Mac Miller – “Vienna” (Billy Joel Cover)
If rap was the NBA, Mac Miller would easily be top 3 in votes for the Most Improved award. Good A.M. was one of our 40 Best Rap Albums of the year, and the growth seems to continue with the disparate Billy Joel cover “Vienna.” Mac perhaps has some schizophrenic tendencies, working under a few aliases like the high-pitched Delusional Thomas, studio rat Larry Fisherman, and the soulful Larry Lovestein. “Vienna” is more Lovestein than anyone else, but it’s credited to Fisherman. Slowing and saddening Joel’s classic from 1977’s The Stranger, Mac’s version seems chopped and screwed with nothing but his deepened voice and reverbed keys to carry his contemplations. Listen below via Noisey.
Good A.M. is out now via Warner Bros, but unfortunately there is nothing like this on it.