Even better than a stockbroker-turned-dj like Chloe Sevigny’s brother Paul (I shizznit you not.) Mark Ronson is a dj, Randy Jackson-prolific producer, and Allido Records founder. Brother of dj Samantha Ronson and son of socialite Ann Dexter-Jones. His stepfather is Mick Jones of Foreigner. He wrote “I Want To Know What Love Is” for his future wife Ann. Version is Ronson’s nichey vision of a hipster Hitsville USA.
Opening cover “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” is an instrumental interpretation of the Rush Of Blood To The Head song performed by the horn section of the Daptone Records house band. It has all the Electric Slide energy of the shoo be doo wop tracks on Amy Winehouse’s latest. It should. Ronson produced, and the Daptone’s band played on Back To Black. The fact that it’s a Coldplay song shouldn’t deter post-Coldplay purists from partaking. It, and the rest of the album, has a sense of humour with a u. While listening to Britney Spears’ “Toxic” sung by Tiggers featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard, the visual of ODB jumping around on a bed singing into a hairbrush Crossroads-style, is hard to shake.
Allido label artist Daniel Merriweather sings the Smiths’ “Stop Me”. His runs are more like sleepwalking, and suit the song even better than Morrissey’s cheeky delivery did. Ronson’s incorporation of post-bop and Holland-Dozier-Holland lyrics from “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” makes the nu-dance anthem all the more poignant.
Tentatively I admit I’ve yet to fall for the middle school charms of Lily Allen. Her Eliza Doolittle rapping on Kaiser Chiefs “Oh My God” is weak, Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl” weak. Radiohead’s “Just” sung by BlackBlack’s Alex Greenwald doesn’t jive with the album either. The song is good, but it reminds me more of a jazzy r&b group from the 90’s that I can’t remember the name of than a brilliant mid-century piece. It could’ve been fabulous with the oomph of big band. Kenna, the house music impresario’s take on Ryan Adams’ “AMY” could’ve used a little more b and a little less d.
In Robbie Williams’ hands the Charlatans’ “The Only One I Know” takes on a “Theme From Shaft” quality. Maximo Park’s “Apply Some Pressure” gets the same ‘shut your mouth’ treatment, making these the most recent in history of the throwbacks.
Between tracks are three Mark Ronson originals, the Martin Denny-ish “Inversion”, “Diversion” and “Outversion”. 50’s Tiki culture also permeates amusingly through the Jam’s “Pretty Green” featuring Santo Gold. Amy Winehouse’s teenybopper performance of the Zuton’s “Valerie” is boss. Version could have messy Beehives and the Mashed Potato sweeping the nation. And irritate the sub-culture that never went away – we know Marge; you liked it before everyone else did. |