Cover to Cover: I Couldn't Say It To Your Face

Hey kids, here’s another slightly fun edition of Cover to Cover.

This time around, I’m checking out the song “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face.”

Hope you enjoy.

The Original:

Arthur Russell is a musician/composer that was born in Iowa and eventually wound up in New York where he was part of that scene’s avant-garde and disco communities. He collaborated with other musicians such as Peter Gordon, Talking Heads, Peter Zummo, and poet Allen Ginsberg. He passed away in April 1992 from an AIDS-related illness. He was known as being prolific.

His version of “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face” appeared on a posthumous compilation album titled Love Is Overtaking Me that was released in 2008 through Audika Records and Rough Trade Records.

The Cover:

Ex-Void are a London-based indie rock band that formed in 2018 by Lan McArdle and Owen Williams out of the ashes of a noise pop band called Joanna Gruesome. They released their debut self-titled EP in May 2018 through Don Giovanni Records. Their debut LP was released in March 2022, also on Don Giovanni, and was titled Bigger Than Before. In Love Again, their newest LP, was released earlier this year in January through the Tapete label.

Their version of “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face” the album Bigger Than Before.

The Verdict:

If I’m being honest, I had never heard the original of this song. Furthermore, I didn’t even know that this song was a cover when I first heard it. And even further, I didn’t even know who Arthur Russell was. After listening to these 2 versions, the original is fine but doesn’t really make me want to listen to more Arthur Russell material. The choice on which one I liked was not difficult for this one. It is clearly the Ex Void version. I like their vocal delivery more and I liked the instrumentation more, especially the twangy guitar work. The original just didn’t do anything for me to be honest. I’m not really crazy about the guy’s voice so maybe that had a lot to do with it. The cover, for me anyway, is just a better version.

Other Cover:

There is also another version of this song floating out there. It is a version recorded by Carson McHone. It was released on her July 2024 EP Odes. It is 4 tracks that are exclusively covers. It is a pretty good release. On the subject of “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face,” I prefer her version over the original as well. However, I still prefer the Ex Void version over hers.

But which one do you prefer?

That’s it for this edition of Cover to Cover.

Thanks for reading. Comment are encouraged and highly appreciated.