I know I tend to be a purist. I usually like the book better than the movie version, I prefer vanilla ice cream over anything with nuts or too many frills, I tend to wear solid colors rather than designs, I like when bands do stuff "unplugged" and simple, etc....
However, I'm not opposed to doing a remake of a good song. As long as your remake is a good attempt at trying something new with it, hopefully improving. Lately 80's remakes have been quite popular. A few examples of how this can be a good thing are The Atari's version of "Boys of Summer" and Alien Ant Farm's version of "Smooth Criminal". They both punked it up a bit, didn't take themselves too seriously and brought back an old classic to a new generation.
One excellent example of an 80's remake gone horribly wrong came on my television screen yesterday morning. One of my favorite songs that finds its way to my iPod more than just occasionally is Rick Springfield's Jessie's Girl. Great hook, easy to sing along with, makes every girl wish they were Jessie's girl, and the object of someone else's affection and lets guys know they're not the only one who's been in love with their best friend's girl. Love it.
Imagine my excitement when I heard those first few chords on the guitar, and thought "Yes! Finally someone has chosen one of my favorites to redo, add some pizazz, and their own touch of individuality". That was until I looked up and watched in horror the madness that was happening before me. A band that has named themselves Frickin' A (I COULD just stop right there, couldn't I? That sort of says it all) has chosen "Jessie's Girl" to be their breakout song to get them on the map... and it is such a very painful thing for me to accept.
Not only do they LOOK completely ridiculous - late 30-year olds dressing like they're 17, complete with stupidly dyed hair, one token long-haired guitar player, one with a mohawk, and one with and way too much strategically shaved facial hair to be taken seriously. BUT they didn't even reDO anything about the song!!!! It sounds EXACTLY the same!!! And yet STILL worse than that - Rick Springfield is IN the video!!! As if he supports all of this mad ridiculousness!!!! %#&#$*!!!!!!!
It's almost too much for me to take. It's as if the cosmos are out of whack which has allowed this band to come along, try to make a funny video a la Bowling for Soup's 1985, but all they end up with is a really stupid video that diminishes the value of a really great song. Granted, I'm sure Rick Springfield doesn't have a whole lot going on right now, so he's got the time to appear in videos, do guitar solos, and heck, even rack up a few more album sales from nostalgic people. But RICK, c'mon!!! Only put your seal of approval on something that's actually GOOD. Not this wannabe crap from a band that no one will remember once the song has been played 14,456,583 times on Top 40 radio.
Curses on you, Frickin' A. Curses on you, Rick Springfield. And curses on you, American public for buying into this lame remake thinking it's as good as or better than the real thing. I hate you.
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