Rockabye Baby! - Just Like Heaven + You Still Believe In Me

When you think the Beach Boys and the Cure you typically don't think of lulling infants to sleep. Well now you can! Rockabye Baby! (aka Michael Armstrong) records lullaby tribute albums for specific artists from Tool and Metallica to Bjork and the Smashing Pumpkins. In this entry I'll highlight the tributes he recorded for the Cure and the Beach Boys. The Cure tribute is my favorite out of all of the Rockabye Baby! records I have had the pleasure to hear (though that will likely change once the Pixies one comes out.) The tracks on it were very well selected as it covers all the Cure's biggest singles yet ends with a Disintegration hat-trick with "Homesick," "Lullaby," and "Plainsong." There's also the more obscure choice of "One More Time" from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me yet that addition transitions over to lullaby form perfectly and also shows that Michael definitely well researches all the artists he covers (or is just a big fan of them all.) I chose "Just Like Heaven" to highlight in this entry. In my opinion the Cure version is the epitome of a perfect pop song. It exceeds on every ground necessary. The lullaby version in turn is expectionally pretty and certainly does not disgrace the name. Instead of uploading the normal Cure version of the song (as most people should have it anyways) I'm posting an acoustic version recorded in 2001 for the two disc version of Greatest Hits, a completley unnecessary album considering how definitive Staring at the Sea and Galore are yet was a nice touch.

Rockabye Baby! - Just Like Heaven

The Cure - Just Like Heaven (Acoustic)

The Beach Boys tribute is well selected as well drawing about half of the songs from Pet Sounds, three from Smile and the rest being early singles. Gripes about no "Good Vibrations" aside, it's really solid. I think "You Still Believe in Me" is the best of them all though I may be a bit biased as that's my favorite Pet Sounds track as well. The "I wanna cry..." line gives me shivers no matter how many times I hear it. As with "Just Like Heaven" I won't be uploading the original as it should already be had by all. Frankly, if you don't own Pet Sounds, you know nothing about music. I'll be upping an alternative take of the song, apparently take 23. Brain Wilson certainly was a perfectionist. It's all instrumental as well, and though the vocals are the most beautiful aspect of the song it's interested to hear in it's stripped form.

Rockabye! Baby - You Still Believe in Me

Beach Boys - You Still Believe in Me (Take 23- Master Take)

Rockabye! Baby @ Baby Rock Records
The Cure @ Amazon.com
The Beach Boys @Amazon.com