I didn't realize Creep was so widely covered, but I don't know how you can do a post about it without mentioning the Pretender's cover.
Also, to answer your question, No. When people at a gig holler "CREEP," it won't be because they want you to cover it. posted by adamrice at 3:24 PM on March 20 [4 favorites has favorites]
Amanda Palmer seems to often play Creep on the ukelele at the ends of shows. I saw her play the Great American Music Hall in SF not long ago, and she performed Creep at the end of the show running along the balconies, with the crowd singing along. It was pretty fun and a cool way to end the show.
That said, I had no idea it was so popular to cover. Amanda Palmer plays a lot of covers of 80s and early 90s songs in her shows so I always saw it in that context. posted by pombe at 3:25 PM on March 20
I don't think so. It hasn't been covered by Mayhem or Immortal yet.
But I would pay to see that - seriously. posted by spinifex23 at 3:26 PM on March 20
There's a "conservative alternative to YouTube"? Who knew wieners on moogs was part of the liberal agenda? posted by yoink at 3:26 PM on March 20
Amanda Palmer does good covers. The Dresden Dolls' "War Pigs" is excellent, and I once saw them do a lusty version of "Two-Headed Boy" while standing on top of a bar. posted by Bookhouse at 3:28 PM on March 20 [2 favorites has favorites]
Who knew wieners on moogs was part of the liberal agenda?
My favorite cover is definitely Kid606's 13 minute long This is Not My Statement, which starts out with samples of acapella barbershop "oooooohs" and degenerates into endless, buzzy, ambient hard drive noise.
The Richard Cheese cover of Creep, from his first album, is 37 different kinds of awesome. posted by gimonca at 3:31 PM on March 20 [2 favorites has favorites]
I never liked it, honestly, and given that I became a huge Radiohead fan with the release of the Bends I always felt slightly smug in hearing that Radiohead didn't like it either, and refused to play it live. Whenever I listen to it I hear Thom straining to be something he thinks people want to hear (it's not his typical or natural voice) rather than just being himself. This may not me true, but it's what I hear. posted by jimmythefish at 3:34 PM on March 20
I think you're kind of right. I've heard 2 different local bands cover "Creep". posted by rageagainsttherobots at 3:40 PM on March 20
What about Crazy? or Umbrella? They're both overcovered. posted by LSK at 3:45 PM on March 20
Well considering Creep was released in 1992 - that is 17 years ago now - it's not really this era's anything. posted by dydecker at 3:46 PM on March 20
Well considering Creep was released in 1992 - that is 17 years ago now - it's not really this era's anything. - agreed. That was from the alt.rock Radiohead, not the current mix of lots of things Radiohead.
I'm not sure how many instances are during live events, but Rihanna's Umbrella is doing well as a current cover song. According to Second Hand Songs, The Beatles win with most covers (#1 Eleanor Rigby, #2 Yesterday, #5 And I Love Her, #11 Blackbird), but they only note three covers of Rihanna's Umbrella and 17 covers of Creep. The Covers Project only lists 5 covers of Creep. Sadly, both sites only cover recorded works.
So I'm only seventeen years behind the times? Groovy. posted by Dumsnill at 3:55 PM on March 20
I like this version of Amanda Palmer singing Creep wandering around a bar by herself.
Also, I saw her doing War Pigs at this show on inauguration night, it was awesome. She dedicated it to the former administration, fittingly. posted by empath at 3:56 PM on March 20 [6 favorites has favorites]
The Dresden Dolls cover of War Pigs is awesome. I saw them play it in the summer of 2004 at the Paradise in Boston, dedicated to the then current administration. At the end, Amanda shouted out to the crowd, "now go out and vote, for fucks sake!" posted by pombe at 4:10 PM on March 20
I'd worry about Yorke becoming depressed over this development... but he was probably pretty glum already about something. posted by Joe Beese at 4:11 PM on March 20 [1 favorite has favorites]
There was a great blog entry about Prince's cover talking about the lyrics changes he made, but I can't find it now. posted by empath at 4:35 PM on March 20
I kind of like the idea of it as a singalong, a la Weezer in that third link. We're all creeps! Her skin makes us all cry!
I've got a live recording of an aging Kinks doing "I'm Not Like Everybody Else" with a gigantic stadium crowd singing along. Always makes me smile. posted by cortex at 5:13 PM on March 20
Do Radiohead still refuse to play it? posted by Artw at 5:16 PM on March 20
It seems like we're kind of slamming people for doing covers of a song that really resonated with them. Is the problem that you feel they're glomming onto Radiohead's success? Isn't being an artist about collaboration? Especially if you're an entertainer. You're supposed to learn from each other and grow that way. What's so wrong with covering Creep? posted by edbles at 5:18 PM on March 20
They played it just the other night in Mexico City! posted by Windigo at 5:19 PM on March 20
The Middle East is in motherfucking Cambridge. posted by breath at 5:21 PM on March 20
It seems like we're kind of slamming people for doing covers of a song that really resonated with them.
Well, not all of us are slamming every cover of the song. I'm a sucker for covers and love listening to them, and I think Creep is a very solid piece of pop song-writing in its own right. But I've heard it many, many times, and it's never really gone away, so there's some fatigue that creeps (heh) into the equation from my listener's perspective, regardless of the personal resonance the song may have for a given performer from their expressive perspective.
So it's tricky territory.
Also, Korn's cover is amazingly shitty. posted by cortex at 5:28 PM on March 20
Oh, and Beck's cover it as well. Sorta. posted by Windigo at 5:30 PM on March 20
Much better video of the Mexico City performance here. posted by jokeefe at 5:56 PM on March 20
Do you think that really added much to the thread?
posted by empath at 5:36 PM on March 20 [+] [!]
About as much as people saying how great Amanda Palmer is? I count two comments that don't mention her cover of Creep, so I'll wait here while you scold them similarly. posted by Uther Bentrazor at 6:04 PM on March 20
Oh, hey, I just covered this the other d—
Oh, that "Creep".
I was so hoping this post was going to refer to The Jam's "Creep," which is a much better song to my ears, and doesn't seem to be on youtube, which goes to show I am probably right about it being better, and I am old. posted by cjorgensen at 6:27 PM on March 20
Huh, nary a mention of Kevin Matthews. posted by Smedleyman at 7:36 PM on March 20
Dear cortex (and everybody else),
Well, not all of us are slamming every cover of the song. I'm a sucker for covers and love listening to them, and I think Creep is a very solid piece of pop song-writing in its own right. But I've heard it many, many times, and it's never really gone away, so there's some fatigue that creeps (heh) into the equation from my listener's perspective, regardless of the personal resonance the song may have for a given performer from their expressive perspective.
So it's tricky territory.
Also, Korn's cover is amazingly shitty.
Oh my god I should have listened to all the clips the problem was Korn's cover was right above Kermit's so I managed to dodge that bullet the first time through. Kermit singing a different song about feeling like a freak was just too fascinating.
Sorry about the "We" it just felt like the conversation was trending toward "the hyper-literate negativity" side of metafilter.
Re Creep = tired. I was 7 when it first came out and possibly managed to duck the overplayingyness. So from my perspective there's an argument to be made for artists playing a song people love that it's original creator refuses to play live. I guess the argument hinges on whether or not one loud dude in the audience wants it, the artist wants to play it and no one wants to hear it, or if a lot of people in the audience want to hear it.
I was so hoping this post was going to refer to The Jam's "Creep," which is a much better song to my ears, and doesn't seem to be on youtube, which goes to show I am probably right about it being better, and I am old.
You've stumped not only youtube, but allmusic. Maybe a different band or song name? I can't think of a Jam song with the word "creep" in the chorus, but I'm not the person to ask.
Not trying to go around correcting the world, but in case you wanted to find it. posted by palliser at 7:52 PM on March 20
Is that Moby standing next to the camera on the good video in Mexico City? Off-key enough, got to be.
The Freebird video also made me laugh. I was looking at the US flags thinking "Where is this concert? Where's the Confederate flag?" Then the camera went to a wide shot of the stage.
Never heard of anyone covering Freebird, I thought everyone covered We Shall be Released to end important concerts. posted by rakish_yet_centered at 9:09 PM on March 20
In my early 90's indie world, if fratboys at some show were hollering some obvious request at some poor one-hit band, I would yell out "Negative Creep"! Always got a good laugh from the grizzled hipsters.
"Freebird" was just code for "I'm new at this".
Note: "indie" and "hipster" have now acquired new cultural meanings, as have "alternative" and "Republican". posted by intermod at 10:01 PM on March 20
Creep came out in 92, Smells Like Teen spirit in 91. Not too much different really. But... Nirvana the band is long gone, and Radiohead is still going, so that makes them seem worlds apart. posted by jester69 at 10:01 PM on March 20
It just goes to show you should be more careful! posted by saysthis at 12:12 AM on March 21
I can't believe no on has linked to the most painfully awkard musical performance I have ever seen.
I'd still rather hear it for the nth time than "Free Bird" or "Creep." posted by snuffleupagus at 8:34 AM on March 21
cortex,
I've never listened to any of the podcasts, so I've only heard your singing voice. I often read your comments in that voice, which make your funny comments hysterical and your angry/serious comments hysterical.
I'd never actually heard the Dresden Dolls before. I think I'm going to become a fan.
I think part of the point of yelling "Freebird!" was an ironic challenge to a shitty band to play a song that was beyond their skill. A counterpoint was a stereotype of the idiot-listener who saw the band as a jukebox and didn't get that the band was on a different musical planet than Lynyrd Skynyrd. posted by double block and bleed at 8:52 AM on March 21
Afu that is almost painful to watch. I'm pretty sure that was the first time I heard that song, though. Note the dark shades. I'm wondering whose idea that was to hide his eye condition. posted by empath at 8:52 AM on March 21
Yeah, under no circumstances watch the MTV Beach House performance of Creep, or, especially, Anyone Can Play Guitar. It will break your brain with squirming, cringing, empathic embarassment. It ends with Thom nearly electrocuting himself by jumping into the pool. Or so I've heard; I've never managed to watch more than about the first thirty seconds. Ah, the sea of dork that was early Radiohead...
That was supposed to sound sarcastic, by the way.
From what I gather of the show, and particularly that moment, the entire crowd of 60 thousand people was singing along-- as they'd been doing the entire evening-- rendering any recording unintentionally hilarious and facepalm-ish in turn. I mean, you can't even hear Thom in the stuff I've seen on Youtube.
The wild reception in Mexico and now Brasil, including them being followed Britney-style by the paparazzi, has brought about all sorts of wtf moments, including shots of Thom at the beach and jogging along the beach front at Ipanema, where going by all available evidence he is the palest person currently in Rio. posted by jokeefe at 11:08 AM on March 21
I can't believe no on has linked to the most painfully awkard musical performance I have ever seen.
Radiohead performing Creep at the MTV Beach House!!
I really don't think it's that odd. I mean, this WAS their audience for this song. When that song came out, thousands of kiddos 18 to 23 were walking around singing this song to themselves, thinking that the only people in the world who really understood them was a band called Radiohead.
I would go into bars and see a mob of people at the bar, all hipster and cool, drunk off their asses and screaming this song at the top of their lungs. It was enough to make me hate Radiohead forever. posted by bradth27 at 4:06 PM on March 21
God I hope so. I love playing it in Rockband with my friends. posted by The Monkey at 5:46 PM on March 22
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