Brian Baker - Single Review: I Won't Back Down
Although Tom Petty
was a massive success in the States, he never saw anything like the same in the
UK until he partnered with Jeff Lynne and together, they came up with the
masterpiece which is Full Moon Fever. I was blown away and had it on
repeat the year I started dating my now wife, and any song from that album
always makes me think of 1989, where I was, with no idea my life would be
changing dramatically (and for the better). Here we are some 33 years on, and Brian Baker has decided to cover one of his favourite artists. I first came
across Brian a year ago with his excellent single, Everywhere You Go,
and he is much more well known as an artist producing originals, so what would
I think about this?
I admit to having a love/hate relationship with cover versions, as too many bands appear to have made their career attempting to reproduce hits note for note (e.g. Westlife), and I much prefer it when a band takes something and transforms it (a prime example being Alabama 3 and their frightening version of Hotel California). Here Brian has somewhat fallen between the two camps, as in many ways he has stayed very true to the original, yet he has also changed the tempo and added his own distinctive guitar style, delivering something which I must confess I enjoyed immensely. It will be interesting to see if this allows Brian to expand his fanbase as there is no doubt this is a version which fans of the original, and those who have somehow missed, will really enjoy.
About Brian Baker
After moving to Australia from New Zealand in 1980, he performed with many Australian bands, securing a Sony recording deal with The Ones in 1986 after signing a publishing deal with Rondor Music. Around this time he scored his first song placement on the second Un Canny X-Men album, What You Give Is What You Get. After writing and recording top 20 single Heart with The Ones he went on to co-write the score for the movie Rikki and Pete with Eddie Rayner from Split Enz.
Eddie and Brian continued to work together as The Makers, releasing 2 CDs through Warner, East West label, including the hit single and video Big Picture. Together with drummer Michael Barker, they toured Australia and New Zealand with the B52's.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Brian Baker
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