May 6, 2008

Chloe’s just like me / only beautiful

Josh Rouse! Covering Mother Love Bone! Thanks to Kelly who sent this to me — it’s a song from the latest volume in Rouse’s Bedroom Classics series. I am big fan of volumes 1 and 2, and it’s quite a mindtrip to hear Nebraska singer Josh Rouse take on the formidable late ’80s/early ’90s pre-grunge rock sounds of Mother Love Bone.

“Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns” is a dark and melancholy river of a song from the Singles soundtrack, and it is interesting here how Rouse only chooses to cover the intro portion, never lapsing into that chorus of “this is my kinda love, it’s the kind that moves on, it’s the kind that leaves me alone….” Having listened to the original so many times, it is a bit disconcerting where this version stops, but beautifully moody, and I can’t fault that choice in cover material.

Chloe Dancer (Mother Love Bone cover) – Josh Rouse

8 Comments

  • I can’t wait to hear this!!

    But, come on, Heather! I’m surprised you mangled the pedigree of the song, since you’re our Pearl Jam go-to guru. As a longtime Mother Love Bone fan, I have to make the dorkpoint that the “full” version of the song debuted three years before Singles, on 1989′s Shine EP.

    Their only lp, Apple, had just the Crown of Thorns component, setting a precedent that the pieces were severable. So it’s kind of like Josh Rouse has balanced that out.

    Um, /pedantry, and all that.

    gorjus — May 6, 2008 @ 3:26 pm

  • so interesting, gorjus! no, i’ve not really counted myself as a true MLB fan so this additional information is appreciated. i’d be interested in hearing the Crown of Thorns only from Apple…

    heather — May 6, 2008 @ 4:08 pm

  • Oh wow! I knew there was a good reason for having IAFYAF on my RSS feed Heather! I just happened to be listening to the original today and pondering on it’s beauty (and Chloe’s…)

    I can send you the Crown of Thorns only, I have it from the “best of”, eponymously(?) titled Mother Love Bone.

    Also, I have to say, the line you chose for the title kills me every time I hear it.

    And, not to dissapoint gorjus, but being the PJ freak that you are, you surely have the Pearl Jam “Evolution” boot featuring Bad Radio et al? A ‘Chloe Dancer’ demo appears on it, as well as an Andrew Wood/A Love God version of ‘Crown of Thorns’, titled ‘My Kind of Love’.

    pdh1978 — May 6, 2008 @ 4:45 pm

  • I named my first born after this song! I like Josh Rouse interpretation of it. Now I have to track down this BadRadio/Andrew Wood boot that pdh1978

    Russ! — May 6, 2008 @ 8:30 pm

  • Ahh…MLB need a little more love. Thanks for bringing them back out, for me at least. Will duly upload Apple to the mp3 player along with this track.

    Second the call for the Bad Radio/ Evolution/ whatever boot – I need it – can someone point me in the right direction?

    Anonymous — May 7, 2008 @ 1:02 am

  • This song means a lot to me too. If I had a daughter, my wife and I would have to fight over this.

    Pearl Jam has played the Crown of Thorns part a couple of times. Might be fun to mash this cover with PJ’s “cover”.

    Thanks so much Heather.

    The Station Agent — May 7, 2008 @ 9:53 am

  • Okay, this is a really pretty cover. Thanks for posting this!

    Maybe a future Mother Love Bone post from the awesome IAFYAF is possible??

    gorjus — May 7, 2008 @ 10:29 am

  • viva Andrew Wood….Love Rock Awaits!

    SINEDDIE — May 7, 2008 @ 10:47 am

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Bio Pic Name: Heather Browne
Location: Colorado, originally by way of California
Giving context to the torrent since 2005.

"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel."
—Hunter S. Thompson

Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.

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