Kmfdm - Boots

  by Cila Warncke

published: 12 / 3 / 2002

Label: Metropolis
Format: CDS

intro

Unnecessary cover by German industrial metal outfit of Nancy Sinatra's classic hit 'These Boots are Made for Walking'

Swapping irony for literal-minded racket seems to be the order of the day in the world of pop cover versions lately. For their latest single re-formed German industrial outfit KMFDM have delved deep into back-catalogue fluff to reinvent Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 gem 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin’'. Unfortunately, as with Marilyn Manson’s recent humourless cash-in version of Soft Cell’s camp classic Tainted Love, KMFDM merely manage to make a whole lot of noise while totally missing the point. The Nancy Sinatra original was interesting because it’s impossible to tell whether it was meant as subversive or submissive. On one hand the lyrics have a sort of New Feminist tinge (and before Old Feminism had even had its day!) That is, they appear to take a traditional trapping of femininity – the bright red "fuck me" boots Sinatra wears in the album cover shot – and turn them into an implement of female empowerment. On the other hand the trad-feminine ‘come hither’ pose on the cover suggests that maybe the lyrics area mere play-hard-to-get gambit, or perhaps even a sly S&M proposition. However you choose to hear it you still get a sunny pop tune with all sorts of interesting points to argue. KMFDM take all the fun out of it by ‘doing a Manson’ and laying down a scrap heap worth of grinding metal noise and lobbing the lyrics into the mix like chunks of steak to a junkyard dog. Not only is the result a po-faced feedback fest completely bereft of wit; there is also something slightly ominous about it. With KMFDM frontman Sascha Konietziko on lead vocals, the attitude inevitably changes. Blame history, and Western culture’s inherent sexism, but when a woman sings "these boots are going to walk all over you" it conjures up a very different image than when a man sings the same words. Of course, fans of aforementioned grinding metal fuzz, etc may find all this forgivable, or even loveable, and embrace this single anyway. Fair play to them. But anyone who admires the kitsch pop value of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ little girl’s original effort would do well to steer clear.

Track Listing:-