For the next installment of the “six-pack and a cover song” series, the track is “Strangers” by the Kinks. In the day and age of Youtube and other videos and on-demand services, a rare cover by an artist or a track that never landed on an album can easily be found. No longer are random covers solely the lore of bootleg concert albums, many of whose quality suggests it was recorded on a micro recorder.
“Strangers” is one of these Youtube friendly tracks. Unlike “Oh Well,” the Fleetwood Mac song that initiated this endeavor where each track came from an actual album, variations of “Strangers” are often culled from Youtube video performances of some kind. Of course, the original Kinks ballad can be found on their album “Lola Versus the Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One.” Also interesting is that it is written and sung by Dave Davies, not brother Ray Davies who is best known as the main lead singer and songwriter. Other versions have been recorded for various reasons with some appearing as singles or as bonus songs on extended versions of albums. This being said, with no artwork to go along with every song, the Youtube video of the track is featured here along with a picture of the beer.
A Six Pack and a Cover song #3 “Strangers” by The Kinks
For those not familiar with the song, it is a Kinks classic but certainly not as well known as “All Day and All of the Night,” “A Well Respected Man,” or “Waterloo Sunset.” Given the number of quality covers though, it certainly is a fan favorite. On the liquid libation side of the article, IPAs are represented strongly once again. With favorite breweries such as Tree House and Trillium once again featured, others include Lost Shoe from Marlborough, Massachusetts, Jackie O’s from Ohio, Mast Landing from Maine, and River Roost from Vermont.
The Kinks and River Roost’s Mas Verde
From the original track, a spare arrangement of Dave Davies’ voice, acoustic guitar, piano, and drums, is the version to compare all the others to. For this, my beer pairing is with River Roost’s Mas Verde. River Roost, similar to this track, is under the radar, not one of Vermont’s best-known breweries. Just like this song, which is among the best by the Kinks, River Roost is a favorite as well and is among the beer-heavy state’s best breweries. My all-time favorite is their flagship, Mas Verde. It’s a perfect IPA. With the right amount of hoppiness, bitterness, and juiciness, the well-rounded beer is truly special, just like the original “Strangers.”
Norah Jones and Lost Shoes’ A New Pair of Brews Indonesian Sumatra
Although there are other versions with female vocals, Norah Jones’ sounds different. Piano is the lead instrument. Most of the beers here are IPAs. This standout by Norah Jones lends a more sultry vibe to the track without losing the melody and the overall feel to it. For the track, I paired it with a coffee stout from Lost Shoes Brewing Company. Norah Jones’ voice has that coffee house atmosphere on this track, which makes a coffee stout perfect. Her arrangement, which is accessible to lovers of the original, compares to this stout which is on the lighter side of things. You don’t have to be a raging stout fanatic to enjoy this beer. This track is available on Jones’ extended version of her The Fall album.
Feist and Trillium’s Double Dry Hopped Melcher Street
Unlike Norah Jones’ version, this track sticks to the guitar of the original as the lead instrument. She keeps the tune but adds her own touch, including the inflection in her voice which is familiar to any Feist fans. It is just her voice and an electric guitar. It brings the highlight to the lyrics and the sorrowfulness of the ballad that Davies wrote in tribute to a friend who died young of a drug overdose. Feist’s take emphasizes what a great song this really is. The Melcher Street is an IPA from Trillium, and the double dry-hopped version emphasizes even more the amazing quality of this beer, similar to Feist’s take on the song. This version is available on Feist’s cd companion to her live DVD Look What the Light Did Now.
Lord Huron and Jackie O’s “Mystic Mama”
This version by Americana/indie band Lord Huron is the closest to the original. A pleasant listen, it doesn’t break any new boundaries, but it is still a fine rendition. This is similar to the Mystic Mama IPA from Athens, Ohio’s Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery. They include a few extra elements in their sound. Mystic Mama is a solid IPA, easy to drink, just as this version is easy to listen to. Sipping on a Mystic Mama and listening to Lord Huron is a perfect pairing for “Strangers.” This is a recording for SiriusXM satellite radio.
Lake Street Dive and Mast Landing/Night Shift Tap Tap Taparoo
Lake Street Dive’s cover involves the most varied musical instruments, as can be seen by this live video. I enjoy the harmonies and the fact that the tambourine is at the forefront of the album. The singers share the vocal duties. One band member plays a melodica, basically, a keyboard played with his mouth; another plays stand-up bass. The vocal arrangement and instrumentation work well together, similar to the collaboration between Maine’s Mast Landing and Boston’s Night Shift. Tap Tap Taparoo IPA is golf themed for the warmer weather. Lake Street Dive’s version has a nice summery feel to it.
Wye Oak and Tree House Brewing Company’s Doubleganger
Another cover led by a female vocalist, it is reminiscent of Feist and Lake Street Dive’s whose beautiful voices lend an exclamation point to this version but is heavier. The drummer here has double duty, playing keyboard and drums, sometimes at the same time. This reminds me of the Doubleganger, a tasty double IPA from Tree House, which, just like the drummer, is doing double duty. Wye Oak’s version rocks out (and even includes mid 90s guitar feedback finishing the song) a bit more than most others, also similar to the robust flavor of the double IPA. Wye Oak recorded this along with a cover of Danzig’s “Mother” as a single.
“Strangers” and an Empty Six Pack
“Strangers” by the Kinks is the perfect song for artists to pay tribute to the original. But as you can hear, they also make it their own. From the Kinks’ ballad, Norah Jones takes a sultry approach. Feist’s version is stripped-down and emphasizes the vocals, and Lord Huron plays it close to the original. None of the covers disappoint. Similar to the beer that’s here, there’s not a bad one in the six pack.
