Song of the Day 2/19: The Bangles, “Hazy Shade of Winter”
The Bangles had been playing this Paul Simon composition in concert for several years when they were approached about contributing a song to the “Less Than Zero” soundtrack (which doesn’t contain Elvis Costello’s “Less Than Zero,” maybe because that’s who author Bret Easton Ellis stole the title from). Under Rick Rubin’s production, the song reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 in early 1988.
The Bangles streamlined the tune by eliminating the bridge and half a verse — lines that rhymed “unpublished rhyme” with “vodka and lime.” The Simon and Garfunkel original was released as a stand-alone single in 1966 and reached No. 13 before appearing on the duo’s “Bookends” album the next year.
Gerard Way, lead singer of My Chemical Romance, recorded it in 2019 for the Netflix superhero series “The Umbrella Academy” (Way is also a comic book author, which might have played into the request). Like the Bangles, he left out the stuff about vodka and lime.
I’ve always thought that was RDjr best work
Longtime thrash metal band Sodom made a blistering cover of this too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBgrPRo3iHc
Why is it that nobody in thrash bands knows how to sing in a human voice?
I’ve found that when talented people are really doing their thing, genre doesn’t matter. Blue Grass, Rap, Little Kids Music, Salsa… it is all good when it is done at a high level.
The except is thrash. Annoying garbage.
I only mind the vocals. I think they’re trying to sound bad-ass but they sound like a parody of bad-ass.
Can’t say I disagree much. It’s an acquired taste.
I’ll search for the dubstep remix next time.
No, no. Just because I’m an old fart doesn’t mean nobody else should hear it.
It is a banger… as the kids say.