Hello There, Ladies & Gentlemen!

Welcome to my newest blog adventure, Kool Kovers! I'll be sharing with you some of my favorite cover version recordings of great songs from the entire history of Rock & Roll, along with some personal stories related to them.

As a founding principle, if you enjoy music, you are welcome here, regardless of musical knowledge or experience. If there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that the Internet does not need another pompous music snob on a soapbox, preaching to other like-minded music snobs. That is NOT what this blog is about! The perspective of my writing will never be "What?! You've never heard of this?". That is both arrogant and insulting. You will find that I will make every attempt to write as if the reader may not yet be familiar with the music or artist being discussed. Not at all condescending, but welcoming, conspiring and informative. My intention is more like "Hey, here's some really cool music that I think you might enjoy", or as John Lennon sang, "I'd love to turn you on". Because music can provide powerful landmarks in our lives, I'll also be sharing some of my own life experience, as it relates to the subject at hand. That way, I can tell you a personal story instead just listing historical facts. Whether the artist or music at hand has been popular for some time, or is relatively obscure, I believe that music is supposed to be entertainment, and entertainment is all about FUN! So, you are all welcome to join in the fun!

So, what's a "cover version" mean? The long answer can be found here. Essentially, it's the same as a remake. A really good cover will have plenty of respect for the original idea of the song, but will also sound very much like the musician performing the cover. Often, simply changing the arrangement and/or the instrumentation is enough to produce a unique and interesting version of a song. However, some artists love the original version so much, that they'll do what amounts to a complete reproduction, with little to distinguish the two recordings. So, skill points for mimicry, but that's about all. In the end, most cover versions, the great, the 'meh' and even the awful, are, in the artists' view, a labor of love. And, if I recall, love is all we need!

Thanks for checking in & we'll see ya soon! Are ya ready to rock?

Cheers,
Bill