Aside from Outside Pedestrian’s medley which presents a completely new version of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” allows Bach’s sacred piece to rise to a new form of interpretation. By the time you start to listen to it, you realize that this is not just another cover up track. Replacing the spirituality one can hear and feel in more refined orchestral covers with jaz-rog beat the band creates an atmosphere filled with urbanity and adventurous spirit.
Imagine New York in winter: puffs of steam from the vendors’ grill, people wrapped in scarves, crowded around cups of coffee in warm cafés, everyone in a hurry. This is the world Outside Pedestrian evokes—a constantly present visual painting superimposed to jazz structures and free-flowing rhythm. Their cover is more personal and even more enormous than the original.
What must not be forgotten is the fact that there are some serious differences between this one and the original song, or rather, it can be suggested that these differences are brought by the rhythm in the performance. It’s a slow beat where the group brings in tracks of a piano together with bass line and drums with such mystic, sultry feel. The result shows that in mourning the loss of summer, we can also embrace the relief of the colder months ahead.
The climax, however, is the solo for the guitar. This starts with progressive rock and then glides into something like Santana by the end of it, very passionate and quite warm. The given piece is a demonstration of how a rock band is not shy to take a classic piece and give it an absolutely unique twist.
Outside Pedestrian’s version of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” not only pays tribute to Bach but represents an attempt to re-imagine him and which became a true ‘pop’ Christmas hit.
