When is a cover song better than the original? Only you can decide. This week Pearl Jam And Robert Pollard take on the Who’s “Baba O’Reilly.” MAGNET’s Edward Fairchild pulls the pin. Take cover!
On Dec. 3, 1979, 11 fans were killed during a Who concert at Cincinnatti’s Riverfront Coliseum. Robert Pollard was in attendance as a fan. Twenty-six years later, on June 24, 2006, Pollard opened for Pearl Jam at the same venue. Coincidentally, the concert would fall almost exactly six years to the day of the tragic accident that occured during a Pearl Jam concert in Roskilde, Denmark, where nine fans died in similar circumstances to the Who show. Given Pollard and Vedder’s virtually unmatched adoration of the Who, the history of the night was undoubtedly on everyone’s minds, with a tearful, heart-wrenching rendition of “Love Boat Captain” (a song Vedder wrote as a tribute for the victims of the Roskilde accident) and Pearl Jam bookending its set with covers of “The Kids Are Alright” and this life-affirming duet of “Baba O’Reilly” with Pollard. If you know where to look in this video, you can spot yours truly up front, pumping my fist. Certainly one of the most emotional concerts I’ve ever seen. Watch the entire arena absolutely erupt when Pollard does his high kick around the 1:40 mark.
The Cover:
The Original:
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9 Comments
I was at that show in Cincy. It was a very weird night. Didn’t find out till much later about the tragedy. I remembered idiots booing Toots & the Maytals though. Got there late, thank God
The Pollard Jam version was really cool, but c’mon…NO ONE touches The Who!
The remastered version of this on The Kids Are Alright is devastating!!
I agree with you marvin! I mean The Who just cant be beaten!
Anyone who voted for the cover deserves to go deaf.
Marvin, you’re right on. To the writer, I’m a GBV fan–and a PJ detractor–but even I think the crowd is going nuts over Vedder’s “Yeahhhh!” at 1:40, not the kick. The kick looks stupid and is unrocking, whereas the “Yeahhh!” is one of the many dramatic points in the song.
Pollard does a fine imitation of Daltry. But the original just can’t be beat.
And yet, as I type this, more people have voted for the cover. What the fuck???
“Baba O’Riley” is the correct spelling. Probably the most misspelled song in rock!
Now, I love Pollard. Grew up on him. But dude was out of key, maybe from the beer. Sounds remarkably like Daltry some moments. Vedder’s irrelevant. The Who, who may have been higher, still played better. That’s easier cuz it was their song of course. But it’s tough to get over Daltry working the jock angle along with the rocker. It seems like cheating; maybe I’m just jealous. Pollard on the other hand can do a scissor-kick drunk at age 45 while looking like your high school teacher, which I admire. Christ, I dunno, it’s a tie.
Okay, despite being the #1 Hooligan, I admit that I voted for the Pearl Jam version. But that’s the POINT. We’re here to vote for the VERSION of Baba O’ Riley, not the GROUP overall.And let’s face it Pearl Jam clearly outshines The Who in terms of emotions, energy, crowd rapport and stays on an even keel with them talent-wise. The Who apear to be playing at the elementary school where my nieces and nephews attended, admonished by the principal to tone it down. No Keith Moon smashing,er, playing the drums? No Pete Townshend jumping and smashing, period? Roger tame with the mike? Please.