Interesting how they rid the song of all the car references on the 2nd verse. This must have been during that period of time when car songs were considered so "uncool", even for Bruce.
Everything about this cover tries to murder the original format because of how "uncool" it is, it tries so hard to be your folky/country-ish vibe typically from the early 70s and even the touch of female chorals of soul of the times, etc, the slide, the saxo, couldn't be less subtle about it really, it just comes off so adult contemporary which is possibly Bruces speciality.
With his remake of Pipeline, Here Comes The Night and now this, Bruce definitely earns the title of the worst arranger.
Give a listen to Don't Run Away and try saying Bruce is the "worst arranger" with a straight face. He's certainly had his share of missteps, but he's also done some KILLER and underrated work.
Where? not trying to be aggressive, Don't Run Away as much of a nice little tune it is, is like The Nearest Faraway Place: just a work of an hommage, a student work, that's how i always felt about his better work.
With his remake of Pipeline, Here Comes The Night and now this, Bruce definitely earns the title of the worst arranger.
Give a listen to Don't Run Away and try saying Bruce is the "worst arranger" with a straight face. He's certainly had his share of missteps, but he's also done some KILLER and underrated work.
I'm a fan of his input on the 20/20, Sunflower, and Surf's Up albums a lot.
I'll even admit that I think Endless Harmony is one of the few highlights on the KTSA album
What's fascinating is that Bruce cultivated his over the top cheesyness and cornyness throughout the years:
From Tears In The Morning comes Endless Harmony then gives birth to She Believes In Love Again... the later is pleasant because of how it fits in the 80s dated ballads and on a not crazy album, but Endless Harmony? phew, good lord..
Tears In The Morning is just a big nono, so much better songs to replace it, from Good Time, Back Home to Where Is She, etc... even Dierde beats it, his own other song! i feel this one maybe his best work because of how it compliments the rest of the album and is an okay composition overall, unlike Disney Girls who comes off too easy listening to me especially on an album where it doesn't feel quite right, but good for him to get his only classic track with this.
Well I guess if Bruce did such a lousy job with it, Brian could have helped him out, you know, being in the employ of Equinox and all. Oh, er, never mind....
Also I think the changing the car lyric reference was an attempt to make the song more contemporary in nature....though it was hardly noticeable in the first place....
So what's the point, Brian didn't do anything about so it should be considered good? didn't Brian produce that Be My Baby cover by Mike Love? is that another cover to be considered a classic too?
In terms of the original BB recording, I've always felt it was *near* perfect. The middle eight instrumental bars always take away from it for me. It's not a guitar solo. It's chords. It always sounds like something else belongs there. It has no melodic interest for eight measures in a piece that is virtually overflowing with melodic interest.
I disagree. To me that is one perfect "less-is-more" instrumental break.
Agree with JK, i don't think people realizes how much Don't Worry Baby has going on, melodically speaking it's super rich, that break is a beautiful breath of fresh air, liek when you're drivin' the car with the wind in your hair for a little while.