Peter Wade Blog

from The Daily Californian

There’s a point in Yoko Ono’s Yes, I’m a Witch—during DJ Spooky’s remix of “Rising”—when you’ll ask yourself, “Is she retching?” And the answer is, “probably.” Ono is known for her wide range of vocals, and this album shows off this spectrum. Case in point: Her vocal performance on the next track, “No One Can See Me Like You Do,” is a silky love song croon.

In fact, the album encourages us to focus on Ono’s voice. For this remix album, Ono handpicked a cadre of artists to redo any of her old songs. Many artists sampled only the singer’s vocals, as the backing music became their own creation. For some, this offered a chance to update the meaning of the songs, such as fem-rock Le Tigre’s version of “Sisters O Sisters” with feminist protest cries in the background.

But even without Ono’s vocals, these songs still bear the mark of the remixer. Take the Flaming Lips’ contribution, “Cambridge 1969/2007”: sparse vocals over a cover of the original melody with a thumping bassline and raucous guitar.

The album shines when Ono’s voice and the beats come together, like in Shitake Monkey’s rendition of “O’oh,” which back’s Ono’s cheery lyrics with slide guitar and a light rock beat.

Whether you tune into Ono or tune her out, Yes, I’m a Witch is driven by the high production values of some talented artists—in a sense, the beats stand on their own.

— —Daniel Karlin

FEBRUARY 12, 2007 (651)
1. Shuggie Otis - strawberry letter 23
2. She Sir - you can’t change a thing
3. Rolling Stones - no expectations
4. Twilight Singers - $40
5. Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros - coma girl
6. Wolf Mother - white unicorn
7. The Band - don’t do it
8. They Might Be Giants - they’ll need a crane
9. Dean Carter - jailhouse rock
10. Yoko Ono w/Peaches - kiss kiss kiss
11. The Zombies - this will be our year
12. The Shins - phantom limb
13. Pete Townsend - let my love open the door
14. M Ward - headed for a fall
15. Michael McDonald - I keep forgettin’
16. Jesus and The Mary Chain - just like honey
17. The Feelies - what goes on
18. David Bowie - life on mars
19. Sonic Youth - Reena

FEBRUARY 13, 2007 (652)
1. The Beatles - I’m really down
2. Bloc party - waiting for the 78
3. Daylights For The Birds - for now
4. ZeMalibu Kids - your bed
5. The Legendary Stardust Cowboy - fly me to the moon
6. The Booty Olympics - down
7. Frenemies - Rose’s song
8. Eric Clapton w/Duane Allman - mean old world
9. The Clash - police and thieves
10. The Shandells - gorilla
11. Yoko Ono w/DJ Spooky - rising
12. Rolling Stones - route 66
13. The Love Chase - Stewart Copeland
14. The Police - nothing achieving
15. Clark Kent - don’t care
16. Peter, Bjorn and John - ancient curse
17. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - miles away
18. Lee Hazelwood - boots
20. Nico - femme fatale
21. Apples In Stereo - same old drag
22. E.L.O. - Mr. bluesky
23. Jimi Hendrix - are you experienced?

FEBRUARY 14, 2007 (653) all Valentines / anti - Valentines Day dedications
1. The New Standards - love is the law
2. Guy Clark - fools for each other
3. Neil Young - cinnamon girl
4. Donnie Iris - ah! Leah
5. Tom Waits - better off without a wife
6. They Might Be Giants - anang
7. Minnie Ripperton - lovin’ you
8. Semisonic - one true love
9. Robert Pollard and Kim Deal - love hurts
10. Ben Folds Five - Julianne
11. Sonic Youth - Reena
12. Johnny Cash - I walk the line
13. Rolling Stones - dead flowers
14. Neil Diamond - crunchy granola suite
15. They Might Be Giants - Mr. Excitement
16. William Shatner - ideal woman
17. Bob Dylan and The Band - dirge
18. Willie Nelson - I never cared for you
19. John Cale - perfect
20. Soft Cell - tainted love

FEBRUARY 15, 2007 (654)
1. Graham Coxon - don’t let your man know
2. Belle and Sebastian - Seymour Stein
3. Harlem Shakes - carpet baggers
4. Big Star - femme fatale
5. Sex Pistols - anarchy in th UK
6. Apples In Stereo - energy
7. david vandervelde - jacket
8. Beach Boys - sail on sailor
9. Husker Du - these important years
10. Go Home productions - Shannon Stone
11. The Who - won’t get fooled again
12. Yoko Ono w/Shitake Monkey - oh oh
13. Apples In Stereo - energy
14. David Vandervelde - jacket
15. Beach Boys - sail on sailor
Reason #301 To Love Public Radio: we played these 3 songs earlier, but I asked Tim to play them again because I adored them.
16. Bob Dylan - it’s all over now baby blue

FEBRUARY 16, 2007 (655)
1. The Smiths - how soon is now?
2. Trip Shakespeare - down my block
3. Audionom - and you said I was the only one
4. Barr - the song is the single
5. Heather Alexander - march of Cambredth
6. XTC - mayor of simpleton
7. Of Montreal - wraith pinned to the mist (and other games)
8. Billy Schuh and The Foundry - buy/ sell/ trade
9. The Morning After Girls - run for our lives
10. Nouvelle Vague - love will tear us apart
11. Animal Collective - grass
12. Yoko Ono w/Polyphonic Spree - you and I
13. Komeda - catcher
14. The Awkward Stage - we’re going for a ride
15. Mistress bawd - Scarsborough fair
16. Norah Jones - not too late
17. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Roberta C
18. Frank Black Francis - where is my mind?
19. Laura Viers - secret someones

By JANE STEVENSON, SUN MEDIA

Gimmicks aren\’t high on my list when it comes to good music.

But somehow this concept album featuring Ono\’s vocals from her back catalogue remade to new 21st century music actually works.

And that\’s largely due to the esteemed list of either hugely respected or avant-garde collaborators ranging from The Flaming Lips to The Polyphonic Spree to Cat Power to Toronto\’s own Peaches.

If anything, the disc validates the 74-year-old Ono, whose love it or hate it music has always inspired much debate, as an artist ahead of her time.

She also reclaims her reputation as rock\’s dragon lady with the cheeky album title taken from an actual track of the same name.

As you might imagine, it\’s an eclectic-sounding collection with it\’s strengths found in both dance music and moodier, big-sounding, orchestral treatments.

Standouts of the dance floor variety are Peaches\’ clap-happy electro-clash version of Kiss Kiss Kiss — complete with Ono\’s famous yowls — Shitake Monkey\’s funky-soul groove-fest O\’Oh and Blow Up\’s Kinks-meets-Blondie take on Everyman … Everywoman.

Also good are Le Tigre\’s snappy Sisters O Sisters, The Brother Brothers\’ psych-rock take on the title track, The Polyphonic Spree\’s bouncy, flute-and-harp-laden You And I, and The Flaming Lips\’ big-beat version of Cambridge 1969 that recalls a hip-shaker from The Chemical Brothers in their prime.

In a slower vein, highlights are Porcupine Tree\’s poignant, folky-electronica version of Death Of Samantha, DJ Spooky\’s moody, atmospheric rendition of Rising, Cat Power\’s simple piano version of Revelations as she trades verses with Ono, Spiritualized leader Jason Pierce\’s powerful, noisy, orchestral, space rock take on Walking On Thin Ice and Antony of Antony And The Johnsons\’ dreamy and beautiful Toyboat.

Not everything works, however.

The Apples In Stereo\’s overblown, orchestral treatment of Nobody Sees Me Like You Do and The Sleepy Jackson\’s trippy, psychedelic version of I\’m Moving On both fall flat but are rare missteps here.

Also, among the creative innovators that I wish had been invited to this particular Ono party are Gnarls Barkley, Imogen Heap, Beck, The Dust Brothers, Buck 65, The Chemical Brothers, Air, Fatboy Slim, and William Orbit just to see what they might have come up with.

Maybe on the dance remix album of these same tunes that\’s coming next?

Also in the cards, an Ono tour of major cities.

SEEK THIS TRACK

O\’Oh (3:38)

Shitake Monkey wisely samples Grover Washington Jr\’s classic Mister Magic to provide the soulful groove that drives the album\’s standout as Ono emotes about her beloved Manhattan: \”O\’Oh Central park, O\’Oh, evening skyline.\” Would make a great opening to a film set in NYC.

SKIP THIS TRACK

Nobody Sees Me Like You Do (3:55)

Despite a promising opening — Ono demanding in a deadpann voice \”I need a ginger tea\” — The Apples In Stereo get a little too far up Ono\’s you know what for their own good here. Too much reverence and too many instruments get in the way.

—

YES, I\’M A WITCH

Yoko Ono

Astralwerks

Sun Rating: 4 out of 5