Beck performs “Sound and Vision”

I came across this video of Beck transforming “Sound and Vision” into…something bigger. There are endless videos of people covering Bowie songs. Most of the selections I make for the “cover of the week” come from lesser known performers and I always select those from among recently posted videos. The point in part is to both show how Bowie’s music is still current and inspirational and in part to showcase the diversity of interpretations. That said, most of those covers don’t stray too far from Bowie’s original arrangements. Usually, Bob Smith covering “Heroes” sounds like the song we know, sung by Bob Smith. Here, there is no mistaking “Sound and Vision,” but Beck manages to push the song to its boundaries. He extends it and makes it orchestral (with more than a touch of gospel thrown in).

This is not the first time Beck has covered Bowie. Famously (?), he covered “Diamond Dogs” for the Moulon Rouge soundtrack, which also features Ewan McGregor singing “Heroes” and Bowie himself contributing “Nature Boy.”