Paradise (What makes a great song) - 16/10/2011
Hi everyone,
When I first heard of Youtube, I thought it was another weapon against loose lady bags, I never thought it would become the home of home videos. However, as well as being the best site for finding shocked kittens, bigoted cheerleaders and overweight Star Wars enthusiasts (who genuinely believe they are Jedi) it's also a great place to find music videos. The music industry has always fought against this because it's impossible to get these websites to pay performance rights.
Of course, it didn't take long for the music industry to see sense and soon they were even uploading the music videos themselves. As the old saying goes, if you can't beat them, and you've tried the biggest weapon available, then it's probably time to take off your trousers, cover yourself in KY jelly and get stuck in (easier said than done when KY jelly is involved).
Youtube has not just changed the way the music industry works, it has also changed the world of covers. Never before has anyone been able to show the world their talents at the click of a video camera or mouse button. It's this which, actually, fascinates me most about the website. It's due to the ease in which one can upload these videos, that nowadays, you can actually judge how great a song is in a numerical form which genuinely means something to the fans and doesn't just mean greater profits for the labels. It a true accomplishment to be able to write a song which instantly inspires others to attempt to make it their own.
An example of a song which inspires thousands in this way is 'Paradise' by Coldplay. First of all, I would like to make you aware of the fact that, I am not usually a Coldplay fan. Frankly, I would ordinarily state that Chris Martin's dreary vocal tones would send me to sleep quicker than a pint of Rohypnol and the band itself has about as much personality as a sheet of cardboard with a smiley face drawn on it (see below, and I think you'll see my point):
However, this time the band has really done it. Their track 'Paradise' has inspired so many people, that I can no longer sit back and ignore the covers. The fact that this song can be simplified down to four notes (or chords) or can be as needlessly complex as the dialogue from The Matrix Trilogy and still sound amazing is a testament to the band.
Because of this, I have lovingly uploaded 4 of my favourite re-versions of this song for your pleasure. They range from a classical pianist's beautiful rendition of the song to an awesome dubstep remix (not the whole song because it's still a work in progress, but you get the idea anyway), and the best thing about all of these re-versions is that I don't have to watch Chris Martin as he attempts to come across as more messianic than that bloke who died for our sins (no, I don't mean Michael Jackson). Let's face it, I'm just jealous really. ENJOY!!!