Elsewhere you will find a post about punk rock Bayside's efforts to raise money on behalf of Hurricane Sandy victims, It makes sense that the Queens boys would care about their brothers and sisters in ravished nyc. I will leave Helen to tell you about their efforts and I myself will simply review their recently released EP, Covers. Which is exactly what it says it is. You might think I'm tributing the band for their efforts. And I guess I am to a greater or lesser degree, more lesser actually. I am affording them the respect of seriously reviewing the EP. But I should forewarn you, Helen and Mary would be a better fit. With the exception of Silverstein's Kanye West cover, I've found the entire Punk Goes Pop enterprise just about useless. As for Bayside?
1. Be My Baby – What were they thinking of? This stymied JOHN LENNON, it is impossible to sing, difficult to feel, Lennon, produced by Phil Spector, couldn't do it. He begs, pleads, uses the high end of his voice on the break, and he still sucks. Lennon overplayed it and really, what could he add? Indeed, I've been wracking my brains to think of anybody who has covered it well and can only come up with Joey Ramone (as a digression of epic proportions, Ronnie slept with Phil and Keith and not Joey and St. John Of The Beatles? Where's her taste, in her mouth???). Bayside's cover is not a good idea but it is no worse than Lennon so there is that. Also, towards the end, Anthony Raneri on the last syllable of the last word of the verse, gives it a little growl. It sounds really good. And the drummer Gugliemo is a one man wall of sound- Grade:B-
2. Oliver's Army – Alright, I realize Bayside's fans have never heard the original and therefore will appreciate it more. BUT, the whole point of Elvis Costello's song is Steve Nieve's Neil Sedaka impression: this huge chasm between what's being sung and how it is being sung. There are other songs on Armed Forces, to be honest just about any other song, even "Party Girl" which would've benefitted more but I wouldn't have minded the vicious "Two Little Hitler's" at all. But "Oliver's Army" they should've have passed on, it is lessened by attacking it. Still, some things are gained. The leadi guitarist Jack O'Shea does a tremendous amount with the lick at the start of the song and Anthony doesn't shy away from a denouement to raise the hair on the back of your neck: "One more widow, one less white nigger". A word much more powerful in the US than the UK – Grade: B
3. Runaway – This works because the song is really dramatic and the clashing instrumental attack, especial on an excellent bridge, makes it all worthwhile. At some point you have to tip your hat at the band for even attempting some of these songs, nobody thinks Raneri considers himself Dion, hell, Dion doesn't consider himself Dion, but this 50s classic always leant itself at least conceptually to anger displacing despair – Grade: B+
4. Wild Night – Now, if we were comparing Bayside's cover with Van Morrison's original, there might well be a problem, but since we are comparing them to John Mellencamp's crappy take, Bayside sound just great here. especially an electrifying solo near the end that sizzles up the track and spits it back out as it gallops to the finishing end. Plus, unlike Armed Forces, they picked the best song they possibly could off Tupelo Honey. And finally, Anthony does credit to the thriller of a lyric by making the words ring clear as a bell – Grade: A-
5. Moving Out (Anthony's Song) – A little before the Bayside boys time, but Billy Joel was well hated by the punks back in the late 1970s, and for all Billy's "It's All Rock And Roll To Me", nobody bought it. On "Moving Out", the attack was a modified punk rock holla, even more than it was modified New Wave move. So, in a very satisfying synchronization, Anthony sings Anthony, Billy's punk move by a punk band and two Queens boys (well, one Long Island but close as damn it) salute each other through the decades. Grade: A
Overall Grade: A+
What, you say, nepotism? Damn right.
1. Bayside gave us an early interview back in the day.
2. Their money raising is right on.
3. I live 10 minutes from Bayside
and finally
4. HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE