Christchurch City Libraries Blog

It’s amazing what you can discover when you’re browsing the library shelves.  Last week I discovered a series of CDs in the Centre for the Child at Central Library called Rockabye Baby.  Each of the CDs features lullaby renditions of songs by rock groups including U2, Coldplay, Nirvana, Queen and The Beatles.

The songs are arranged and performed by various musicians who use the glockenspiel, vibraphone, melloton, guitar and piano to transform some of the world’s best rock songs into soothing lullabies.  You’re probably wondering how this is possible, especially with some of the songs that have been chosen, but they actually sound amazing and are really pleasant to listen to.

These CDs are perfect for those parents that want some soothing music for their babies, but who don’t want to be driven crazy.

Not book covers but musical covers.  I am a big fan of genre-busting reworkings of famous songs, like Johnny Cash doing Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode on his American IV album.  In recent years entire albums have been produced that pick up this gimmick and run with it, verily like the wind.

Guns ’n’ Roses have been given the bossa nova treatment (see this earlier post for more details) and Richard Cheese does superbly loungey things to Tool and Snoop Dogg on his albums.  You can also catch classic tracks from the 80s and 90s redone in a jazz vibe.  By far my favourite at the moment is the rockabye baby series of CDs which feature lullaby renditions of songs by such artists as The Ramones, The Cure, Björk, and The Smashing Pumpkins.  So if you’re raising a future headbanger (or Icelandic pop princess?) you might like to check this series out.

What’s your favourite unlikely cover of a song?  If you could have any artist cover any song what weird and wonderful combination would you dream up?