Music Review: Various Artists, Stoned – A Pscyh Tribute To The Rolling Stones

By Melissa Bratcher

Tribute cover albums occupy such an odd space. If a band covers a song too faithfully, they’re destined to be compared, probably unfavorably, to the original. If you add nothing to your interpretation, then why cover the song in the first place? If a band goes too far afield in their musical choices, and they make the song truly their own, then they have the purists who complain that they haven’t hewed closely enough to the source material. It’s a tightrope.

On Stoned – A Psych Tribute To The Rolling Stones, the artists from the neo-psych scene (the Allah-Las, The Tulips, Clinic, Tashaki Miyaki, Yeti Love, et al.) tread that tightrope. Some of the covers are straightforward, faithful renditions (with more reverb, because it’s neo-psych music), and some take the songs in a much different direction. It’s an intriguing record.

Sons Of Hippies’ version of “Gimme Shelter” is one of the more straightforward covers. While fully recognizable, Sons of Hippies add unexpected depth to this effective version. Lead singer Katherine Kelly’s vocals are delightfully husky. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” as done by Pink Velvet keeps the iconic riff firmly in place (because, well, you have to, don’t you?), but makes it suitably fuzzy and prominent. L.A.’s Tashaki Miyaki’s “Take It Or Leave It” is fantastic. From the surf-inflected guitar, to lead singer Lucy’s bored/tough girl group vocals, the song is a highlight of this record.

A couple of the tracks veer into near Goth territory. The Vacant Lots’ “She Smiled Sweetly” is Gothy and electronic, with vocals that could have come straight from a Laibach song. Shiny Darkly’s take on “Under My Thumb” has a darkwave feel as well, surfing on a massive wave of sound and echoes.

Yeti Lane’s version of “Sway” from Sticky Fingers is drenched in reverb and subterranean guitars. The singer has a sweet voice buried in the mix and the furious fade out is powered by a guitar that buzzes like a hopped up angry mosquito. “Sympathy For The Devil” via The KVB takes the original in a completely different direction, and it works. Instead of being stripped down, The KVB makes the song larger and nearly epic. The Tulips take the melody of “Wild Horses” and change it just enough that while it is recognizable on the chorus, the verses go in an unexpected way. This version is bold and dreamy, with swooning back up singers and hushed lead vocals. It’s an alluring take.

“It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It)” becomes a stripped down, lo fi song, perhaps played on an ancient keyboard, in the hands of Clinic. The vocals are bizarre and oddly mincing, but somehow it works. It’s endearing. And strange. Strange, too, is Pure X’s version of “Beast Of Burden,” with an electronic sheen and robotic (in a good way) vocals.

Stoned – A Psych Tribute To The Rolling Stones is an interesting bit of business. Taken as a whole, it serves to highlight some of the Stones’ more obscure tracks, as well as showcase some up and coming neo psych bands. There’s a metric ton of reverb and some ennui-laden vocals. It’s surprisingly cohesive for a tribute album, especially for a band whose catalog is as massive and varied as the Stones.

Stoned – A Psych Tribute To The Rolling Stones was released through Cleopatra Records on January 20.