Covers of JoCo songs

[Colleenky]

We already have threads dedicated to covers JoCo has done, and covers folks would like to hear him do. Here’s a thread about covers that other folks have done of JoCo songs. (I searched and didn’t see anything similar, except threads for specific covers.)

So what do folks think of this latest offering, “Pwn Monkey (Jonathan Coulton vs. … well, everyone)?” I know some folks have shared their opinions elsewhere. Overall, I thought it was amusing but not great. Much of it is pretty chaotic. However, I really enjoyed the Tom Sawyer snippet, because it actually fit with the melody so well. In fact, I’m gonna go listen to that part again now… 🙂

[Jon Who]

What with suuuupadave (are there enough ‘u’s?) teaching people to play the songs I suspect that soon there will be a larger number of covered JoCo about.

[Spiff]

I thought it was kind of amusing, and that there were a couple of parts that worked really well, but it’s certainly not going into my regular rotation.

I want to heartily recommend gmrtech’s IKEA and Code Monkey orchestral covers. I love those two and am sad that he seems to have decided to stop making them. I would pay actual money for a full album of those bad boys.

[JoAnn in VA]

I don’t like it, sorry-too chaotic for my tastes. However, if JoCo could put together some sort of wonderfully insane blend of “Shock the (code) monkey” now, THAT would be fun.

Or what if he found a way to insert every song with monkeys in it into a giant monster monkey song, like what you would get if the Skullcrusher Mountain scientist decided he wanted to be a rock star?

[Jon Who]

I agree with Spiff. Though I was more a fan of Code Monkey than I was IKEA, I think he focussed on the wrong part of the song and it generally felt not as clean as the other…

[Bry]

suuuupadave (are there enough ‘u’s?)

Yes, but unfortunately too few ‘a’s. (4 u’s, 2 a’s, is how I remember it.)

I’m a big fan of Walt (gmrtech)’s covers too. I’m on a Paul Sahner jag at the moment — thanks, Rob, for linking his minor-key “Still Alive” cover, and thanks, Paul, if you read this! (Paul’s “Still Alive” differs the most from the original, of course, but he does a mean “Madelaine” and a really great “Brand New Sucker,” a song which, as soon as I saw he was doing it, I could envision that it was going to be just wonderful.)

[Spiff]

I like watching Paul’s fingers move so casually across the keyboard as he pops out the complex music. It really makes it look like it would be fun to be able to do that myself. I started piano lessons once but found that it didn’t hold my attention when in competition with all the other things I could be doing with my time, which is too bad for me.

[Colleenky]

Per Bry’s request, here are all the tunes I could identify in Pwn Monkey. Sorry Mitch, I couldn’t resist, as Bry should know. 😉

Jukebox Hero – Foreigner
Back in Black – AC/DC
?
70s funk instrumental that I can’t recall the name of
Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
We Got the Beat – Go-Gos
?
Tom Sawyer – Rush
Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
ETA: Break on Through – The Doors
Don’t Bring Me Down – ELO
Rainbow Connection – Kermit 🙂
(?) Funkytown – Lipps Inc
?
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
? long stretch of stuff I don’t recognize ?
Born in the USA – Bruce Springstein
Canon in D – Pachelbel
Linus & Lucy – Vince Guaraldi
Shock the Monkey – Peter Gabriel

[paulsahner]

I’m on a Paul Sahner jag at the moment — thanks, Rob, for linking his minor-key “Still Alive” cover, and thanks, Paul, if you read this! (Paul’s “Still Alive” differs the most from the original, of course, but he does a mean “Madelaine” and a really great “Brand New Sucker,” a song which, as soon as I saw he was doing it, I could envision that it was going to be just wonderful.)

I like watching Paul’s fingers move so casually across the keyboard as he pops out the complex music. It really makes it look like it would be fun to be able to do that myself.

I’m still in “lurk mode”, but I just wanted to jump in and thank you guys for your kind words! I’m having tons of fun discovering the songs and trying to see what works and what doesn’t.

I just posted a cover of Dance, Soterious Johnson, Dance– I hope it holds up!

[Bry]

And I was just about to post that I would’ve liked to hear the harpsichord version of DSJD you mentioned considering.

ETA: Forgot to say (because I forgot it was in this thread), but thanks, Colleen! (“Don’t Bring Me Down!” I knew I knew it, but I just… couldn’t… place it. Groos!)

[Shruti]

Oh my god, that Brand New Sucker cover is amaaaazing, Paul. I was already a fan of the Still Alive cover, but this one’s even better.

[Jmonkee]

Hey there Paul – I didn’t even realize you were a poster here…. I’ve been enjoying your videos for quite awhile. “Brand New Sucker” is my favorite since “The Future Soon.” I’ve never even been a big fan of that song, but I think it was made for you!

Other favorites: Tom Cruise Crazy by Molly (of course!), and some crazy lady singing “Gambler’s Prayer” for her husband’s birthday…. 😉

[Gle3nn]

Jukebox Hero – Foreigner
Back in Black – AC/DC

?The Hustle?

Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
We Got the Beat – Go-Gos

Nobody Loves Me_ Portishead

Tom Sawyer – Rush
Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
ETA: Break on Through – The Doors
Don’t Bring Me Down – ELO
Rainbow Connection – Kermit 🙂
(?) Funkytown – Lipps Inc

??Let Me Go – Heaven 17

Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
? long stretch of stuff I don’t recognize ?
Born in the USA – Bruce Springstein
Canon in D – Pachelbel
Linus & Lucy – Vince Guaraldi
Shock the Monkey – Peter Gabriel

[Colleenky]

Thanks for the help, Gle3nn! Now if folks could confirm our questionable ones, and fill in the rest (especially the long bit after Stairway), that’d be great. 🙂

Jukebox Hero – Foreigner
Back in Black – AC/DC
?
The Hustle – Van McCoy
?
Pick up the Pieces – Average White Band <– the one I couldn't remember (Thank you, Amazon)
Safety Dance – Men Without Hats
We Got the Beat – Go-Gos
Nobody Loves Me – Portishead
Tom Sawyer – Rush
Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
[There's something playing over Queen that sounds almost like Eric Clapton's Lay Down Sally?]
Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
Break on Through – The Doors
Don't Bring Me Down – ELO
Rainbow Connection – Kermit 🙂
(?) Funkytown – Lipps Inc
(?) Let Me Go – Heaven 17
Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
? long stretch of stuff ?
Born in the USA – Bruce Springstein
Canon in D – Pachelbel
Linus & Lucy – Vince Guaraldi
Shock the Monkey – Peter Gabriel

[Agent Lex]

I remember that one of the songs is the opening guitar of Shining Star by Earth Wind and Fire, but I don’t have access to the song right now to confirm where it is.

[Author]

Posts