The FOG Factor - Series 2 - Live Show

[RSOAPS]

Right everyone is getting a piece of my mind again today, be it good, bad, or ugly...

@ari101  - Jon Boden and the Remnant Strings - How Long Will I Love You
Original Artist: The Waterboys

I wasn't expecting to like this (not even sure why), so it surprised me a bit, genuinely good choice, well played

@aaronjennings  - Jennifer Hudson - I Will Always Love You
Original Artist: Dolly Parton

Always hated the Whitney cover of this song, and Hudson has just done a carbon copy of that, so I was (as I expected to be) bored to tears listening to this. Gimme Dolly's version or something completely different any day of the week though.

@Rachel Stevens on a Pogo Stick  - Lime Cordial - I Touch Myself
Original Artist: Divinyls

I stand by my song, and genuinely think this is the best in the mix today.

@Sephiroth_Dude  - Kelly Clarkson - Someone Like You
Original Artist: Adele

I like Kelly Clarkson and I like that Adele song, but this cover just doesn't do anything for me. lorcan got it spot on in his critique earlier.

@Spears  - Candice Sand - Lovesong
Original Artist: The Cure

It was fine. That's the best I can do really. Fine, but instantly forgettable.

@DejaBoo  - Kristina Helene - Gravity
Original Artist: The Beatles

There's an episode of Community (one of my favourite episodes) where they use this song as a running gag, and it (or any cover of it) will always hold a special place in my heart.

@E.N.  - Yungblud and Halsey - I Will Follow You Into The Dark
Original Artist: Death Cab for Cutie

Love Yungblud (for those unaware, was at his gig the other night and it was phenomenal), fan of Halsey, and have always loved Death Cab For Cutie, so this combo really works for me. Nice choice.

@Wichita Lineman  - Heather Headley - Your Song
Original Artist: Elton John

I really like what she's done with this song - it's very subtle, but there's some nice changes in here that elevate an already brilliant and much covered song. Another really strong choice.

@jp liz v1  - Teddy Swims - Make You Feel My Love
Original Artist: Bob Dylan

Teddy Swims has a really great voice, and while I wouldn't be too gone on the original, this one got me right in the feels. Solid selection.

@Butty Brennan  - The Ramones - Baby I Love You
Original Artist: The Ronettes

Meh. It's not bad at all, but compared to the high quality of some of the rest of the round, it just gets a bit lost in the mix.

@lorcand1990  - Sleeping at Last - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
Original Artist: The Proclaimers

Enjoyed this one a lot, the song actually sounds so much better stripped back and slowed down like this. Nice one.

@Leg End Reject  - Candice Sand - All I Want is You
Original Artist: U2

I really like her voice. All I Want Is You is one of those U2 songs that I'm ultimately indifferent too, and this cover made me appreciate it a lot more, so superior to the original as far as I'm concerned.

@Jluv  - Simply Red - If You Don't Know Me By Now
Original Artist: Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes

This song really suits Hucknell's voice, and I was surprised at how much I actually liked it as a cover. Really good choice.

@Declan A Walsh  - Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode) - Love Will Tear Us Apart
Original Artist: Joy Division

Depeche Mode = Good. Love Will Tear Us Apart = Good. No complaints, it's a combo that works really well here actually.

Some General Thoughts...

This was a very strong round in the end, thought I'd absolutely hate this round, was expecting a lot more sickeningly sweet songs, but think there was a balanced mix.

Joke rants and all that banter aside, I've enjoyed a huge amount of the songs in the game and there has been some really great discoveries and nice covers, but personally I would really have loved to have seen some of the more outside the box thinking and creative covers being celebrated in the tournament than they were. Some have done well of course, but there's been a few over the course of the game that I feel didn't got their deserved props, often overshadowed by a carbon copy cover of an OG song - those songs have their place in the tournament too of course, and I'm probably wording this badly, but there's a point I'm trying to make that will hopefully make sense in a minute. This isn't a dig at anybody, more a sad lament of how uniqueness and things or people that are different are being shunned by society (obviously I'm not just talking about music here, but I'm gonna use it as a grander metaphor), so to those who went for a selection they loved because it had something a bit unique or quirky about it or a complete and vastly different spin on the original, whether you're still in the running for the win or now watching from the peanut gallery, cheers to those who absolutely went for it with some of their unique choices, even if they didn't win over the general public, I appreciated seeing and hearing the songs that were a bit "different"

The "Love" round of the game seemed like an apt a place as any for me to climb atop my soapbox and go off on a tangent about acceptance and diversity...