Welcome to "The Bitter End" Piano Cover Comparison.
Placebo´s The Bitter End was one of my fav. tracks to fill the floor back in my DJ days, not too aggressive perfectly grooving, and easy to follow up on....think Foo Fighters
But that is not why we are here today, today I am gonna do a cover comparison....and not just any bloody cover....but I am going to compare two piano covers of a song that does not even use a keyboard.
So what happened my good friend Hänsel Piano Music shared that there was a cover that inspired him to pursue playing the piano instead of picking up a cool guitar.
"There was a time when I decided give up the piano. I didn’t find any motivation to keep on playing, because of my piano teacher and the music I wanted to play. I’ve been all my life a rock music fan and wanted to play that music. I decided to play the guitar and not playing anymore the piano, but then I watched this girl playing metal and rock in the piano almost 15 years ago and I decided to play again my piano. She’s been the inspiration to play and make my YouTube channel!"
Well, and if you are a frequent reader.....you know how much I like his channel so Who´s That Girl, that made him stick with the piano.
Not too shabby right and seems like she is still playing...so if you are still using Facebook this is her Page and her YouTube Channel is VKgoeswild so for now, I will call her VK.
📸 by @anfy.dunphy
Now when I heard her version I was really wondering how Hänsel Music would sound playing the exact same song.....and in my childish mind, I thought about writing a comparison. Which is something I never did and not being able to write any note and have 0 knowledge about in which key they play. But I would just do it My Way.
So I kindly asked if he was interested and well one month later and here he is:
The Start
It sounds to me like VK really stays close to the original song with a very thin-sounding intro, where Hänsel starts with a deeper sound with more resonance.
(Omg just something totally different before I continue, Resonance is the band I could not remember for 10 years or more.....all this time I have been googling on After Midnight cover....with no luck. But It´s all coming back to me now!)
That haunting resonance stays throughout the whole start of the song, which gives it a haunting vibe. While VK clean and close to the original song which makes the higher keys jump out at you more (0:48). Where Hänsel seems to integrate them more into one theatrical musical piece.
The Sweet Middle
How nice those high keys drift on that resonating sound when Hänsel finishes the second chapter of this song (1:50 -2:11).
Now VK also does an amazing job at this break (1:42 -1:59)it sounds like she speeds up even faster than the original which gives a very nice punch. Hänsel draws this part out much more, which adds to the gloom he was already creating.
The Bitter End
VK keeps those fingers on the gas pedal throughout those last 30 seconds (to Mars). The original song gives a bit of a distorted feel at the bitter end which is really nicely captured by speeding up the tempo. But Notice how Hänsel seems not to increase the speed that much but just adding even more what I call resonance in that last bit to create that similar distorted feel in a very different manner.
Overall conclusion
Well, I leave the conclusion to all of you as for me these are two very different versions of a very cool song. Both are very talented especially compared to me.
I love the dark gloominess that Hänsel often puts into his covers, but I am so impressed by the speed VK put´s into the end of the 2nd chapter. That´s just so quick & clean and both have a great solution for putting that distortion in the bitter end.
Forgive me if I mix up all musical terms, hope you still got This Picture. I enjoyed writing this article and if I get more than 3 positive reactions I definitely will do a follow-up.
For now thanks and goodnight.
Lyrics
Since we're feeling so anesthetized
In our comfort zone
Reminds me of the second time
That I followed you home
We're running out of alibis
On the second of May
Reminds me of the summertime
On this winters day
See you at the bitter end
See you at the bitter end
Every step we take that's synchronized
Every broken bone
Reminds me of the second time
That I followed you home
You shower me with lullabies
As you're walking away
Reminds me that it's killing time
On this fateful day
See you at the bitter end
See you at the bitter end
See you at the bitter end
See you at the bitter end
From the time we intercepted
Feels a lot like suicide
Slow and sad
Come in silence
Arise a bitter mind
(See you at the bitter end)
Lemme see you run around
We're sicker now
War and peace
I'm worn out!
(See you at the bitter end)
Love's reached his side
Grab this gentleness inside
Heard a cry
Six feet down
In six weeks' time
The mess you left
Will end
(See you at the bitter end)