If someone had told me in the 70’s that Al Green would one day cover Lou Reed, I might have urged that someone to get mental help. But here we are. Predictably, there’s quite a difference. Al sounds like he’s genuinely enjoying a perfect day, whereas Lou sounded like he was suffering through someone else’s idea of one. Maybe he thought he should be enjoying it but couldn’t, or maybe he was enduring it to preserve domestic peace. Or maybe he was participating out of sheer boredom. Or maybe he was mocking someone else’s “perfect day.” Whatever the reason, Lou (or his character) was clearly not thrilled with his perfect day.
A good cover should offer a fresh take on a song, not just fill time or gratify a singer’s narcissism. This qualifies. And Al sounds great for someone pushing 80.
This is great, thanks Renfield.
Sublime!
Wasn’t Lou’s version ostensibly about doing drugs?
I don’t know the backstory, but that seems plausible.