Various - War Child Heroes

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 9 / 2 / 2009

---

Review

War Child was a charity set up in the mid 90s to benefit children who were the victims of war. Sadly this is still the case and so on this fifth compilation some of the biggest names in music have selected a personal favourite track from their own back catalogue and nominated another act to rework that classic song. The Scissor Sisters take on Roxy Music's 'Do the Strand' is exactly as you would expect a Scissor Sisters cover of a Roxy Music number to sound, a slightly more dancey version with a gay feel which really doesn't add anything new. The Kooks cover the Kinks 'Victoria', and, while sounding quite like the Kinks, their guitar and brass solos let the track down. Duffy, however, reworks Wings 1973 Bond theme classic, 'Live and Let Die' to superb effect. Duffy is a massive talent and one of the few great names to come out of last year. Her version is a seductive, soulful number, which goes down like warm honey, unlike Guns 'n' Roses who with their version butchered ther track to death. Lily Allen sings the Clash's 'Straight to Hell'. It features the Clash's Mick Jones and her singing is much improved than on her own songs, but it is not great either. Elbow cover U2's 'Running to Stand Still' and do it better than U2. Rufus Wainwright covers a medley of songs from Brian Wilson's 'Smile'. He is another a massive talent, the new Jeff Buckley. Here he sounds like an angel. It retains enough of Brian Wilson to remind you who originally wrote it, but he adds enough of his own personality to make it really unique.

Track Listing:-

1 Beck- Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
2 Scissor Sisters- Do The Strand
3 Lily Allen ft. Mick Jones- Straight To Hell
4 Duffy- Live And Let Die
5 Elbow- Running To Stand Still
6 TV On The Radio- Heroes
7 Hot Chip- Transmission
8 The Kooks- Victoria
9 Estelle- Superstition
10 Rufus Wainwright- Medley From Smile: Wonderful/Song For Children
11 Peaches- Search And Destroy
12 The Hold Steady- Atlantic City
13 The Like- You Belong To Me
14 Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
15 Franz Ferdinand- Call Me

Label Links:-

http://www.parlophone.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/parlophone
https://twitter.com/parlophone
http://parlophonerecords.tumblr.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/Parlophon
https://instagram.com/parlophone/