(WBR) As part of an ongoing series of releases celebrating Warner Bros. Records' 50th anniversary, the label will release Covered: A Revolution In Sound — a truly eclectic compilation CD that features such contemporary WBR artists as The Used, Mastodon, The Black Keys, Against Me!, Missy Higgins, and James Otto performing new versions of classic songs associated with WBR artists over the past 50 years, including those by Madonna, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Joni Mitchell, Talking Heads, and Black Sabbath. Each contemporary artist chose the song they wanted to interpret from Warner Bros. Records' illustrious back catalog. Highlights include The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs performing Madonna's "Borderline," Disturbed on Faith No More's "Midlife Crisis," The Used covering Talking Heads "Burning Down The House," The Black Keys taking on Captain Beefheart's "Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles," and actor/comedian Adam Sandler giving his rendition of Neil Young's "Like A Hurricane."
Covered: A Revolution in Sound will be available both digitally and in CD form exclusively from Amazon.com, beginning March 10th, for two weeks. The digital version will be available from all other online service providers beginning March 24th and the physical CD will be in retail stores on April 7th. Sandler's "Like a Hurricane" is currently available for purchase on iTunes.
"Going through Warner Bros. Records' back catalog of music and picking a favorite song wasn't easy," says Missy Higgins. "There have been so many classics over the years, and it was particularly intimidating to attempt to cover a song that was so perfect in its original form. For that reason, I chose one with a real '80s sound so that I could make it my 'folky' own. It's funny how the meaning of a song can change suddenly with its musical interpretation."
"We were really excited to be asked to record a song for the Warner Bros. Records' 50th anniversary compilation album," says The Used's Quinn Allman. "We were in the studio working on our own album and one day in September we decided on the spot to do "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads. We liked the natural energy of the song so we kept it pretty simple and just had fun with it."
In celebration of Warner Bros. Records' milestone, the title "Revolutions In Sound" has been applied to a number of recent releases highlighting the company's golden anniversary. The multi-platform approach to telling the Warner story includes a 240-page hardcover book, authored by music historian and educator Dr. Warren Zanes, featuring exclusive interviews, never-before-seen photographs, and insider accounts of how the hits were born. Released on December 9th, the deluxe package, which comes in a custom box, also includes a USB flash drive molded in metal in the form of the WBR shield logo. The drive holds 320 recordings reflecting the company's stature as one of the most consistently successful labels in history and home to some of the most influential and innovative artists in contemporary music. In addition, Chronicle Books has published Zanes' Revolutions In Sound tome as a stand-alone title that is currently available through traditional and on-line retailers.
The track-listing for Covered: A Revolution In Sound is as follows:
1. Mastodon: "Just Got Paid" (by ZZ Top)
2. The Black Keys: "Her Eyes Are A Blue Million Miles" (by Captain Beefheart)
3. Michelle Branch: "A Case Of You" (by Joni Mitchell)
4. Against Me!: "Here Comes A Regular" (by The Replacements)
5. Missy Higgins: "More Than This" (by Roxy Music)
6. James Otto: "Into The Mystic" (by Van Morrison)
7. Adam Sandler: "Like A Hurricane" (by Neil Young)
8. Taking Back Sunday: "You Wreck Me" (by Tom Petty)
9. The Used: "Burning Down The House" (by Talking Heads)
10. Disturbed: "Midlife Crisis" (by Faith No More)
11. Avenged Sevenfold: "Paranoid" (by Black Sabbath)
12. The Flaming Lips With Stardeath And White Dwarfs: "Borderline" (by Madonna)
