Gimme things that won't get lost (or I'll stab you in the face?)

The new song that samples "Old Man" makes my blood BOIL. I have heard it twice today too, which angers me even more (to think people are playing it!). I have touched on the issue of covers before, but I would like to extend it to sampling... I like to think of myself as being fairly open, but some things are perfect and need not be messed with. (Insert "kids - get off of my lawn!" joke here.)

"Old Man" - Neil Young - is one of these morsels of perfection. The song is practically sacred to me. It's before my time and all, but I love it so much. It's one of the songs that I can play over and over. The song that samples is it is also called "Old Man" and is by singer/songwriter Redlight King. When I first heard it I was in the car on my way home from work and I heard the opening familiar chords and I was super excited for one split-second. And then it was this song and my jaw dropped and I got freaked out/livid. Filled with murderous bile. Luckily I don't live far from work or I might have driven badly I was so rage-filled.

I just... don't like it. I don't like the way it kind of waters-down/cheapens(?) such a special song (I realize the musician has to put his own spin on it and write a new song not just cover it, which is good, I respect that)... but in my mind I think that this effort doesn't make it special enough. And I think that's a huge risk when you sample something so iconic. I can forgive/overlook 97% of other song-usages... but Old Man?????? That's unique, a classic, huge. You'd better really bring it if you attempt that. This falls short, it just doesn't do it justice, IMO.

I googled this artist/song and apparently, he wanted to use it and had to ask Neil Young for it repeatedly - Neil Young apparently rarely approves these usages - and finally got him to agree to it by playing the song? And apparently he wrote it for his dad, and that's nice... Persistence and dad issues makes me soften towards it just a tad... maybe my murderous rage will mellow in a while... but currently I am still not having it. Still feel rather violently terrible (hence the post title's stabbiness) towards the song.

Another article or 2 that I read (just two or three, I didn't want to waste too much time on this, haha) compared it to having an Everlast sort of vibe, and I think that's very accurate. I will allow there could be potential. But I still can't abide the usage of my beloved Neil Young. Soooo I am taking an early stand on this and saying boo.


Watch the original in all its glory first (I think I've posted it before?):




Then hear the new song (travesty might be a smidge harsh) and its tacky video (although the glasses guy is cute in that inked up hepatitis way):




Who's with me? Or can you defend it? Is it OK because Neil Young said so? This probably will lead to a sampling post... so feel free to make suggestions too, or link to your pet peeves.