owenshire's video: Owenshire: These Days R E M cover

Artist: Owenshire Track: These Days [R.E.M. cover] Album: Remember Every Moment (2015) Credits: Clive Butler (all instruments); Robert Muhlbock (all vocals). Notes: all of a sudden Instrumental: http://notboundtofollowsuit.blogspot.ca/2011/02/these-days.html Commentary: CLIVE: In 2007, at the Dublin rehearsals, Michael Stipe told the story of how These Days marked an epiphany for him at the age of 25 after coming out of a dark period (presumably referring to the making of Fables Of The Reconstruction and the band crisis that followed). It's hard not to feel renewed or revitalised when you hear this song, it marks a new direction for R.E.M. and a new style of vocal delivery and lyric-writing for Stipe. The line "hope despite the times" particularly resonates with me at the moment, as I'm sure it could do with anyone for a whole manner of reasons: that's the great thing about R.E.M. songs is you can take what you want from them--each listener has his/her own interpretation of what the song means to him/her. For some reason I was dreading covering this song because I was nervous about my ability to do a good job of it. But I now consider it one of the best covers I've done. It has enough instrumentation to make it dense but never "over-produced". Aside from the guitars, bass and drums it features a piano echoing the bass during the middle 8, very subtle organs that only really flourish during the final chord of the song and a subtle synth sound during the choruses and the third verse. Also, as was common for Bill Berry around the time of Lifes Rich Pageant and Document, the song features elaborate percussion, especially during the middle 8 where all sorts of percussive sounds can be heard including what sounds like a rattle snake! If the term "joyful noise" could ever be used to describe an R.E.M. song then it would be this one. A great song and a pleasure to cover. ROB: “These Days” is certainly one of my top five REM songs. It’s a fan favourite and even a band favourite given Bill Berry’s selection of it to appear on their IRS greatest hits 2 disc set. I have no strong memory attached to the song: I liked it the first time I heard it, and I still like it now. One thing that does surprise me, however, is how vocal driven the song is. To me, “These Days” has no real discernable guitar riff aside from the opening chords. Maybe guitarists will disagree with me (Clive?), but go ahead: hum the riff right now. I can’t. It’s a real mish-mash of guitars carried solely by Stipe’s vocal. Regarding that vocal, Stipe has rarely exhibited more bile or snarl (you can quote me on that BTW). I love the call to arms, the display of power via the “and I can” line, as well as the imagery of scales, balance, and cannibalism (where I always envision the bigger fish eating the smaller fish, but I guess that’s supposed to be “rearranged” in Stipe’s food chain). I think the expression “These Days” is a cliché…at least by now it has to be, and yet maybe way back in 1986 it was fresh? Or maybe the song itself overpowers any cliché association. I also love the growls in the middle 8 as well as the “do-do-do” high pitched parts which I never knew existed until Clive uncovered the bare tracks. It’s rather hilarious to hear it on its own. One more fact. Before I sang this cover, I had no idea Stipe sang “all of a sudden.” I just thought it was a howl of “Oh-ho—somehow These Days.” I’m glad I finally learned the lyrics, lol, as I like his much better.