Billie Joe Armstrong - Whole Wide World

Billie Joe Armstrong just released a cover of Wreckless Eric's classic Whole Wide World:



Good stuff!

I prefer the original:




And I also like this cover by The Prissteens better:




That's actually the first version I heard of the song. I heard the original after listening to that Prissteens version over and over again.
(I first heard them on Terre T's show on WFMU, where she said that The Prissteens put the angry in Shangri-Las. Awesome.)


You could go down a whole rabbit hole of covers of this song - The Proclaimers do a good cover, for one, (and one with Eric), and Torres, as did Green Day:

Wreckless Eric live on WFMU

On Saturday night, a friend of mine and I went to see Wreckless Eric, best known for Whole Wide World.

You can hear the whole set here:

Prove It All Night! with Pat Byrne: Playlist from October 17, 2015



I just love how Wreckless Eric now looks like Bricktop's nicer, younger brother.


And Wreckless Eric might not save rock and roll, but he's giving it a real go.

Wreckless Eric - The Whole Wide World

I love this song.



I was actually introduced to this song via a cover by The Prissteens*. That cover floored me, so I eventually found the original . . . and it was even better.

Wreckless Eric reminds me in ways I can't quite explain of Jonathan Richman. Maybe it's the soulful honesty of his voice? The confidence mixed with vulnerability? Not sure.



* Another WFMU intro, from Terry T's Cherry Blossom Clinic, who introduced me to countless bands, not the least of which was the Prissteens - ("They put the 'angry' in 'Shangi-La's'") and Puffy.