Sunday's Best: Week 36, 2022

Happy Labor Day weekend, fellow Americans! It's the unofficial end of summer - but I'll be worshiping the best season of the year until it ends in about three weeks. I loathe winter and hate the time change. Fall is usually mostly tolerable around my parts until Thanksgiving... then it's all downhill.

For our Sunday's Best this week, let's talk about David Lee Roth and his new version of "Panama." I'm not exactly sure why DLR felt like re-recording such a classic except for no other reason than he just wanted to and so he did. I don't know if this is considered a cover or not, but I'll call it that for lack of better word. So the "cover" is pretty good. It's hard to listen when you know how the original sounds. "Panama" is such an iconic track, but good for Roth for jumping in the studio and releasing something for the fans.

Comments

[stu]

i couldn’t even get to the chorus.

[Him]

As a fanboy, I have to say . . . it ain't that bad, all things considered.

As Allyson alludes to, not the classic and no real reason for him to be releasing this (or, God forbid, another bluegrass album!?!?). Then again, DLR does things the way DLR wants to do them. Does that include releasing dribs and drabs of the stuff he recorded with John 5 a few years back. Sure. Cancelling (come on, he did . . . I bet he called the Fire Marshall while out back smoking a joint) the potential E'EaS reunion show? Probably. Throwing a wrench in a tribute concert (or concerts) to the mighty EVH. Of course. Then again, he also makes interesting cartoons, trained to be an EMT, got busted for dope in Central Park, has great tattoos/ started (and then shuttered) a tat lotion company (?!?!), and has lived a life that none of us could even possibly fathom . . . and I mean that in the sense of good, bad, and otherwise.

Personally, and relating to the noise that drove Stu to conniptions (trust me, Stu, I get it, even as a fanboy), I think he showed the path to new music during the later years of his somewhat so-so solo career: deep talking, keep walking. Don't aim for spots you can't hit, right? Then again, i read a really interesting comment on this song just a night or so ago. The person pointed out that there is a spot in this version where DLR shows he can still hit notes, when he stays in his lane/range (and, yes, this is a one off, in the studio). I won't bother to point to that spot, as some will like this song and others won't regardless. But I did go back and listen. And, you know what? The commenter was right. So there's that too, I guess.

For fanboys, DLR can do very little wrong. See? Even a fanboy can admit idols make mistakes. For old-school fans, his recent years (decades?) are a worn and torn reminder that we all get old, though some of us act like we don't. For haters, DLR is just a nut chasing his own shadow and legacy and the impeccable depth of Sammy's lyrics and vocals. See? DLR offers something for everyone, save those 'yoots' who he introduced himself to in Las Vegas . . . who had no freaking idea who the hell he was, even if DLR was pretty sure they MUST, simply MUST, know the mighty DLR!

If Gustav Holst had been alive at the same time as DLR, he would have written a wonderful orchestral piece about him.