"Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Jacob Collier, John Legend, Tori Kelly (Revitalizing Cover Review)
- by Peter Källman
- in Reviews
Jacob Collier, known for being one of the great virtuoso musicians of our time, has also become well known for releasing really solid solo-written tracks. This latest release is a cover of the classic Simon & Garfunkel song "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
We don’t need to dive deep into the particulars of this song but can rather focus on how he has made it a very unique piece. Jacob has gained a lot of attention for his piano playing, being an absolute master. An important part of his unique sound is also his vocal techniques. Throughout this whole cover, we hear Jacob's swooning background harmonies, which fill the same functions as chords. The end result becomes Tori Kelly and John Legend singing their parts so very soulfully, with Jacob's string ensemble of voices filling up just enough space. To the taste of some and to some not, Jacob usually makes very harmonically rich music. The chords are not just your normal E or G chord, but rather the E7#5#9#11addb1j 7/9 and Gmaj7#5#9#11addb13 chords. What I am trying to say is that there is usually a lot of flavor added to the mix when you listen to a Collier track. In some cases, listeners might find it to be too much. However, in a track like this, I think it fits just where it is supposed to fit. Collier has been quoted when talking about the concept of “less is more” in music, something that a lot of artists adhere to. He says, “Less is only more when you know what MORE is.” I think this is a great quote which hints to the fact that you can’t simply come straight out of the gate making tasteful songs that make use of “less is more” without first discovering what is too much. Artists such as Prince have also been known for applying this concept. Prince’s own recording engineers said that he would often record parts for a song on the spot, up until the point where the song sounded a bit too crowded and too full of stuff. What remained was for Prince to “un-produce” the song. Rather than adding layers, removing parts where it was a bit too crowded. Thus, making real-time use of “less is more”.
The co-artists on this track need no greater introduction. John Legend is an icon, and Tori Kelly, if you hadn’t heard her yet, is well on her way to becoming one. Both of their vocals in this cover are full of tasteful vocal runs. If you are into the old version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" but also take to Jazz and Soul songs, this might be a match made in heaven. As part of his Djesse Vol. 3 album, which was released in 2020, Jacob also worked with Tori Kelly on a track called "Running Outta Love." I highly recommend you to listen to this track as well. Seeing a musical relationship grow and be nurtured between these two extremely skilled artists is something I couldn’t be happier to see.
The original track was released by Simon & Garfunkel in 1970 and became a worldwide hit. The overall message of the song is one of support, comfort, and reassurance. The “bridge” over troubled water is a metaphor to help someone through difficult times. This is meant to provide support for troubled friends or loved ones. I think it is so important to remember pure songs such as this one, in times when the purity in music is fading more and more each day. A lot of people will probably say this cover should go well over Christmas dinner. I would say, try it out in other scenarios to see if you can’t make it work there too. The track reminds me of great covers by the group “The Singers Unlimited”, which I absolutely recommend if you take to this cover. Go have a listen and hear what you think!
