Built To Spill :: Cortez The Killer (Cover)

weld-neil-young.jpgbuilt to spill

Built to Spill’s sole live album, 2000’s Live, achieved what a truly good live album is supposed to do: it excelled in bringing another dimension to the songs, and in the process, improved upon them. No stranger to extreme guitar wrangling, Doug Martsch lets his classic rock loving, freak flag fly, laying waste to Neil Young’s epic “Cortez The Killer.”

What I have always loved about Martsch’s approach, to the cover, is that he in no way presents an ironic or “cutesy” indie take on the song, but goes after it with the reverence it deserves.

Download:
MP3: Neil Young :: Cortez The Killer
MP3: Built To Spill :: Cortez The Killer (cover)
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Amazon: Built To Spill – Live

www.neilyoung.com ++ www.builttospill.com ++ www.myspace.com/builttospill

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Neil Young & Young & Crazy Horse :: Cortez The Killer, from Rust Never Sleeps (Live) 1979

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9 thoughts on “Built To Spill :: Cortez The Killer (Cover)

  1. Yesssssssssss. Possibly one of the greatest cover songs ever. BTS almost surpass Neil for more guitars per square inch on this one. In fact this entire live album recasts BTS as more of an out and out guitar rock band than their studio albums ever let on.

  2. This cover of “Cortez” ain’t too bad. Nothing compares to the original. There is a version of “Cortez” done by The Bottle Rockets on their live CD which I think is better than Built To Spill’s. Don’t get me wrong. All three versions are wonderful.

  3. >>What I have always loved about Martsch’s approach, to the cover, is that he in no way presents an ironic or “cutesy” indie take on the song, but goes after it with the reverence it deserves>>

    Thank you. I have never understood the irony movement. Even Paul Westerberg, who would pull a Daydream Believer or Make Your Own Kind Of Music out of his butt at least went to the trouble of trying to *own* those songs. Built To Spill- man, I had forgotten about this cover, and I’m so glad you posted this- they really HONORED Neil on this one. Good for you for giving them their due.

  4. It really irks me that the first lyric in the Built To Spill cover is wrong – Martsch sings “with his stallions and guns”. Young’s lyric is “galleons and guns”. Plus his voice is sort of …. damn annoying.

    Other than that, not bad. The live Neil Young/Crazy Horse version on Weld is really something, though.

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