Is Anything Sacred Anymore?

Rolling Stone just posted an article/interview about My Morning Jacket, their latest album Z, their growing pains, Jim’s voice, etc. Now, it might not deserve it’s own post but I just caught something that needed to be highlighted…

the band does have a cameo in Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown, covering “Free Bird.”

I thought Free Bird was sacred? I mean, I don’t even think Phish should have covered it. Isn’t that why you yell it at concerts? Because, deep down, you KNOW that no one would try to play it.

November 3, 2005 |  by  |  Features, Open Thread
About the author

Justin Ward is the Editor at Live Music Blog and has been with the site from the very beginning. He currently lives in San Francisco and regularly tweets other stuff over @justinpward.

He also plays in NVO and sometimes calls himself dudha.us ("dude house"). Follow his projects over at JustinWard.org.

Recent Posts

  • http://slacklalane.blogspot.com Ace Cowboy

    Yeah, but Phish covered it as a joke, and a capella too! Totally different. Well, I guess they did play it at that 6/22/00 country show and probably some other times, but for the most part, I like what they did with it.

    As for everyone else — I think it should be the opposite way. Everybody should cover it, at every show. Then we can contrast and compare and see how good certain bands really are. “Duuude, you hear My Morning Jacket’s Freebird? Sure beats the pants off Wilco’s.” See? It could be fun.

    I think the biggest thing to take away from this article is that MMJ is in Elizabethtown.

  • http://slacklalane.blogspot.com Ace Cowboy

    Yeah, but Phish covered it as a joke, and a capella too! Totally different. Well, I guess they did play it at that 6/22/00 country show and probably some other times, but for the most part, I like what they did with it.

    As for everyone else — I think it should be the opposite way. Everybody should cover it, at every show. Then we can contrast and compare and see how good certain bands really are. “Duuude, you hear My Morning Jacket’s Freebird? Sure beats the pants off Wilco’s.” See? It could be fun.

    I think the biggest thing to take away from this article is that MMJ is in Elizabethtown.

  • http://slacklalane.blogspot.com Ace Cowboy

    Yeah, but Phish covered it as a joke, and a capella too! Totally different. Well, I guess they did play it at that 6/22/00 country show and probably some other times, but for the most part, I like what they did with it.

    As for everyone else — I think it should be the opposite way. Everybody should cover it, at every show. Then we can contrast and compare and see how good certain bands really are. “Duuude, you hear My Morning Jacket’s Freebird? Sure beats the pants off Wilco’s.” See? It could be fun.

    I think the biggest thing to take away from this article is that MMJ is in Elizabethtown.

  • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

    Well, that’s the whole point though. Doesn’t it cheapen the “legend of Free Bird” a little bit if everyone and their brother thinks that they can honor it by covering it live? What’s more, to re-record a sacred, Classic Rock anthem on a Cameron Crowe soundtrack? Who the hell do they think they are?

  • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

    Well, that’s the whole point though. Doesn’t it cheapen the “legend of Free Bird” a little bit if everyone and their brother thinks that they can honor it by covering it live? What’s more, to re-record a sacred, Classic Rock anthem on a Cameron Crowe soundtrack? Who the hell do they think they are?

  • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

    Well, that’s the whole point though. Doesn’t it cheapen the “legend of Free Bird” a little bit if everyone and their brother thinks that they can honor it by covering it live? What’s more, to re-record a sacred, Classic Rock anthem on a Cameron Crowe soundtrack? Who the hell do they think they are?

  • http://slacklalane.blogspot.com Ace Cowboy

    Yeah, I agree, I was kidding…

  • http://slacklalane.blogspot.com Ace Cowboy

    Yeah, I agree, I was kidding…

  • http://slacklalane.blogspot.com Ace Cowboy

    Yeah, I agree, I was kidding…

  • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

    You had me, actually. Hell no would I want to compare Particle’s version of Free Bird to Keller’s. Could you imagine how ugly that could sound?

  • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

    You had me, actually. Hell no would I want to compare Particle’s version of Free Bird to Keller’s. Could you imagine how ugly that could sound?

  • http://www.livemusicblog.com Justin

    You had me, actually. Hell no would I want to compare Particle’s version of Free Bird to Keller’s. Could you imagine how ugly that could sound?