An effective good cover honors the original and also puts such a unique take on it that it almost sounds like a new work entirely and also avoids mangling what makes it so good in the first place and…
Well, it’s a delicate balance.
I was really excited when I heard about Elton John’s Revamp & Restoration project. When it comes to music, I won’t pretend to be well-versed in the classics. (I mostly listen to One Direction - sue me). But Elton John is one staple to American music history who I have always loved. So I couldn’t wait to hear some of my favorite pop artists put their own spins on some of his classics.
To clear up any confusion about what exactly the project is, here you go (maybe it was just me who didn't really get it at first): Revamp is an album composed of covers by pop artists, including Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Ed Sheeran, and lots more. Revamp was Elton’s thing. Restoration is made up of covers by country artists and was the work of Bernie Taupin, a songwriter and Elton’s long-time collaborator. Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, and the very-versatile Miley Cyrus appear on this album.
(Sidenote: Can you imagine this level of fame? When I first heard about the project all I could think about was some manager asking, “Okay Elton, what do you want to do next?” and he just looked up through his pastel-tinted sunglasses and said, “Have the world’s biggest pop stars cover my work.” I imagine the creative decision-making process is more nuanced than this but it’s still hilarious to think about.)
I haven’t listened to Restoration, save for Cyrus’ “The Bitch Is Back,” which is awesome. Since I’m not really a country fan I feel I can’t do it justice in reviewing it, so instead I’ll focus on Revamp.
The first song I heard off the album was Lady Gaga’s take on “Your Song,” with a tweet of hers announcing the release of the song and also my first introduction to the Revamp album. (My pop-loving heart practically exploded at the prospect, and I nearly broke my fingers trying to get to Spotify fast enough to listen to an iconic pop star’s take on my favorite Elton John song, and arguably one of the best songs of all time.)
Even after hearing the rest of the album, this one remains my favorite. Gaga’s strong voice makes this powerful version of the classic song anything but a cheap imitation.
I was also excited to have a studio version of Gaga’s “Your Song” after her iconic 2011 Grammys performance of the song has stuck in my head (and my iPod rotation) for years.
Another standout on the album is Cyrus’ “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me,” another track I couldn’t wait to hear. (I had been anxiously awaiting the release of the song, as I love both Cyrus and the song, when I heard some stray notes of it playing in Starbucks one day and nearly lost my mind - and spilled my skinny vanilla latte - knowing that it was finally out.)
I had read a Youtube comment musing on the idea that perhaps the two songs mentioned above would have been better switched, with Gaga covering “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” and Cyrus taking on “Your Song.” The possibilities of this are intriguing; I can imagine Cyrus’ country-twinged voice on the soft song and Gaga passionately belting out “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.” But both the takes are still magical as is, and by far my two favorite songs on the album.
Another standout is Florence & The Machine’s “Tiny Dancer,” which doesn’t stray too far from the original in arrangement yet also sounds so original and true-to-her-style that I can imagine it on a Florence album nestled in between her other twinkly indie jams.
I still can’t decide how I feel about P!nk’s take on “Bennie & The Jets.” The song’s been in my head for days, but am I happy about that? Not sure. The song is such a staple of Elton John’s discography that it’s impossible to separate it from him, but the song certainly tries. The heavy beat and guest rap from Logic make it the least similar to the original on the entire album, creating a fun and frolicking song for sure.
But its inability to truly separate itself from the original takes it dangerously close to that “cheap imitation” territory I mentioned above. This isn’t P!nk’s fault though, and can likely be attributed to the iconic nature of the song. Making something your own can be challenging when it’s too famous. This would be like trying to copy the Mona Lisa in a sketchbook. I’m not super familiar with classic art but I’m told the Mona Lisa is pretty famous. Just kidding.
Maybe I’ll listen to Restoration eventually but for now Revamp is on a pretty heavy rotation in my Spotify library.
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