“When I was a kid I drew like Michelangelo. It took me years to learn to draw like a kid.”
- Pablo Picasso
Cover versions of songs are a bit like Opinion/Editorial pieces that you might read. They fall into two categories. The first are the ones you agree with, in which you think, “The person that wrote that is brilliant. I agree totally with everything they said.” The second kind are the ones you disagree with and you declare, “The person that wrote that is a fool. They should be fined for such drivel. How did they get that job?"
If you're a music person, it's the same thing with cover songs. If there's one you like, it probably fills you with joy. You likely share it with other music friends, “Have you heard this cover? It's great.” You might even prefer it to the original. If you don't like it, though, you may feel the poser should be arrested for committing vandalism against a great work of art. “Why would they think they could improve on perfection?” You rail, “Leave it alone!”
So here goes one for you to decide. I've been following Mindy Smith since she first came on the scene in 2004. She's one of those who, in my view, could sing the owner's manual of a 2012 Honda Civic and make it sound like it was touched by the divine. I've seen her a couple of times and am pleased to mention that I had a hand in bringing her to Memphis for a show at Buckman Auditorium. Go see her if she comes to your town.
To my knowledge, she's never done a cover on any of her six records. The one here is something she did for a compilation album with other artists. Her version first and then the original. If you're from the 80s, you know it. Enjoy it. RP