Be Prepared - Chris Blakey & Supervillain feat. Keterol

Kevin, Mr. Munkeepants and nullgnu, have all requested to hear a cover of Be Prepared, the villainous song sung by Scar in The Lion King. Well, Be Prepared covers are very rare, but I have one that would work for this month's installment of Terrible Track Friday.

This version is by New York indie artist CHRIS BLAKEY who teamed up with a buddy called Supervillain to record this song for a contest. According to his website, the contest had its contestants cover a Disney song in the style of another artist. Chris chose to cover Be Prepared in the style of alternative metal rockers TOOL.

I love Tool and I would have never imagined Be Prepared in their style but Chris actually pulls it off well. Unfortunately, the original is pretty much lost except for the lyrics. It really isn't the same song any more.

What makes this song fit into the Terrible Track Friday category is the vocals. Sorry Supervillain, the singing is just too monotonous. And same with the speaking part in the middle. It just sounds like the singer and speakers are bored, which makes the song quite boring by the end of it.

Be Prepared Chris Blakey & Supervillain 2007

This is a second version from their website with rerecorded vocals by Keterol. While the singing is slightly better and sounds a lot more like Tool singer Maynard James Keenan, it is quite pitchy and not all that pleasant to listen to. Invest in a pitch corrector! It'll help a bit, but ultimately singing lessons are the way to go to get a better handle on vocal control. But don't try to ever get as good as Maynard, it just won't happen.

Keep trying, Chris and company! These covers have tons of potential!

Be Prepared Chris Blakey & Supervillain feat. Keterol 2007