Hippocamp Ruins Sgt Pepper's

December 10, 2005 1:51 AM

Hippocamp Ruins Sgt Pepper's A group of electronic artists have worked on a "ruined" version of the Beatles Sgt Pepper's classic. Designed to accompany and contrast with the ".... Ruins Pet Sounds" release from earlier in the year .... this ruined release exists to be compared and contrasted to the original album and its artistic competitor Pet Sounds. The original classic is recontextualised through the humour and vision of these artists whose approaches to the tracks aims to re-examine Pepper's through a filter of 2005 technology.
posted by room (31 comments total)

Pet sounds is an album that everyone should own, study, cherish, and enjoy. Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds is an open-ended experiment conducted out of reverence, curiosity, and awareness of the sobering fact that you can't improve upon perfection. (from the Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds Site)

Something you didn't address in this FPP is the fact that these guys seem to have a deep understanding and love for their source material. At first I was a little dubious -- I've seen/heard my share of bad iconoclastic exercises re: the 60s pop masters -- but having listened to some of the tracks, I have to say I'm very impressed. I was just watching my friend's band tonight (Blake Collins Music -- MySpace it, it's unbelievable), and he did a cover of "Caroline, No." A sloppy, bizarre cover that was even more lovely than the version I saw Brian Wilson perform live. It's great when people face these monolithic pop creations and, instead of trying to best/recreate them, lovingly slaughter them with a sense of irony and adoration.

So...Hippocamp. Three cheers! When are we going to get "Hippocamp Ruins Odessey & Oracle" and "Hippocamp Ruins Village Green Preservation Society"??
posted by ford and the prefects at 2:13 AM on December 10, 2005

The blurb is straight out of Pseud's Corner.

So who's going to mention the Grey Album?
posted by the cuban at 2:32 AM on December 10, 2005

Did anyone listen to "Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds?" Granted, I strongly dislike the source material, so I was impressed that they made it less offensive to me. But I still wouldn't want to listen to it again.
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:45 AM on December 10, 2005

I grabbed Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds and although took offense as to how they butchered most of the tracks, still enjoyed it. By chance I listened to it again last week, and I never gave a track more than 20 seconds chance before skipping it.
posted by furtive at 5:27 AM on December 10, 2005

Wouldn't Sgt. Pepper's have to be good before it could be ruined?
posted by klangklangston at 5:55 AM on December 10, 2005

klangklangston : Why do you hate Paul McCartney?

I'm downloading them today and hope they're better than Beatles Regrooved
posted by ?! at 6:06 AM on December 10, 2005

Hey I have the Chipmunks sing the Beatles on record so don't speak so soon!!!
posted by wheelieman at 6:39 AM on December 10, 2005

> Hey I have the Chipmunks sing the Beatles on record so don't speak so soon!!!

When oh when are Alvin and the lads going to cover fiddy cent and the rest of that crew?

I either gonna hit her imma beat ass tight
I've seen her walk by me, damn near passed out
then crept up behind her, tell her it was time to
Let a playa like me get in that vagina

I used to think Chipmunk Punk was unexcellable but lately I do believe the best is yet to cum.
posted by jfuller at 7:03 AM on December 10, 2005

to all Beatles and Beach Boys haters: that is very fascinating personal trivia! please keep it to yourself.
posted by mcsweetie at 7:06 AM on December 10, 2005

These guys are really good. "Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds" is one of the best albums that came out this year - I'm really looking forward to listening to this one, too. Thanks for the link.
posted by aparrish at 7:28 AM on December 10, 2005

Worse than George Burns singing "Fixing a Hole"?

Man I watched that movie again last night; it's one of the funniest things ever, often unintentionally so. Between that and "Little Shop", Steve Martin obviously enjoyed playing demented dentists in musicals.
posted by First Post at 8:28 AM on December 10, 2005

Hey, I like Pet Sounds (even though it is overrated), and I thought the HRPS album was pretty decent...
posted by klangklangston at 9:06 AM on December 10, 2005

*barf*

a bunch of hacks with Reason and a Microphone create dated cover versions of songs from a timeless classic.

*barf*
posted by teletype1 at 10:04 AM on December 10, 2005

As a huge fan of sampling, electronic music, remixes, John Cage, Eno, generational irreverence, cut-and-paste art, mashups, and the Beatles, I wish this stuff wasn't so deadly boring and cheap sounding.
posted by digaman at 10:49 AM on December 10, 2005

As a huuuuuge fafafan of cut-and-papaste-and-paaaaste, I wish this stuff I wish this stuff I wish this stuff wasn't. wasn't. wasn't.

cheap

cheap

chcheapboring

and cheap
posted by pracowity at 11:10 AM on December 10, 2005

i really enjoyed hippocamp ruins pet sounds, so i'm excited about this. the "fixing a hole" remix is my favorite so far; it's very creative.
posted by mayfly wake at 11:15 AM on December 10, 2005

Wow, a version of Sgt. Pepper's minus any of the things that I actually liked about the original. The first three tracks are nigh on unlistenable. Maybe it gets better as the album goes on, but I'm not going to find out.

This one gets a big, fat, 'F.'
posted by Afroblanco at 11:31 AM on December 10, 2005

*barf*

a bunch of hacks with Reason and a Microphone create dated cover versions of songs from a timeless classic.

*barf*
posted by teletype1


um...teletype...no

I happen to know half of the artists or so featured on this compilation and most of them are firstly, not hacks, nor do they use reason. If you don't like the music, thats fine but why the lame attack?

also, sounds like you need some pepto bismol.
posted by freudianslipper at 11:42 AM on December 10, 2005

Ode to Pracowity

A so-cheap sounding fan: John Cage, as Eno, wasn't a deadly cut-and-paste art of electronic generational mashups and remixes. Sampling this huge Beatles stuff -- boring. And the music? Irreverence, I wish.
posted by digaman at 11:43 AM on December 10, 2005

Discussion of Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds. room, it's good form to include these references.

I found these more scholarly, if you will, and less accessible than (for example) Osymyso (who has abandoned his 50 tracks-in-2005 project due to poverty).
posted by dhartung at 1:41 PM on December 10, 2005

From what I listened to it seems they succeeded in ruining it. I like recombinant art and the Beatles but these efforts seemed weak and unlistenable.
posted by maciej at 3:40 PM on December 10, 2005

compared and contrasted...recontextualised...re-examine Pepper's through a filter of 2005 technology

Clearly, this is Capital "A" Art, and not intended for "enjoyment".
posted by Jimbob at 3:45 PM on December 10, 2005

OOH OOH LOOK AT ME, I DISLIKE THE BEATLES AND THE BEACH BOYS THIS IS SURE TO MAKE YOU GASP IN HORROR LOOK AT ME



Please. If you don't like Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper, or any other inarguably unassailably good album, that's your major malfunction. Pls don't share, kthx.
posted by stenseng at 5:29 PM on December 10, 2005

um...teletype...no

I happen to know half of the artists or so featured on this compilation and most of them are firstly, not hacks, nor do they use reason. If you don't like the music, thats fine but why the lame attack?

also, sounds like you need some pepto bismol.


freudianslipper: indeed, i need peptol on a regular basis. i should switch to something stronger.

if you know them and you're into it, cool -- but if we consider artistry, ruining another musician's work by distorting it beyond rational thought... well, i'd rather they make their own stuff.

sure, Gounod reset Bach, walter murphy reset beethoven, and nas rapped over "fur elise"... there is a time to reflect and a time to progress... my feeling is that there is a time to progress, and that time is now. revisiting old music is important, but i'd rather these guys use their talent to create rather than recreate.

my best to them, but i want to hear something new... not something old that we all revere.
posted by teletype1 at 12:35 AM on December 11, 2005

Anybody else find it impossible to actually open the .rar file? Is that some kind of conceptual humor?
posted by lodurr at 9:40 AM on December 11, 2005

The Pet Sounds remix was unlistenable. This was a little better. But anyone who could ruin Pet Sounds in such a childishly unmusical way doesn't deserve a second chance.
posted by DirtyCreature at 11:36 AM on December 11, 2005

yup. They ruined it.
posted by super_not at 8:56 PM on December 11, 2005

Well hell, I quite enjoyed the Pet Sounds destruction. I was happy to see that they'd dropped another album into the shredder.

Of course I do find that I listen to a lot of weird stuff my wife just rolls her eyes at. A big part of that comes from having to lock myself in a small dark room and stare at microscope slides until my retinas are fried though; it puts you in a strange mood after a while. Anything to break the monotony is appreciated. (Stupid research...)

Does this ruin my MeFi cred, such that I can never again comment on music and be taken seriously? Probably. But I can live with that.
posted by caution live frogs at 7:02 AM on December 12, 2005

Did anyone listen to "Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds?" Granted, I strongly dislike the source material, so I was impressed that they made it less offensive to me. But I still wouldn't want to listen to it again.

I listen to HRPS a lot. Honest. I just hate that stupid rap at the end.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to download any of the HRSP tracks. Damn Adobe Flash. ;) Anybody got a straight link or mirror to the RAR file?
posted by mrgrimm at 10:06 AM on December 14, 2005

Sorry. I'm an idiot. Didn't realize I was blocking the pop-up ...
posted by mrgrimm at 10:06 AM on December 14, 2005

Hmm. Didn't like this one nearly as much as the Pet Sounds.

One major difference is that there's lots of "re-singing" in this one, i.e. other people singing the words. Not so good (for me).
posted by mrgrimm at 5:23 PM on December 14, 2005