I am sometimes teased by my rock snob friends for having, what is to them, an unusually high number of movie soundtracks in my collection. I won’t apologize for it though. Sure, most soundtracks are weak revenue streams for otherwise forgettable films and too often don’t even include the ONE song from the movie that touched your heart. But I have also found some gems in the better soundtracks.
Several years ago I heard a song on the Scream soundtrack that captured my imagination and found its way onto countless mixes for months thereafter. Gus’ version of Blue Oyster Cult’s suicide classic “Don’t Fear the Reaper” is everything a good cover should be. In fact, it transcends the original and turns what might otherwise be a melodramatic goof into a haunting whisper of self destruction.
Well, old Gus has clearly not lightened up with age. Now rebranded as Gus Black, his media team has been hounding me with requests for coverage. I didn’t realize it was the same Gus from Reaper or I might have listened sooner. Just the same, his new gear is creepier than any of that. Part Leonard Cohen, part David Koresh, Gus Black walks the same line that almost turned Charlie Manson into a folk singer.
Apparently his greatest claim to fame has been hijacked by dopey H.I.M fans who have created fan videos to "Don't Fear the Reaper" credited to the really, really bad goth rockers.
Best example: "HIM DON'T FEAR THE REAPER ACOUSTIC"
When asked about H.I.M getting the credit for his cover, Black replied, "it’s amazing…thank god for retarded H.I.M. fans…they have helped spread my music to more people than I could have done on my own.”
Great, great stuff and he gives the impression that he might be the best guy in the world to have a drink with…until he’s not anymore.
Today is Not the Day to Fuck with Gus Black - Out now on iTunes.
Video: Gus Black - "Little Prince Town"
Gus Black: Web, MySpace, Wiki, eMusic.
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