The cowbell. An obscure tool turned instrument that has became a pop culture beacon thanks to the seminal SNL sketch featuring Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken. That sketched referenced Blue Oyster Cult’s hit “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” long considered to be the best use of a cowbell ever recorded. But we have a new champ.
Adam Curry and John Mellencamp.
First, yes… that Adam Curry. The former VJ turned father of podcasting. And, no… they didn’t record the song together. The recording is a mashup of sorts and is taken from Curry’s Daily Source Code podcast. Curry often plays the cowbell on his show but on the June 25th episode he really got into it, no doubt inspired by Mellencamp’s 60’s tribute song “R.O.C.K. in the USA.”
So, here it is… the Adam Curry Cowbell Mix of John Mellencamp’s “R.O.C.K. in the USA” (MP3)