November 11 - My Body Is A Cage

Some days I just want to play music that captures my mood. And today is one of them. Arcade Fire is one of the most interesting new bands to emerge this past decade. I discovered them because I heard about David Bowie playing with them after he had concluded what would be his final tour - so I checked them out for myself, and I liked what I heard. I purchased their first two albums, enjoyed them, and put them back on the shelf.

Then, in February 2011, I was watching House MD, one of my favorite TV shows ever, featuring one of my favorite British actors, Hugh Laurie. I had been a fan of his work since the comedy show A Bit Of Fry & Laurie, which he did with another British great, Stephen Fry. The two of them also starred in Kenneth Brannagh's (another incredibly talented british actor) Peter's Friends, which really can be described as the British version of The Big Chill. I have to say that I much prefer the British version, but then again when it comes to movies and comedy, I am a bit of an Anglophile.

Anyway, I was watching a very emotional scene in House MD when I heard a song that clearly was sung by Peter Gabriel, but I didn't recognize it. It turns out it was the Arcade Fire song My Body Is A Cage from their 2007 album Neon Bible. Peter Gabriel released it on his album Scratch My Back in 2010, where he did a series of cover versions, including David Bowie's Heroes (see - it's all coming full circle). His version of My Body Is A Cage start with minimal orchestral accompaniment, but grows in intensity to an even greater extent than Arcade Fire's version. I find Peter Gabriel's version monumental - so much so that I prefer it to Arcade Fire's original, although that's not a bad version either.