Various Artists
War Child - Heroes, Vol. 1
(EMI):
War Child - Heroes, Vol. 1 is possibly the best charity work done in a long time.
The organization is War Child, a humanitarian group that provides assistance to children affected by war. The album they produced is a 16-track compilation of exclusive cover versions of famous songs played by today’s big names in music.
The songs were handpicked by the original artist and performed by the current artist they thought could best cover their song. For example, Beck was chosen by Bob Dylan to put on the “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat,” Duffy revives Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die,” and Estelle gives the wall writing in Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.”
Throughout the whole album, the songs stay fresh, but true to the first version, which is hard to do when you’re dealing with all cover songs. Each song varies in its degree of interpretation of the original, from “Search and Destroy” being barely altered from the original arraignment to “Take This Waltz” being totally revamped and sung in espanol (“Toma Este Waltz”). Though some artistic license was used in making the new songs, all are played with the talent and inspiration that would have been expected by the original artist.
The songs on the album are a good example of how today’s artists can cover great songs without butchering them, and still be doing charity work. Don’t expect to see Lily Allen or Rufus Wainwright volunteering in the soup kitchen any time soon, but with this album they, and everyone else on it, did charity not only for War Child but also for the listener by making some pretty decent cover songs. Unfortunately, free soup is not included.
–Logan Thomas