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Cover to Cover: Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Neil Young v St Etienne

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Comments

  • Macronate
    Macronate Posts: 12,892
    St Etienne, great memories of that song whilst driving through Sidcup high street in the company pool car.
  • InspectorSands
    InspectorSands Posts: 5,188
    St Etienne by a long, long way. The original (which I only heard for the first time about seven or eight years ago) sounds like it has fleas, but the St Etienne version is one of my favourite songs.
  • Indigo Joe
    Indigo Joe Posts: 551
    St. Etienne's version. One of the best covers I've ever heard. And I say that as someone who likes Neil Young.
  • EpsomAddick
    EpsomAddick Posts: 2,557
    St Etienne for me too.
  • SheffieldRed
    SheffieldRed Posts: 3,772

    St Etienne
  • falconwood_1
    falconwood_1 Posts: 7,368
    Sarah Cracknell with a Bob Willis run up from the Kirkstall Lane end.....
  • WoodsideValley
    WoodsideValley Posts: 229
    St Etienne by a country mile. A Balearic classic.
  • Karim_myBagheri
    Karim_myBagheri Posts: 12,716
    Neil young for me
  • seth plum
    seth plum Posts: 53,448
    Everything except the actual vocal delivery, the connection with the words and meaning is better with the St Etienne version. The singer although nice seems to be sort of getting the song sung rather than putting much thought and nuance into it.
    maybe Young on vocals with St Etienne backing him up.
    On balance it is St Etienne just, mainly because the Neil Young arrangement is pretty dirge like to me.
  • JohnnyJoeyDeeDee
    JohnnyJoeyDeeDee Posts: 1,040
    Love St Etienne's version. Didn't realise for about 10 years that it was a cover. Seeing them at Festival Hall next week
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  • JaShea99
    JaShea99 Posts: 5,458
    Neil Young.
  • carly burn
    carly burn Posts: 19,459
    St Etienne
  • PopIcon
    PopIcon Posts: 5,970
    St Etienne.

    I'm sure I once heard that Bob Stanley supported us. I could be wrong..
  • Bedsaddick
    Bedsaddick Posts: 24,738
    Don't like the St Etienne version at all. Neil Young all day long for me.
  • Six-a-bag-of-nuts
    Six-a-bag-of-nuts Posts: 8,127
    Brilliant one Henry!
    Do I go with the version I have been familiar with for 47 years or the one I played for the first time last night?
    My natural instinct and prejudice would point me towards Neil, but I don't feel passionately enough about the song to remain so intransigent.
    As somebody mentioned, Neil's version does have a dirge like feel whereas the St. Etienne version is more vibrant and colourful.
    I can see how the dance beat would resonate with my younger self and if I were familiar with this one and then heard Neil for the first time it would probably jar.
    Having said that, I do think the dance stance is somewhat at odds with the sentiment of the song.
    Plus, I think I'd soon get bored silly with the last 2 extended minutes of the St. Etienne version (unless of course I was dancing to it)
    As I am more cerebral than dancer, narrow victory for Neil Young.
  • paulbaconsarnie
    paulbaconsarnie Posts: 9,423
    St etienne
  • addix
    addix Posts: 1,183
    First time for me hearing the Neil Young version. Instantly recognised the St Etienne one and still prefer it to the other.
  • Alex Wright
    Alex Wright Posts: 8,214
    I make that 24-15 to St Etienne
  • LawrieAbrahams
    LawrieAbrahams Posts: 3,779
    Not a big fan of Neil Young but prefer his version.
  • Mosscat
    Mosscat Posts: 197
    Neil Young, my favourite.
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  • Hartleypete
    Hartleypete Posts: 4,699
    Neil young
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,791
    I've already voted so don't count this again.

    I think Young is a great musician and songwriter but I don't warm to his recordings or live performance. As others have said, his take on this is a dirge.
  • AddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict Posts: 15,791
    Anybody know which lido is shown at 1.08 in the St Etienne version?
  • Oakster
    Oakster Posts: 6,812
    Tough one - love them both but I'll go with St Etienne. As a young indie kid I loved this band from day one - was in their fanclub and have all the fanclub only cds - the early ones of which used to & still do sell for hundreds of pounds. After recently seeing Loop, Slowdive, Teenage Fanclub & just this week JAMC in Vancouver - I was really hoping their upcoming North American tour would reach these parts - but alas no. Great band - one of my all time faves.
  • CafcWest
    CafcWest Posts: 6,167
    Can only be Neil Young.
  • Alex Wright
    Alex Wright Posts: 8,214
    AddicksAddict said:

    Anybody know which lido is shown at 1.08 in the St Etienne version?

    I was wondering the same thing, it doesn't look like hornfair park. Could it be the old one at Eltham Park?
  • aliwibble
    aliwibble Posts: 26,291
    St Etienne
  • Greenie
    Greenie Posts: 9,172
    AddicksAddict said:

    I've already voted so don't count this again.

    I think Young is a great musician and songwriter but I don't warm to his recordings or live performance. As others have said, his take on this is a dirge.

    'His take on it? He only wrote the song that's all, so his take on it is how it should sound!!

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