A tribute album is a way for musicians to pay homage to an artist they love. While not all of them are good, the great ones let the music shine through. This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot talk all things tribute and review the last release from late producer Hal Willner, a tribute to Marc Bolan.
Jim and Greg welcome back Ray Padgett to the show to talk about tribute albums. They discuss his new book I’m Your Fan: the Songs of Leonard Cohen and talk about what makes a great tribute record.
Tribute Albums
Greg and Jim each select one of their favorite tribute albums. Jim picks Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute to Roky Erickson, which helped bring awareness and support to Roky Erickson when he was struggling with schizophrenia in 1990. Some of the artists include R.E.M., Julian Cope and ZZ Top.
Greg chose Lost In The Stars: The Music Of Kurt Weill, a tribute to the German composer famous for songs like "Mack the Knife." This album was put together by Hal Willner and includes artists like Blondie, Lou Reed, Carla Bley and more.
Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. RexHal Willner
The hosts share their thoughts on the final album from super producer Hal Willner. The record is Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex and features artists like Elton John, U2, Kesha, Nick Cave and more.
Featured Songs
John Cale, "Hallelujah," I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, Atlantic, 1991
R.E.M, "First We Take Manhattan," I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, Atlantic, 1991
Nino Rota, "8 e 1/2," Fellini e Rota, C.A.M., 1963
Leonard Cohen, "Hallelujah," Various Positions, Columbia, 1984
Jeff Buckley, "Hallelujah," Grace, Columbia, 1994
The House of Love, "Who By Fire," I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, Atlantic, 1991
Leonard Cohen, "Who By Fire," New Skin for the Old Ceremony, Columbia, 1974
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, "Tower of Song," I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, Atlantic, 1991
Bob Dylan & Mavis Staples, "Gonna Change My Way of Thinking," Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Music of Bob Dylan, Sony/Columbia, 2003
ZZ Top, "Reverberation (Doubt)," Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute To Roky Erickson, Sire, 1990
John Wesley Harding, "If You Have Ghosts," Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute To Roky Erickson, Sire, 1990
Bongwater, "You Don't Love Me Yet," Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute To Roky Erickson, Sire, 1990
Primal Scream, "Slip Inside This House," Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute To Roky Erickson, Sire, 1990
Doug Sahm & Sons, "You're Gonna Miss Me," Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute To Roky Erickson, Sire, 1990
Butthole Surfers, "Earthquake," Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute To Roky Erickson, Sire, 1990
Julian Cope, "I Have Always Been Here Before," Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute To Roky Erickson, Sire, 1990
R.E.M., "I Walked With A Zombie," Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye: A Tribute To Roky Erickson, Sire, 1990
Bobby Darin, "Mack the Knife," That's All, Atco, 1959
John Zorn, "Der Kleine Leutnant Des Lieben Gottes (The Little Lieutenant of the Loving God)," Lost In The Stars: The Music Of Kurt Weill, A&M, 1985
Marianne Faithful & Chris Spedding, "The Ballad Of The Soldier's Wife," Lost In The Stars: The Music Of Kurt Weill, A&M, 1985
Frank Sinatra, "September Song," Point of No Return, Capitol, 1962
Lou Reed, "September Song," Lost In The Stars: The Music Of Kurt Weill, A&M, 1985
T. Rex, "Bang a Gong (Get It On)," Electric Warrior, Fly, 1971
Kesha, "Children of the Revolution," Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, BMG, 2020
Nick Cave, "Cosmic Dancer," Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, BMG, 2020
T. Rex, "Cosmic Dancer," Electric Warrior, Fly, 1971
T. Rex, "Life's a Gas," Electric Warrior, Fly, 1971
Lucinda Williams, "Life's a Gas," Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, BMG, 2020
Elton John & U2, "Bang a Gong (Get It On)," Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, BMG, 2020
T. Rex, "Rock On," The Slider, EMI, 1972
Perry Farrell, "Rock On," Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, BMG, 2020
Peaches, "Solid Gold, Easy Action," Angelheaded Hipster: The Songs of Marc Bolan & T. Rex, BMG, 2020
Bob Mould, "Siberian Butterfly," Blue Hearts, Merge, 2020
Dear Listeners,
For more than 15 years, Sound Opinions was a production of WBEZ, Chicago's public radio station. Now that the show is independent, we're inviting you to join the band and lend a hand! We need your support more than ever because now we have to do all the behind-the-scenes work that WBEZ handled before (like buying insurance and paying for podcast hosting, ugh). Plus, we have some exciting ideas we'd like to try now that there's no one to tell us no!
Please consider becoming a Sound Opinions member by giving whatever you can via Patreon or with a one-time donation through PayPal. Thanks for listening, and thanks for your support!
