Review
As with all covers, the best songs here revere the original (is there anything more dispiriting than an ironic cover?) but add a new dimension or perspective, As well as Allen's chimingly lovely version of Straight To Hell, her sweet vocal making the lyrics bite even harder, Peaches brilliantly re-invents The Stooges' Search And Destroy as sleek, dark electropop and Scissor Sisters streamline and discofy Roxy Music's Do The Strand.
Of the bolder cover attempts, only Duffy's Live And Let Die truly falls flat on its face. Presumably, slowing down this former Bond theme was an attempt to add Shirley Bassey grandeur, but losing its abrupt, playful shifts in tempo robs it of all its former charm. Rufus Wainwright fares much better with his medley from Brian Wilson's Smile, pushing his florid, elegant vocals to the forefront.
There are more straightforward revisitings, too. Beck's version of Leopard-Skin Pill Box Hat is strikingly similar to Bob Dylan's own honky tonk version, with a little added swagger, while Elbow approach Running To Stand Still with the same stately grace as U2. Sadly, TV On The Radio's version of David Bowie's Heroes is a mess, with its hard electro beats adding nothing to the futuristic perfection of the original.
War Child: Heroes is admirably more ambitious than many previous covers records, and the fact it succeeds so often is to its credit. But given the breadth of talent assembled here, you do wonder whether letting them turn in their own homework might have been even more satisfying. --Jaime Gill
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CD Description
The album concept sees the biggest heroes in music history select a personal favourite track from their own back catalogue, and nominate an act from the next generation to create a modern reworking of that classic song.
The 15 legends supporting the projects - including Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, U2, Stevie Wonder and David Bowie - have combined global album sales of over 1.4bn
The new acts they have chosen to cover the classic tracks include the UK's biggest selling album artist of 2008, Duffy; the current Mercury prize winners, Elbow; and the act behind the most critically acclaimed album of 2008, TV On The Radio.
Some legends selected one of their all-time classic standards like Stevie Wonder's `Superstition', covered by Estelle, and Blondie's `Call Me', covered by Franz Ferdinand. Some selected favourite tracks that deserve to be rediscovered as in Scissor Sister's exhilarating version of Roxy Music's `Do The Strand' (not released as a single in the UK) and Lily Allen's stunning new take on The Clash's `Straight To Hell' (originally the b-side of `Should I Stay, Or Should I Go').
The album was recorded over six months in studios in London, Manchester, Paris, Berlin, New York and Los Angeles. It was mastered at Abbey Road studios in London.
"Heroes" is War Child's fifth album, dating back to 1995's legendary "Help" album. War Child's albums have won awards at the Brit Awards, as well as from Q and NME.
The album is in support of the real heroes - children who live with the brutal affects of war.
