. Amazing architecture and dodgy acoustics aside, though, its booking policy makes it basically another venue. Bryan Adams is playing there this weekend.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 7:09 PM on September 14, 2011

Yeeeeeeeeuuuuuch, sorry, it smacks of some corporate video thrown together to "showcase" something or other. It started off so well.

yeah it's apparently an ad for some weird artichoke building like what is that the artichoke armory
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:10 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

I've always been a big fan of covers, and I find collaborations like this really interesting - especially given the young artists involved, who almost certainly grew up as people and performers idolizing Mr Cave.

It's also interesting to see a bit of overlap in performers with another excellent tribute at the Opera House - "Came So Far For Beauty" (Leonard Cohen)
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 7:26 PM on September 14, 2011 [2 favorites]

There's apparently a documentary about the project. Screening on cable only, which seems a bit odd. Although it does look like straight out promo material for the Opera House, so it wouldn't be likely that the ABC would jump at it, I guess.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 7:35 PM on September 14, 2011

It's also interesting to see a bit of overlap in performers with another excellent tribute at the Opera House - "Came So Far For Beauty" (Leonard Cohen)

Only real overlap is Martha Wainwright. That show was STUNNING, especially since Anthony Hagerity was basically an unknown at that point. And I seem to remember Rufus kissing Jarvis Cocker. But yeah, there's a huge difference between the creme de la creme of music and whichever ARIA chart-toppers were free last weekend.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 7:37 PM on September 14, 2011

I'm in the target audience, but I'm saying that it's not working.

You refuse to listen to this because none of the artists involved are up to Saint Nick's standards for dark and sexy. I could be wrong, but I doubt that Nick Cave tragics were the target demographic.

This was a lot of fun if a bit hit or miss and reminded me what a visually interesting building that is. How on earth Sydney ever managed to allow something as good as the Opera House to actually be built is a wonderful mystery.
posted by N-stoff at 8:01 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

Bryan Adams is playing there this weekend.

Perhaps he could stay?
posted by ovvl at 8:02 PM on September 14, 2011

There's no reason to be precious about Nick Cave. He's an amazing songwriter (I, like LinB, count him with Cohen, Dylan, and Waits and in fact have said exactly these names to people, many times, for many years, as explanation of whom I consider to be the greatest songwriters of my time). But he's a songwriter, and songs are meant to be sung, and this is a lovely interpretation, and I enjoyed it immensely. So, in short, "yay!".
posted by padraigin at 8:12 PM on September 14, 2011 [2 favorites]

How on earth Sydney ever managed to allow something as good as the Opera House to actually be built is a wonderful mystery.

It was easy, really. We drove the architect away in frustration, then made a complete balls-up of the interior & surrounds.
posted by UbuRoivas at 8:16 PM on September 14, 2011 [5 favorites]

Okay, how's this for a different perspective? Bennelong Point is where the Opera House was built. Now listen to (Aboriginal) Kev Carmody sing "come loose your dogs upon me" and consider the life that Bennelong led.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 10:16 PM on September 14, 2011

Well, he would've had the last laugh if they'd tried to sail their ships around him.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:24 PM on September 14, 2011

Oh no. Not again. Yeah, that was me requesting that *someone* (not necessarily Lovecraft in Brooklyn) make a post about this last month during the Sydney meetup planning discussion. The whole thing turned into a big Nick Cave-centered flamewar between LiB and Fiasco.

So yay! I'm glad somebody made the post, finally. But boo, the stupid argument has already started up again.
posted by web-goddess at 11:34 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'd have been way more impressed had it been "Papa Won't Leave You Henry."
posted by eyeballkid at 11:40 PM on September 14, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm quite partial to the cover version by Heather Nova.
posted by WhackyparseThis at 11:43 PM on September 14, 2011

They didn't last very long, and the only way you'll hear most of their music (including their album length cover of Fleetwood Mac's Rumors) is if I mail it to you, but for a few months Sydney's Ripping Dylans were the heirs to The Birthday Party's sound.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 11:45 PM on September 14, 2011

The first mashup I ever heard, more than ten years ago, started with a live recording of Pearl Jam attempting to do The Ship Song, mixed with Nick Cave's intro, and then mixed and matched between Nick and the Concrete Blondes. I luuurved it.

Is this it?

Nick Cave & Concrete Blonde - The Ship Song
posted by homunculus at 12:02 AM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

Iconic, hey? I'm pretty sure we had to analyse it for my year twelve English exam many years ago. Either that or Red Right Hand. Either way, its WA Department of Education approved.
posted by Wantok at 1:16 AM on September 15, 2011

This is a perfectly-formed mini-supernova of pure Australian awesomeness.

Thanks.

nothomesicknothomesicknothomesicknothomesicknothomesick
posted by bright cold day at 5:55 AM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

(although, technically speaking, Neil Finn could be considered to be a kiwi, what with being from New Zealand and all)
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:03 AM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

Uburovias - true enough, but technically, no celebration of Australian culture can be considered complete without appropriating a Kiwi. I'm pretty sure that's in the Constitution.
posted by bright cold day at 6:12 AM on September 15, 2011 [2 favorites]

you mean the treaty of waitangi?
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:15 AM on September 15, 2011

I enjoyed it, thanks.

Ballets, opera companies, chamber groups are all really struggling right now. Little projects like this, even if it's just promotional, even if it's just to say, 'hey, we're trying to be relevant!" are by and large good things, imho.
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:46 AM on September 15, 2011 [1 favorite]

I for one am getting a bit sick of the 'well known musicians covering the work of other well known musicians' thing that seems to be continuing to trend (though I still love 'Like a Version' - go figure) but I actually like this quite a lot. It is actually the first time I have been homesick about Australia in just about forever - and I am not a Sydneysider! (though my son was born there and husband is from the Western Suburbs).
Three notes on performers:
- Paul Kelly just rocks. Seriously, whether his own work or covers, he just nails it every time.
- I am so glad the Katie Noonan part was minimal. I just don't get the appeal of her at all. She is not talented, she is totally full of herself, and doesn't have a particularly good voice.
- I actually like the opera part, I think it underlines how the song, and its message, is actually a bit timeless, and can be a quiet little love song or an epic performance. That is the joy of great covers - they show the true 'essence' of a piece by reinterpreting it.
posted by Megami at 1:04 PM on September 15, 2011 [2 favorites]

I know its not quite what he's talking about, but this quote does seem a bit ironic in hindsight:

But the main reason for this spurning of Gap is that Cave doesn't do advertisements, or allow his music to be used for them. He was not tempted by the sanitary towel manufacturer that wanted to use his song Red Right Hand for its television advertisements. If he were to lease his music out for commercial gain, he says, his muse would desert him.

'I get letters from people telling me they got married to The Ship Song,' he says, 'or that they buried their best friend to Into My Arms, and I don't want them to look at the TV and see that they buried their friend to a Cornetto ad or something. I feel some sense of responsibility about that, even though they wave enormous sums of money at you. That's where my muse puts her foot down.'
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn at 4:33 PM on September 15, 2011

Looka yonder! Looka yonder!
Looka yonder! A big choc cone come!
A big choc cone come!
O comes the Cornetto. Comes the Cornetto.

Yonder on the horizon
Yonder on the horizon
Stopped at the bitey shiver
Stopped at the bitey shiver and
Sucked the damn thing dry
Corneto-o-o, O Cornetto
In a freezer hides a treat called Cornetto.

Distant hunger rumble. Distant hunger rumble
Rumble hungry like the Beast
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
Wo wo wo-o-o
Cornetto bound. Cornetto-o-o. Yeah Cornetto.
The Beast it cometh, Cornetto bound.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:11 PM on September 15, 2011 [4 favorites]

that's it homonculus!
posted by infinitewindow at 6:19 PM on September 15, 2011

I like both the opera house and most of these artists, but this is a bit like the Qantas ad with the kids - beautiful, but with an undercurrent of ick, as it's essentially a manipulation tool.

That being said, I don't think there's anything wrong with covers, particularly cover's of talented songwriter's by talented people.
posted by kjs4 at 9:23 PM on September 15, 2011

Neil Finn - absolute genius. (And yes, a New Zealander so I'm not going to claim him as an Aussie)

That said, we can sort of claim the band Crowded House - which may actually be even better.

Here's your 3 minutes of genius for the day

And here's some live stuff.
posted by chris88 at 9:39 PM on September 15, 2011