It seems like every few days now we get another listen to Rave On Buddy Holly, the upcoming tribute album to the late rock-n’-roll icon. The Black Keys and Julian Casablancas have served up faithful-but-updated versions of classic tracks, while Modest Mouse dipped their offering in familiar melancholy. For his contribution, Paul McCartney has turned the 1958 track “It’s So Easy” into a song of modern rock sensibility.
The song’s a perfect fit for McCartney, who has performed it before, even at times with Holly’s original band, The Crickets. Dueling guitars and gritty vocals give the tune a vibe Holly might have only dreamed of when he first laid it down. While it’s true to that original, Sir McCartney wasn’t afraid to toy with it a bit. Take the two throaty rants near and at the end of the song: they certainly aren’t part of Holly’s version, but except for perhaps the death rattle at the end, they very well could’ve been. Check it out at RollingStone.com.
Rave On Buddy Holly is due for release June 28th via Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group.
Rave On Buddy Holly Tracklist:
01. The Black Keys – “Dearest”
02. Fiona Apple and Jon Brion – “Every Day”
03. Paul McCartney – “It’s So Easy”
04. Florence and the Machine – “Not Fade Away”
05. Cee-Lo – “(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care”
06. Karen Elson – “Crying, Waiting, Hoping”
07. Julian Casablancas – “Rave On”
08. Jenny O. – “I’m Gonna Love You Too”
09. Justin Townes Earle – “Maybe Baby”
10. She & Him – “Oh Boy”
11. Nick Lowe – “Changing All Those Changes”
12. Patti Smith – “Words of Love”
13. My Morning Jacket – “True Love Ways”
14. Modest Mouse – “That’ll Be the Day”
15. Kid Rock – “Well… All Right”
16. Detroit Cobras – “Heartbeat”
17. Lou Reed – “Peggy Sue”
18. John Doe – “Peggy Sue Got Married”
19. Graham Nash – “Raining in My Heart”