Keene Kovers

I don’t get out much anymore. I try. Hell, I’m a club crawler for a guy my age. But still, measured against my knock’em-back youth. And there’s so much shit on Netflix.

So no, I didn’t make it to Knuckleheads to see Matthew Sweet and Tommy Keene, even though I meant to. I about had my kid talked in to it, but he dropped out because of “homework,” Ya think? But I did listen to music by those guys preparatory to (not) seeing them. In the process I finally dove in to a collection of Tommy Keene’s that I’d never really explored. It’s called Excitement at Your Feet, a reference to the Who’s “See Me, Feel Me.” Just in case you thought it was a collection of songs about foot fetishism. There’s even a Who song on here - “Much too Much,” which is pretty ace. It’s all pretty ace.

A video of that Television cut, "Guiding Light."

Some songs are better suited to Tommy’s plaintive aggro than others. I’m not thrilled with his take on “The Puppet” by Echo and the Bunnymen; and that’s even pretty listenable. Keene has cool tastes (are you ready … songs by Flamin’ Groovies, Bee Gees, Donovan, Mink DeVille, Television, Guided by Voices, Rolling Stones, Big Star, and Roxy Music) and his feel for each of these songs is abiding. The closest things to revelations in this generally comforting set are his taut, acidic version of Mink DeVille’s “Let Me Dream if I Want to” and a majestic, rock forward interpretation of Television’s “Guiding Light" - Tommy phrases the opening riff to emphasize it's resemblance to the Fabs' "I Got a Feeling." The Stones’ ‘Ride on Baby” is a kick, too. It’s all good. If you like Tommy Keene and you like these songs, it’s an assured good time.

His version of Lou Reed’s “Kill Your Sons,’ a blistering attack from Keene’s Songs from the Film album remains his greatest cover version. And one of the greatest, like, ever.

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