Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon — Oh Well
![](https://img.radioparadise.com/covers/m/B000A2APV2.jpg)
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Length: 3:17
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I can't help about the shape I'm in
I can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you
I might not give the answer that you want me to
Oh well
Now, when I talked to God I knew he'd understand
He said, "Stick by me and I'll be your guidin' hand
But don't ask me what I think of you
I might not give the answer that you want me to"
Oh well
I can't sing, I ain't pretty and my legs are thin
But don't ask me what I think of you
I might not give the answer that you want me to
Oh well
Now, when I talked to God I knew he'd understand
He said, "Stick by me and I'll be your guidin' hand
But don't ask me what I think of you
I might not give the answer that you want me to"
Oh well
Comments (259)add comment
What a great cover of one of my fave numbers from the original Fleetwood Mac.
This is just someone doing karaoke right?
Oh Leo, quit showing off. ![guitarist](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_guitarist.gif)
![guitarist](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_guitarist.gif)
Damn, when I heard the first couple of notes of this after the Tusk track I thought it was going to be Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (different band to the Tusk people, great in their own right .... but not Peter-Green-level). Great segue, nevertheless. As for this version: clever enough I suppose. I'll have to dig up my old FM cd.
janac13 wrote:
AMEN
How on earth Leo was left off the top acoustic guitarists I don't know. Just goes to show that popularity doesn't equal greatness.
![meditate](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/meditate.gif)
How on earth Leo was left off the top acoustic guitarists I don't know. Just goes to show that popularity doesn't equal greatness.
This is a fantastic cover! I also love the original… Haters 😘
This is NOT good - try to find Kirk Hammett / Billy Gibbons do this at the Mick Fleetwood and Friends concert for Peter Green - that's a sort of 'semi-cover'!!
skipped from I Walk A Thin line to this....bonus!
Michaeljcovel wrote:
Phoned it in? This is how Leo Kottke always sounds. Like "geese farts on a muggy day".
Great guitar work but the vocals?! He phoned it in....lame.
Phoned it in? This is how Leo Kottke always sounds. Like "geese farts on a muggy day".
This is a great cover I never heard before! At first I thought, "This is some pretty good guitar playing." And then "weird, this guy sings like Leo Kottke" snuck up on me. So I looked it up and learned it is Leo singing, with his voice famously described as "goose farts on a muggy day." I've been a Kottke fan for about 35 years now, but only saw him once live.
nelson1 wrote:
always funny when criticizers type typos in the first word of their criticism.
Does failing to capitalize the first letter of a sentence qualify a a "typo"?
always funny when criticizers type typos in the first word of their criticism.
Does failing to capitalize the first letter of a sentence qualify a a "typo"?
davemacc51 wrote:
always funny when criticizers type typos in the first word of their criticism.
he original was sooooo good it makes this definitely second rate
always funny when criticizers type typos in the first word of their criticism.
Colin James does a smoking version. A treat to hear live.
Leo has never professed to be a singer. But the guitar work is sharp and clear. I like the runs on acoustic.
Groovin' I'm groovin' baby
Great guitar work but the vocals?! He phoned it in....lame.
I see what you did there, BillG.
Nice segue from Fleetwood Mac to this.
Ahnyer_Keester wrote:
I think I'll go with the original Fleetwood Mac version (part 1) over any successive versions of the song.
The Rockets do do it justice, though. As do Kottke & Gordon.
I think The Rockets did the best version. Not crazy about this one.
I think I'll go with the original Fleetwood Mac version (part 1) over any successive versions of the song.
The Rockets do do it justice, though. As do Kottke & Gordon.
Ahnyer_Keester wrote:
I think The Rockets did the best version. Not crazy about this one.
I agree great version
I agree great version
Ahnyer_Keester wrote:
I agree
I think The Rockets did the best version. Not crazy about this one.
I agree
Yes, the Rockets did my favorite version.
AhhtheMusic wrote:
I hope you enjoyed it. I saw him perform years ago and when I found that he would be playing at a casino in Reno while I was there for a conference, it seemed ideal. However, after I slipped into a parking lot to, let's say prepare myself, I returned to find that the doors to the concert venue were closed. He had not started and there were seats available, but under union rules (as it was explained to me) the ticket takers shifts had ended and there were no replacements. No access. No show. A stoned drive across Reno ensued. Not pleased.
I've been playing a lot of Leo Kottke recently - will be seeing a concert of his in November. He is such a master!
I hope you enjoyed it. I saw him perform years ago and when I found that he would be playing at a casino in Reno while I was there for a conference, it seemed ideal. However, after I slipped into a parking lot to, let's say prepare myself, I returned to find that the doors to the concert venue were closed. He had not started and there were seats available, but under union rules (as it was explained to me) the ticket takers shifts had ended and there were no replacements. No access. No show. A stoned drive across Reno ensued. Not pleased.
Great segue (as usual) from Tusk. And some killer fingerpicking here too.
I think The Rockets did the best version. Not crazy about this one.
This is less a cover than just using the original song as a base for the amazing finger work he does when he strays from the actual song. And that totally works for me.
First time hearing——and I like!
How about playing the original?
Digging it!![{#Bananajam} {#Bananajam}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
![{#Bananajam} {#Bananajam}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
I've been playing a lot of Leo Kottke recently - will be seeing a concert of his in November. He is such a master!
I like Joe Jackson's cover version better but nothing beats the original. This is alright.
Ahnyer_Keester wrote:
I'd say the guitar work is good but the vocals sound... unenthused. Mac's is better. The Rockets version is probably best.
Not bad but I like the Fleetwood Mac version still.
I'd say the guitar work is good but the vocals sound... unenthused. Mac's is better. The Rockets version is probably best.
well. it didn't deserve the 2 I gave it at first. musta been grumpy that day (I know ... say it ain't so)
I like their version of Sweet Emotion better than this remake. I guess because (as quirky as this remake is)... their Aerosmith cover is even quirkier.
SMOKIN' ![{#Cheesygrin} {#Cheesygrin}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_cheesygrin.gif)
![{#Cheesygrin} {#Cheesygrin}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_cheesygrin.gif)
Leo Kottke, whom i first heard as a freshman in college, is an astonishment. He would only be less impressive if he had four hands. "How does he do it?"
Everybody in my alien space craft loves this cover...
lshinkawa wrote:
would love to hear anything from him.
Would love to hear Lindsey Buckingham's version.
would love to hear anything from him.
Their album cover is similar to the picture of the Goldsmiths on Radio Paradise's home page.
i hope peter green never hear it..upload the origenal instead
![{#Clap} {#Clap}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_clap.gif)
You occasionally seem to let idiots into your hotel room, but this time, I think you've got the right crowd.
Interesting rendition, but I still like Tom Petty's live version better.
This was an AMAZING pairing -- the only one Leo Kottke ever needed! The first LP was better -- but they are both so original & quirky -- great stuff.
ditto last
lol
lol
Great version. Have never heard this. Keep a rockin B & R.
aelfheld wrote:
?? The lyrics must make you nervous; maybe they're aimed at you.
Don't care who covers it, just don't care much for the song.
?? The lyrics must make you nervous; maybe they're aimed at you.
rsfc_carp wrote:
You occasionally seem to let idiots into your hotel room, but this time, I think you've got the right crowd.
RT is the master.
You occasionally seem to let idiots into your hotel room, but this time, I think you've got the right crowd.
RT is the master.
The problem with this song is that I always reach for my phone - I think it is ringing.
joelbb wrote:
I never knew this. Fateful and tragic.
I love Kottke and the dobro adds a great deal. But when "Oh, Well" was originally recorded, Peter Green was just beginning to struggle with adult-onset, progressive schizophrenia, possibly the most debilitating and intractable of all mental illnesses (was 45 years ago, still is today). Knowing that and hearing the utter cogency of his lyrics and the indict-us-all nature of the message makes the original something more than just a successful work of popular music. Which it is to the nth-degree.
I never knew this. Fateful and tragic.
KTransue wrote:
Yeah. I'm not an iTunes user but I can sure relate. Still chuckling...
Ha! I must really like this ... I just chased the link to iTunes to buy it and saw that I had already purchased it on some previous visit! Well, at least I'm consistent.
![{#Cheers} {#Cheers}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_cheers.gif)
Would love to hear Lindsey Buckingham's version.
Kottke is a great musician but I can't see that this adds at all to the song's legacy...sort of a why bother cover to me.
I love Kottke and the dobro adds a great deal. But when "Oh, Well" was originally recorded, Peter Green was just beginning to struggle with adult-onset, progressive schizophrenia, possibly the most debilitating and intractable of all mental illnesses (was 45 years ago, still is today). Knowing that and hearing the utter cogency of his lyrics and the indict-us-all nature of the message makes the original something more than just a successful work of popular music. Which it is to the nth-degree.
Ha! I must really like this ... I just chased the link to iTunes to buy it and saw that I had already purchased it on some previous visit! Well, at least I'm consistent.
uber cool take on Peter Green's masterpiece... be amazing if those two ever bumped into each other.
More Kottke magic. What a great spin on this song!
Lindsey Buckingham rocks this.
Don't care who covers it, just don't care much for the song.
Not bad, prefer the original from Mick and band!
Hmmm....
Fleetwood Mac to Fleetwood Mac cover....nice.
Fleetwood Mac to Fleetwood Mac cover....nice.
Great cover to play - had never heard it. More fun guitar work than the Fleetwood Mac/Peter Green days original.
romeotuma wrote:
Everybody in my hotel room loves this cover...
You occasionally seem to let idiots into your hotel room, but this time, I think you've got the right crowd.
Everybody in my hotel room loves this cover...
You occasionally seem to let idiots into your hotel room, but this time, I think you've got the right crowd.
no me copa mucho, pero safa, tiene un sonido raro
reminds me of Kaki King
I always liked his album titled "one guitar no vocals"
This is one of those songs where the lyrics are not really needed. It's about showcasing the skill of the guitar players here. I almost wish there were no vocals at all.
PeorgieTirebiter wrote:
Mike once said in an interview that he and Leo covered Oh Well and Sweet Emotion during the recording sessions on a whim, from memory, without actually reading the music and lyrics. That could be why there are a few mistakes.
I like this, but Kottke gets the lyrics wrong — or changed them for some reason. It's supposed to be "Can't sing, I ain't pretty, and my legs are thin."
As far as the song itself goes, it's on my all-time top ten list.
As far as the song itself goes, it's on my all-time top ten list.
Mike once said in an interview that he and Leo covered Oh Well and Sweet Emotion during the recording sessions on a whim, from memory, without actually reading the music and lyrics. That could be why there are a few mistakes.
Not bad but I like the Fleetwood Mac version still.
This is fine, but the original deserves at least as much coverage. A fairly high proportion of the audience appears not to have grown up hearing the original version, as is true of lots of music, and it was a fine piece of music, yes?
Someone once commented about Leo..."he's the reason some people picked up the guitar, and the reason they put it down"![{#Bananajam} {#Bananajam}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
![{#Bananajam} {#Bananajam}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
I don't think I have heard a bad version of this song. Just a great guitar hook. There is a nice version done by Black Crows with Jimmy Page on live at the Greek CD.
Nice segue from Fleetwood Mac on the last tune.
Mr. Koettke can play lots better than me. Oh well ...
Mr. Koettke can play lots better than me. Oh well ...
This reminds me...I haven't heard any of the good early Fleetwood Mac in a long time. Rough genius it was...
vandal wrote:
7
8
Me too! This one has grown on me.
7
![{#Arrow} {#Arrow}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_arrow.gif)
Me too! This one has grown on me.
yup its good! Me ~ Likey
No sir, this is not a good version!
7
![{#Arrow} {#Arrow}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_arrow.gif)
really like some of Leo's stuff.
Yeah, it's a COVER. Deal with it. If you want the original, listen to the original. I really like this - Kottke's open-tuning is a nice touch. And the deep voice... Makes the song a little bit ominous and scary, as opposed to the kinetic original. ![{#Bananajam} {#Bananajam}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
![{#Bananajam} {#Bananajam}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/bananajam.gif)
I had a friend who was starting a band, and she sang a good version of this song. She's the one I credit for me starting to have taste in music. Most of the rest of the credit goes to Radio Paradise. :-)
I hope that I can take back any disparaging comments I may have made about this track before. . . because, BAM! It just hit me how good this really is. . .
he original was sooooo good it makes this definitely second rate
Infinitely Cooler Than The Original.
Following mid-phase Fleetwood Mac with early Fleetwood Mac (cover I'd never heard before)...excellent!
Alpine wrote:
Why knot? Interesting that for me it makes me appreciate the tune more!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Why knot? Interesting that for me it makes me appreciate the tune more!!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Had to log on here just slam this piece of shit. I hate this. Really I do. Just sayin. I hardly ever slam songs, but this turd has got to go!
ThirdRail_33 wrote:
Spot on
Two super guitar players - great technique, but the vocals drag it down. The original's still better than this cover, IMHO.
Spot on
Two super guitar players - great technique, but the vocals drag it down. The original's still better than this cover, IMHO.
I can see this cover getting sampled a lot.
First time I've heard this. Sounds pretty awesome. Radio Paradise FTW!
First listen. Love it. Quirky. Unique.
PeorgieTirebiter wrote:
Artists often change the lyrics slightly on remakes for copyright reasons.
I always like Mike Gordon's bass playing.
I like this, but Kottke gets the lyrics wrong — or changed them for some reason. It's supposed to be "Can't sing, I ain't pretty, and my legs are thin."
As far as the song itself goes, it's on my all-time top ten list.
As far as the song itself goes, it's on my all-time top ten list.
Artists often change the lyrics slightly on remakes for copyright reasons.
I always like Mike Gordon's bass playing.
Leo's a great player but I'll take the F.M. original over this any day.
woozurbuddy wrote:
I agree. This one has always seemed to me like "oops, we need one more track to fill out the LP...what else do we all know how to play?" filler. But I'm not going to be as generous as you. 5
Having said all that, I find this Fleetwood Mac cover to be somewhat lackluster, knowing what he could really do with it if he let it rip.
I agree. This one has always seemed to me like "oops, we need one more track to fill out the LP...what else do we all know how to play?" filler. But I'm not going to be as generous as you. 5
This version is ok but I love the Fleecewood Jack original off "Then Play On" best..
I like this, but Kottke gets the lyrics wrong — or changed them for some reason. It's supposed to be "Can't sing, I ain't pretty, and my legs are thin."
As far as the song itself goes, it's on my all-time top ten list.
As far as the song itself goes, it's on my all-time top ten list.
If anyone else had done this, I'd rate it higher. But Leo is Leo and this is not up to his usual standards.
Caught me in a good mood. 4 5
Krispian wrote:
love Leo but nah pale compared to original and would bet anything after they recorded it Leo would say same thing
This version has a better guitar sound than FM's
love Leo but nah pale compared to original and would bet anything after they recorded it Leo would say same thing
vit wrote:
That's just it though — there's nothing different about this cover, except all the peaks and troughs have been sliced off, leaving, well, nothing much.
Oh Well on antidepressants you mean?
That's just it though — there's nothing different about this cover, except all the peaks and troughs have been sliced off, leaving, well, nothing much.
Oh Well on antidepressants you mean?
paraclete wrote:
"Well" put one of my favorites off Then Play On album Leo and Mike don't do it justice
Does not hold a candle to the original by Fleetwood Mac . . Oh well.
"Well" put one of my favorites off Then Play On album Leo and Mike don't do it justice
Does not hold a candle to the original by Fleetwood Mac . . Oh well.
Catchy music, bad vocals. What more can you say.
yeah, at that point just have bill shatner sing it.
This version has a better guitar sound than FM's
Liking this version . . .![{#Good-vibes} {#Good-vibes}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/good-vibes.gif)
![{#Good-vibes} {#Good-vibes}](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/good-vibes.gif)
...i really wish peter green's full length original received more airplay than mike gordon and leo kottke's cover, but it's still a good song, i suppose...
So much for the lie that listening to music online keeps folks from buying it in the (online, in this case) stores....
He's right about "Can't sing" and "Ain't pretty", but he sure can play guitar. (Not sure if his legs are thin though...!)
Essbee wrote:
Nothing beats the Joe Jackson version!
I think the original Fleetwood Mac version leaves it and this for dead. I think this is lackluster and spineless. Hmm, shit sandwich!
Alpine wrote:
I'd like to have two copies of this cd so I could shit on one and cover it up with the other.
And that my friends is what they call a shit sandwich.
Nothing beats the Joe Jackson version!
So what lyrics are little weak... so be it...
there is still some worth gittar here.
I do love that Kotthe sound - voice and guitar. Good song.
RussNelson wrote:
I don't understand why people don't like this tune. Yes, it's different. A cover is SUPPOSED to be different. Sometimes the most radical covers are the best.
That's just it though -- there's nothing different about this cover, except all the peaks and troughs have been sliced off, leaving, well, nothing much.
I'd like to have two copies of this cd so I could shit on one and cover it up with the other.
it was fleetwood mac with peter green who made this song "popular" in the early 70's....they also wrote and sang black mgjic woman, way before santana...which a lot of people don't know...
lwilkinson wrote:
Wish Bill would play the version of this that I think I remember (parts of university were a little hazy); the one Ten Years After did in the early 70's.
![guitarist](https://img.radioparadise.com/emoji/icon_guitarist.gif)