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Intro: So far in this series I’ve looked at songs that can be put in the camp of interpretations. There was just a different vision of the song   This is the first time I will look at a song in which the version was more successful and considered better than the original (even by the song writer himself). This is a case of the version taking on a life and trajectory of its own. The Scene: It’s 1967/1968, and America’s military presence in Vietnam escalates, with military personnel reaching a total of 475,000. Protesting became more intense and rioting and looting becomes widespread across American cities, cumulating in the National Guard being called in to restore law and order in Detroit. The Beatles continue to revolutionize popular music with their “Sargent Pepper’s lonely Hearts Club Band”. Israel acquires vast swathes of territory after the six day war.   The Original: All Along the Watchtower was written and recorded by legendary singer song write...

The Pitch: Whether you’re an armchair general or a History graduate there’s something in MVH (Military History Visualized) for you. MVH creates informative and short videos, based around a single theme. These are usually, but not always on WWII. The episodes draw heavily from cited sources, and often demystify commonly held beliefs with cold, hard facts. What you get: This channel does all of the above and more. There’s a second channel Military History Not Visualized, which is more of a talking head style (because of logistics, a word you’ll hear quite often in these videos). Also, there’s a community of Military History you tubers, which although having  their own unique channels fed into each other with collaborations and guest appearances. Recommended Episodes: Panzer Tactics - "Blitzkrieg" Years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg8JM3SUeSU Why is Rommel so complicated? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jw1UJCwcgNc        US ...

You Tuber Review: Beau of the fifth column The Pitch: It is the philosophical duty of everyone to put some skepticism in the path of our opinions and the opinions of others. That, I’m happy to acknowledge, was what “Beau” of the fifth column did to me, the first time I opened one of his videos. With a beard that would provoke envy in any hipster, a southern drawl, and pro-gun t-shirt, my prejudices were in top gear. I should just note, I’m European, so my mind was maybe even narrower going into it, than an American viewer. So, when I heard a balanced, well researched argument with a dose of our grandparent’s common sense; delivered in a tool shed, as a talking head program. I was happier than a hog in whatever that expression is. Sound and quality: The format is simple, so it doesn’t have to be too fancy. I personally prefer my editorials without the flashing green screen, especially those who use slickness to cover half-baked ideas. You tubers take note. The sound ...

Last week; we looked at Placebo’s very different, but faithful interpretation of Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. This week we’re going to look at  versions, whilst having differences, are also very similar. That’s not to diminish either one; we just need to look at them in a different context. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5cp0S5TUsykE80AbvwBFej?si=QxUzGqEjRGmRcUva5GWvUw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmD_HcOcfU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVOuRQPPdoo Versions are done for many reasons. Sometimes, it’s done out of love and respect for someone else’s artistic work. Almost all bands start out doing versions of other people’s songs, they learn by copying, by doing, continuing that process even after writing your own music, is natural and organic. Then there’s the business side of things. Covering a hit by a big artist has its own built in marketing, as the public already have some “brand name awareness” of the song. They essentially want to ride the tai...