“Crazy” is elegant, old-fashioned songwriting-a taut, melancholy melody that unfolds with impeccable logic over some basic chord changes and erupts into a heart-grabbing singalong chorus. On musical grounds, the song’s popularity makes perfect sense. And in the gruff-and-husky-aging-’80s-hit-makers-do-“Crazy” category, we find versions by Bryan Adams, and, in a particularly grave offense against music, Billy Idol, caterwauling the song a capella. Singer-songwriter Ray La Montagne and certified pop star Nelly Furtado have both performed it acoustically (and plaintively). Indie favorites Of Montreal and Mates of State have sung it, as has the top-selling Scottish band Texas, British neosoul star Terri Walker, and Brit-poppers the Kooks, in a cute skiffle version. singer-songwriter Butch Walker, and the Twilight Singers, the group led by former Afghan Whig frontman Greg Dulli. There have been rocked-up renditions by Jack White’s new band the Raconteurs, emo rockers The Academy Is …, L.A. Almost immediately after the record’s release, the first cover versions appeared, and now the “Crazy” cover phenomenon has become an epidemic. “Crazy” is not just the pop audience’s choice-it’s the choice of pop musicians. The numbers are impressive, but chart success is just the beginning of the story.
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