Courtney Barnett - 'New Speedway Boogie'

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‘New Speedway Boogie' by Courtney Barnett, from ‘Day of the Dead’, a tribute album to the Grateful Dead curated by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, with all profits going to Red Hot Organization.
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Find the full line-up and more about the project: dayofthedeadmusic.com
Courtney Barnett - guitar, vocals
Bones Sloane - bass, backing vocals
David Mudie - drums, backing vocals
Arranged by Courtney Barnett
Produced and Mixed by Anna Laverty
Directed by Michael Brown, Nick Ciontea, and Christopher Bartlett
Original Artwork by Nick Ciontea (brownshoesonly)
Edited by Christopher Bartlett
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#CourtneyBarnett #4AD #4ADRecords

[@howdypartner5322]

As a deadhead this is a gem of a song for the faithful. This cover is as perfect as it could be. The preacher may be different but the message is the same. Two thumbs way up!l

[@flyingfishsurf]

Great song about the Rolling Stones and their darkest concert at Altamont Speedway, 1969. The Dead helicoptered out of there and never actually played as promised. They wrote this song, and the rest of Working Man's Dead shortly after the Altamont debacle. The 60's bubble had burst. I was a freshman in college. Heady times indeed. Gears switched from Aoxomoxoa to Workingman's. What's ironic is that my first exposure to Courtney Barnet was Sleepless in New York. I immediately thought it sounded like a Stones tune.

[@mllink]

Fantastic comment! I enjoyed reading it very much.

[@Aiur]

Never considered myself a dead fan, but these covers are making me come around , brilliant

[@augusts1]

+Aiur There are several artists I don't care for (Grateful Dead being one) but love covers of their songs. Great songwriting shines through one way or another.

[@NoBrakes23]

+Aiur Their voices and instrumentation have never quite agreed with me, but I keep hearing covers of them that I dig. Kind of like Bob Dylan that way.

[@Aiur]

+NoBrakes23 Bob Dylan is a perfect example of this, I randomly came across "Desolation Row" on the Watchmen soundtrack being covered by My Chemical Romance.. lyrically his music transcends genres, and in this instance, was perfect for a punk take on it.

[@rhlang11]

+Aiur think again - they are good.

[@bluesriot2]

+Aiur hop on the bus ....

[@Lee-astrololee]

Love the bluesy take on this Grateful classic.....turn up the volume to appreciate Bones's bass its awesome and Dan on keys gives the song that classic touch. I love Courtney's laid back style, keeping herself real her and Dave's drumming is hypnotic, I keep replaying it over and over, well done, I love it!

[@Sleepy_Alligator]

Bass is killer...

[@andyking7621]

Washed out, dirty, bluesy, swampy, tired, disposable .... lovely

[@srikargovindaraju6586]

Loving the songs released so far, Courtney is a brilliant match for this song.

[@kymba5391]

Would you believe Chipotle brought me here?, lol. It's true. I was standing in line and I was like wtf is this cool song....and so it goes.

[@josephcorridon9314]

Congratulations on having the only interesting "I came here because of [x]" story.

[@AllenSpector]

I had the same Chipotle journey but with Andy Gibb - I Just Want to Be Your Everything.

[@anecdoteskywalker]

I had the same Chipotle story except it was to the bathroom.

[@screwyootube1]

LOVE Courtney and she does a great job on this Dead classic! It's gonna be a LONG two months until this is out!

[@harmonicwaves8383]

I'm a long time dead head and very picky when it comes to covers of dead songs. But I like this cover more than the original! Beautiful!

[@famouskate9071]

Wow. My new favorite song. Never heard it before, came across it by accident. Since I had never heard it, I listened to the original and being a musician and songwriter myself, I usually don't care for covers, but, WOW! Of course, music is subjective, but to me, this far surpasses the original. Her voice, she exudes coolness, and that bass! And no ego-driven guitar solo, the song doesn't need it. This is my new favorite song, I can't stop listening! Thanks for posting, LOVE IT!!

[@famouskate9071]

@origindirewolf Music is subjective, remember.

[@famouskate9071]

@origindirewolf I do like the original, but this.......the beat, it just does something for me the original can't.....

[@famouskate9071]

Um, yeah, read above, I said that. Second line. My words were "Of course, music is subjective." I made it clear this was my opinion, nothing more, nothing less.

[@katkuri476]

Thanks Courtney! You give me hope for the future!

[@marshan141]

Wow I’m just totally feelin her groove..she gets it..amazing. & now I’ll ride her wave. Why the hell not🌞😊

[@nickmosey6195]

Dead Head since 1981 but never heard this before & didn't know of it. Was in my workshop when it came on Triple J which partner Paulette was listening to in her adjacent workroom. A MAJOR WTF moment...(a brief panic around the failure of "No Long Term Affects" doctrine). Need to listen again later....

[@davidheathmiller]

Love this!!! I wonder what percentage of CB fans will be introduced to the greatest band ever?!

[@evilmushroom100]

+David Miller I wouldn't say greatest band ever, but I'm always happy to see people's music tastes be diversified.

[@bluesriot2]

+Nick Spaulding they were the greatest !!!

[@evilmushroom100]

+Joe Jacovino I strongly disagree, but that's fine.

[@bluesriot2]

Nick Spaulding who gave more to the fans ? whose shows lasted to sunrise ? who else was so much more substance than hype ? who else celebrated 5O years together w/o huge gaps of apart ? to have lived though all the other groups that were out simultaneously and see who stood the test of time - they were more than just a band for so many -they were a way of life - able to put on a new and different show night after night for decade after decade - when other bands creative well went dry - the Dead came up w/a new avenue - and they still keep on trucking ....

[@evilmushroom100]

I'm glad you feel passionately about them. I unfortunately don't care about the band, I care about the music. I like this cover by CB, but Grateful Dead never struck me as worth listening to. Nothing against them, I just never dug their style.

[@radmillerjr.6931]

I like it. Clear, bluesy, straightforward, we used to play this stuff happily a hundred years ago. ('60s) the Radman

[@DeepakRaoDTC]

Awesome...... Very melodiously done..... superbly redone..

[@harmonicwaves8383]

Is is an amazing cover of this song!!!!

[@4ad_official]

'New Speedway Boogie', by Courtney Barnett, from the forthcoming 'Day of the Dead' tribute to Grateful Dead. Released 20th May on 4AD, with all profits going to Red Hot Organization.

[@iamjimb]

4th May 4AD? Thats old as shit!

[@estefaniarnico]

Amazing tribute, love it!

[@psst...heyyou6508]

Great job!!

[@dansomedevil23]

so good!

[@minibennett9200]

Simply superb......smooth

[@chriscollins570]

One way or another,,,! Wow!

[@greenyankee]

No dislikes because Courtney is your GOD.

[@terrym5292]

So good!

[@tomsteinberg8106]

New Speedway Boogie - now more than ever.

[@Giselle62]

i like the vibe she's creating---love the rickety-ness

[@DoubleLLL]

Damn good job. She took a great song and made it her own. It would be totally boring if it sounded exactly like The Dead. I love how she paid attention to Jerry's vocal inflections yet sounds like herself. The slow and minor feel suits this song really well. Would love to hear a live version.

[@georgeponzoni3554]

this is great

[@sloopdoop3863]

Such a well done adaptation. Time changes all tings dude man bro guy babe dudette purty ladies and lovers worldwide.

[@danjohnsonstudio]

I bought Courtney's album first week after hearing stuff on Spotify, and BBC Radio. Like others here I don't really think about the Dead, except can't seem to get B&J's Cherry Garcia anymore. To be honest they were history long before I was getting into music in a big way. However, as I write this I'm listening to the National track, and that's mighty fine. Barnett really nails her track though, so I'm off to Amazon to see if I can pre-order.

[@bagsofbeans]

Dan, you really should listen to the originals. The Dead being 'history' is no excuse. Chuck Berry, Hank Williams etc were all 'history' to me, but that doesn't stop them having produced brilliant music

[@danjohnsonstudio]

+bagsofbeans I will definitely check out the originals, but the Dead vs Williams/Berry? Mmm? I was raised on the Dolls/Ramones/Pistols etc. If a song lasted longer than 2:59 it was "self-indulgent". Still, I am delving into late 60's early 70's. I even own a Yes album! Dead here I come, not too literally I hope.

[@MirrorAshes]

The shame of it is that while the Dead's albums are *good* it's their live shows where the magic really lies, and it's pretty hard to convince a non-dead head to listen to a long, scratchy recording of a live show that happened decades ago. My heart will always be with Jerry but maybe this will help introduce a new generation to these wonderful songs.

[@bluesriot2]

+MirrorAshes well stated !

[@IanDunbar1]

+MirrorAshes They had some great live albums in their later days which are well recorded. Without a Net comes to mind, a terrific album and a good way to introduce new fans to live Dead.

[@pepemolina]

me mola esta dama como canta

[@eonblue1850]

so as someone pointed out to me, this was the deads way of sorting out the tragedy at altamont. beautiful cover.

[@bennydavid]

so cool

[@JackCerro]

Like a lot of Courtney's stuff, this is growing on me.

[@pmgtirona8736]

Love Courtney

[@danacampetti6929]

+PMG Tirona ....CB is the BEST!!!

[@pmgtirona8736]

+Dana Campetti of course it is

[@mike5559]

The dead were a 'Live' band, hated 'studio recording' they and the audience were equally important to a successful show. I went to many shows from the 70's to the 90's. After Jerry died in 95 it was definatly not the same anymore. Now it's $500 to see the dead and company. I don't dislike them but won't pay $500 to see distant vibrations of something that was truely great.

[@db-yf4gx]

nice version

[@diegonarvaez4166]

💀🌹 I love it

[@michaelmccrary2486]

this is sweet

[@yowtfwasthatish]

i am so into this.

[@sparkymahoney4343]

Pretty good cover.

[@Sunflower0122Z]

I think many of the faithful are missing the musical irony of 4AD and the artists doing this project. As they are putting an alternative spin on all these tracks that many Dead Heads never got when they were younger during the 80's and 90's. Although the Dead were an alternative in many ways we all know; and myself included, why that was the case as the Dead were the only music you ever listened to and you very rarely, if ever, went out of that medium. Listen to Phish does not count. Of coarse the anti- hippie kum by yah anarchy of the punk movement turned the dream of the Haight on it's ass but in the end we were all after the same things. That perfect musical/live concert experience, being individuals, rejecting the status quo and of coarse changing the world and as history can now attest both cultural phenomenons have both equally failed miserably but maybe if we unite? Who knows? As Ms. Barnett sings "Now I don't know but I was told In the heat of the sun a man died of cold Do we keep on coming or stand and wait With the sun so dark and the hour so late?"

[@bluesriot2]

what always struck me about the original by the dead was that super fat and swinging guitar riff that intro'd the tune and followed through the song - but love Courtney and she can do no wrong from where am standng - glad they gave her a shot at one of the tunes on the tribute to the band that always brought it to the fans w/o all the drama...

[@floridasoldat]

epic

[@patrickmcmanus5373]

I❤u

[@helenesuss4606]

she's going to be on the SNL finale 5/21/16

[@halfstep44]

+Helene Suss thanks for letting me know...gotta pace my drinking

[@andrewclark4518]

I'm no deadhead, nor a hater, but this version is so deflated. I'm surprised no one else feels the same way.

[@mythicalviverrid3118]

Yep. Soporific. Feist might've done this more justice.

[@wobrien007]

Yeah - this is way too laid back. This is a song about being pissed-off and disillusioned, loss of youthful idealism, etc. This song deserves to be sung with a lot more attitude and edge. I like Courtney but she misses the idea here......

[@davekump1532]

Watch the version she did on Jimmy Fallon - so much better live, she owned it.

[@justyo96]

It's different - I don't prefer it, but it's far from being bad. I feel like someone who's into laid back music could definitely go for this

[@jonahgasparotti732]

It's funny, as fans of both musicians, the qualities you describe as negative I find highly appealing. Sorry it's not upbeat enough for your subjective tastes, but this track does justice to both their styles as musicians. And, like the Dead, I'm sure she tears it up better live. If you want a track with more energy, try Pedestrian at Best.

[@nickbastian6770]

This is fucking great.

[@ironfeatherstudio4476]

Courtney was kind of like the Dead, and, a lot of other bands for me. Takes a while to warm up to them.

[@seanhennessey7914]

it sounds like she makes it minor instead of major like the Dead do it, pretty cool....

[@leroymane]

129-235aw

[@helenesuss4606]

courtney barnett is scheduled to appear tonight on jimmy fallon fri 5/27.

[@donjerue]

Interesting, but the instrumentals backing it could be a little stronger, think that would have enhanced the overall song

[@bagsofbeans]

This isn't too shabby

[@haydentucker317]

😅

[@arthurkyriazis]

i'm having flashbacks.

[@monoped8437]

never quite had the "boogie" thing going

[@darrinpatey]

Love Courtney and I love this tune, but goddam it would've been killer to have Alabama Shakes rock this one. The vocals for this tune should crack like a whip, and Courtney's just don't.

[@halfstep44]

+Darrin P I think that was the point. Courtney doesn't do whip cracking vocals. but yea, Alabama shakes on a dead tune is a good idea. I cant imagine the shakes would have fucked this up

[@sloopdoop3863]

Totally made me poop in my pants with excitement.

[@mileshurley2981]

Haha oh yeah sure cuz Jerry really had that whip-crack of a voice. Jerry’s voice was great for this because there was something ominous about it, same with Courtney’s. In my opinion, of course!

[@JasonPMcElroy]

@@mileshurley2981 I'm with you! I think is a great cover. Jaded, mysterious, lazy, murky. Just perfect.

[@kevinshark]

Jason McElroy 100% - this is a perfectly matched cover. Love how the “One Way or Another” payoff is more of a resignation or a sigh than it is exultant. That’s the right reading of the song to me !

[@arthurkyriazis]

Courtney Barnett is much better than Courtney Love.

[@bandersnatchesque]

Everything in the universe is much better than Courtney Love.

[@Adam-ex5fi]

Everyone seems to love this, but the vocals feel so cold and emotionless. Not the best of these covers.

[@Upstreamprovider]

Terrible. It's not even in tune!

[@chuckhowe123]

Sounds like she'd rather be doing something else...

[@chuckhowe123]

+Connor Mokrzycki I'm sure it's great for her own stuff, (she has a good sound) doesn't work for me with Grateful Dead material though...

[@DontWatchNow]

+Chuck Howe I could not agree more. Such the wrong choice for this great song.

[@joemurphy7967]

Doesn’t work , very weak like so many modern “singer’s “