It may not be the only or best reason to dive headfirst into Valerie Bailey’s blistering version of The Who’s enduring counterculture classic “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” but one of the coolest (meaning hottest, most incendiary) moments on the lead single to her upcoming, ironically titled debut album Greatest Hits finds her creating her own interpretation of Roger Daltrey’s famous “Yeah!” scream over a bustling fusion of drummer Ray Brinker’s relentless Keith Mooning, bass legend Leland Sklar's heavy duty grooving and guitarist Michael Landau’s scorched earth classic rockin’.
And guess what? We only have to wait till three minutes into Bailey’s relatively compact five-minute version, whereas on the original eight-and-a-half-minute rendition, Daltrey unleashes at 7:45. In the midst of perhaps one of the greatest re-imaginings of a rock classic ever- at least up there with anything Tina Turner’s ever done – Valerie offers an absolutely essential catharsis in these troubled times. Who biographer Dave Marsh once described Daltrey’s as “the greatest scream of a career filled with screams.” It would be amazing to get Valerie’s track in front of his ears to see what he would say.
Inspired by a moment at Woodstock when he chased Abbie Hoffman off the stage after the famous activist commandeered the mic during a break in The Who’s performance, the message of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” is summarized in the last line, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” Considering that Bailey has dropped her version smack in the heart of election season – more that subtly referred to with a “Vote 2024” sign behind the stunning cover image of her fierce, open mouthed, ready to rumble pose – it’s easy to interpret this as angry resignation as to what may happen if the former president also becomes the next one – in which case the new boss would most literally be the old one.
As Bailey says, “The song is just as relevant now and I thought it would make a great closer for the project. . .it’s super charged, like fighting in the street, an aggressive song about knowing things won’t change – a sobering message we can certainly relate to now.
Putting all sociopolitical anxiety and insanity aside, rock fans of all generations will appreciate the grit, soul, sass and sheer vocal power the singer puts into each note, every verse and each repetition of the chorus whose key rhyme is constitution/revolution. Also noteworthy is the way she intones the words of the bridge through a filter, like a voice disconnected emotionally from the production’s other goings on – almost as if she’s imagining how wonderful life could be if we could just observe these recurrent problems in our world from a distance with no emotional involvement. Of course, she (like we) lives in the real world, so she’s “back” in the next verse, ready to fight another day.
Not simply a familiar way for a great unsung singer to finally emerge to cultural consciousness, Valerie Bailey’s transcendent version of “Won’t Get Fooled Again” more than a strong cover tune by an fast-emerging vocal great. It’s an epic reflection of the raging winds of modern times, told through the lyrics of a time that once seemed equally crazy but now seems sweetly nostalgic. Made all the more impressive by the fact that it was one of six songs she and her veteran band tracked in a single day!
Comentarios