Magnetic Fields Can Be Heroes Too

Last month, a friend and I were talking about the Magnetic Fields, a genre-bending English band I'd liked in high school but completely abandoned a few years ago. My friend is still a big fan, and after he described the differences between several of Magnetic Fields' albums, specifically the fuzzy, "punkier" Distortion (Nonesuch Records, 2008), I decided to re-investigate Magnetic Fields starting with that very album (I'd only ever had the Fields' triple-album magnum opus 69 Love Songs). My YouTubing, vis-à-vis my decision, brought me to Magnetic Fields' 1996 cover of David Bowie’s song "Heroes." And what a fucking cover it is:



I'm mainly posting Magnetic Fields' cover of "Heroes" not only because it's awesome but because of this user-comment:

"… the drone and aimlessness and monotony are what make this an excellent cover. Bowie's version highlights on being a hero, but this version flips it on its head and focuses on 'just for one day.'? What do you have before and after? The monotony and drone of your everyday life.”

- pimcnulty

Fuck, that is a cool interpretation. Being able to see music or any piece of art that way, whether through my own perspicacity or someone else's, is why I love analyzing art sometimes. If I could make (and back up) such observations about music, I'd definitely try to make a living out of doing so. For now though, I'll resign myself to blogging about music, however insightfully or not, in my spare time.