Are Cover Versions Better Than the Originals?

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The discussion revolves around the appreciation of cover songs that some participants believe surpass the original versions. A part-time songwriter emphasizes the artistry involved in creating unique arrangements for covers, highlighting the challenge of making a song one's own. Various examples of covers are shared, including David Gray's rendition of Bob Dylan's "Meet Me in the Morning," Johnny Cash's cover of "Rusty Cage," and Primus's take on Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar." Participants express differing opinions on whether certain covers are better than the originals, with notable mentions including Eric Clapton's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" and Gary Jules's version of "Mad World." The conversation also touches on the cultural significance of covers in genres like jazz and the emotional impact of certain performances, illustrating the subjective nature of musical interpretation. Overall, the thread highlights a rich exchange of personal favorites and the varying perceptions of what makes a cover successful or superior.
  • #101
lisab said:
Wow, this thread has really taken off!

I think I posted this in Best Songs (a long time ago), but it remains one of my all-time favs. A cover of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHRFZFmEq9o



I always liked that song (ever since I first heard it in Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers"), but never realized it was a cover.
 
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  • #102
Cthugha said:
Nevermore's reinterpretation of the Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel. It is a reinterpretation rather than a cover, but all the harmonies are in there, though sometimes well hidden. This version made me realize how dark the lyrics already have been in the original version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uG7sd-YPmE

I'm such a metalhead, but I have to say this - the S & G original blows this away. And the original is just so much darker for its quiet contemplative brooding delivery.

For the same reason, I like Tori Amos' cover of Slayer's Raining Blood. But in that case, cover and original both have their own virtues to offer.
 
  • #103
Remember Billy Idol?

 
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  • #104
lisab said:
I think I posted this in Best Songs (a long time ago), but it remains one of my all-time favs. A cover of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane"

This is great, I love it. =)
 
  • #105
lisab said:
I think I posted this in Best Songs (a long time ago), but it remains one of my all-time favs. A cover of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane"

I love this - was introduced on the Wild At Heart soundtrack. I hadn't actually heard the original.
 
  • #107
Oh, speaking of OK Computer covers ... Easy Star All-Stars covered the whole album in dub/reggae and it's so good :) It's called Radiodread, here's Subterranean Homesick Alien, which ... if I remember correctly, was a cover already? Bob Dylan?



They've also done Dub Side Of The Moon, which .. is pretty good, but not particularly cohesive, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Dub Band, which is really quite good. Dub is a pretty inoffensive way to re-interpret a tune IMHO.
 
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  • #108
Love this. Turns out to be a cover of a Yardbirds song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOKVTsC4XsQ
 
  • #109
 
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  • #110
I like the dub version there. Also reminded of this nice mash-up (ok not a cover again).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwicb2g3TNk

but here what's this? an acoustic cover of the mash-up. nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY98H6Vyf-E
 
  • #111
Cool! I'll see your Karma with the Zombeatles and raise you the Beatnix.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WfoccRna6I

A Hard Day's Night of the Living Dead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP6nYs9Il7c
 
  • #112
ImaLooser said:
Cool! I'll see your Karma with the Zombeatles and raise you the Beatnix.

Quite like the Beatnix. It's fun to listen to the Rutles either as xtra Beatles songs with slight tongue in cheek or to ferret out the original Beatles songs being referenced.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfhGVIe1gvg
 
  • #113
If zombies performed "Tainted Love" it might sound a little like this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GUnUGKgWDY
 
  • #114
Jim Nabors, aka Gomer Pyle, sings The Beatles:
 
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  • #115
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=?v=aroicTD3gj8
 
  • #116
Tainted Love was originally by Gloria Jones. Later she had a baby with Marc Bolan.

The Lost Fingers do Tainted Love and a bunch of other covers. Here's my fave, an AC/DC number. Nice bass solo. Let's see Cliff Williams do that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_dIm-NweR8

While we're at it, the Harp Twins do lots of very nice covers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JWE9x0twn4

My fave of all AC/DC covers is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cjymPx4xJg
 
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  • #117
The Vitamin String Quartet does all sorts of covers. I like their Jimi Hendrix. Especially Manic Depression. It sounds nuts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p74CJs2J-T4

Many Hendrix covers are done by violinists. It's easier to sound like Jimi on a violin than on a guitar. Here's Emilie Autumn doing his Star Spangled Banner while sporting fairy wings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kws__FNfgis
 
  • #118
Here's a Beatles medley-of-covers which I prefer to the real things probably simply because I got to know it before the Beatles versions. I love this whole first Fever Tree album BTW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKFaeEwRjP0
 
  • #119
1977ub said:
Here's a Beatles medley-of-covers which I prefer to the real things probably simply because I got to know it before the Beatles versions. I love this whole first Fever Tree album BTW.

Nice@ I never would have found that one.
 
  • #120
KidzBop: Today's Greatest Hits Sung by Kids for Kids

It's almost sad when the kids version sounds less infantile than the original.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xpKvOj4cSU

Off topic, but my daughter actually drives around with kids music CDs in her car for her kids. I seriously feel she at least needs better quality kids songs if she's going to do that (at least when I have to sit in the car, too!), so I've been looking for better kids songs.

Who knew They May Be Giants has put out several albums of kids songs? There's even a kids album by the Grateful Dead! And Woody Guthrie!
 
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  • #121
BobG said:
Off topic, but my daughter actually drives around with kids music CDs in her car for her kids. I seriously feel she at least needs better quality kids songs if she's going to do that (at least when I have to sit in the car, too!), so I've been looking for better kids songs.

Who knew They May Be Giants has put out several albums of kids songs? There's even a kids album by the Grateful Dead! And Woody Guthrie!

Here's Mr. Laurence's Starfish. It's based on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, so it's a cover (sort of). He's made about six albums of Kiddie Rock and has a TV show about a magic tree house.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErpXtwdiT_Q
 
  • #122
Mars Volta- Candy and a Currant Bun (Pink Floyd cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlUVtmTgjH0
 
  • #123
ChiralWaltz said:
Mars Volta- Candy and a Currant Bun (Pink Floyd cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlUVtmTgjH0

This cover song is sooo bad...how bad is it DiracPool?...

This song is so bad, that I can't even tell what song it's covering (tremendous cacophonous laughter from the audience).

It must be off of Ummagumma or Piper at the gates of dawn, or something. I don't own those and don't like those "Barrett era" floyd albums, they suck (except See Emily play, Set the controls, and Careful witht that ax...and maybe a few others [hehehe]).
 
  • #124
Dread Zeppelin -- Baba O' Reilly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FilKiVknRUk

This was released as a single in 1977. A friend had a copy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTCYLbFxTpI
 
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  • #125
Yes, Gilligan's Island on acid...I can dig that, baby. Few people know that this was actually the theme intro to the initial pilot episode that Sherwood tried to shop to United Artists. They thought it was a little too "racy" for prime time, so they redid it with the version we all know and love. Sherwood had a prescience for the counter-culture revolution soon to come, but in 1964, it was still square city at the studio.

Incidently, in a backroom deal, the studio later sold the rights to theme song to Peter Grant, who thought it would be perfect for Led Zeppelin and, well, you know the rest.

Now I don't know how much of this is actually true, of course, I heard it one night at a party from this stoned Vietnam vet guy who, admittedly, was OUT THERE. Probably not the most reliable guy on the planet :wink:
 
  • #126
I like that Dread Zeppelin cover too. Good post ImaLooser. It's got that intermittent "ska" vibe to it.

Whatever happened to ska anyway? I really dug that back in the early 90's. There used to be this ska band that would put on a show every month or so by this lake at the college I was going to back then (SSU). They were great man, everybody high as a kite (on love), and dancing around. Those were the good days...
 
  • #127
I enjoyed Dread Zeppelin's first album tons. Then there were other albums that didn't strike me the same way and I lost track of them. I found this more recent album of classic rock covers and I must say I really like it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fun_Sessions "Baba O'Riley" (Townshend) - 4:04
"Sunshine of Your Love" (Brown, Bruce, Clapton) - 5:41
"Born on the Bayou" (Fogerty) - 4:20
"Light My Fire" (The Doors) - 4:28
"Smoke on the Water" (Blackmore, Gillan, Glover, Paice, Lord) - 5:17
"Freebird" (Collins, VanZant, Dutchess) - 6:09
"Feel Like Making Love" (Paul Rodgers, Mick, Ralphs) - 4:19
"BBWAGS" [3] (Putman, Tortell, Johnson, Burke, Boerin) - 3:58
"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (Stephen Stills) - 7:06
"Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End" (Lennon, McCartney) - 5:31

most /all are on the youtube

catchiest to me is probably this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hl5ai1GYQSE
 
  • #128
DiracPool said:
This cover song is sooo bad...how bad is it DiracPool?...

This song is so bad, that I can't even tell what song it's covering (tremendous cacophonous laughter from the audience).

It must be off of Ummagumma or Piper at the gates of dawn, or something. I don't own those and don't like those "Barrett era" floyd albums, they suck (except See Emily play, Set the controls, and Careful witht that ax...and maybe a few others [hehehe]).

I think it's an ok cover, but I really like the Syd Barret era of Pink Floyd. They had a great sound back then, whimsical nonsense with an occasional sharp truth, and a nice swirling psychedelic vortex thing going on.

I know a mouse, and he hasn't got a house,
I don't know why I call him Gerald.
He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.

Hah! <3

All told, my favourite complete album is Meddle and my favourite song is Mother, I love it when Roger's voice cracks at "Mother will she tear your little boy APART?!". Speaking of covers, it's not really a cover, but Sinead O'Connor sang Mother for The Wall concert in Berlin 1990, and I quite like it. It's not as good as the album version, but she seems very humble about it and gives a good performance.



Mars Volta are the kind of band I just enjoy listening to, regardless of what they decide to play. It's good freeform psych-rock! I-DO-WHAT-I-WANT music! Frances The Mute is my favourite album of theirs.
 
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  • #129
Shiina Ringo does a wonderful version of Yer Blues but it is no longer available. Looking for it I came across a list of 194 Japanese Beatles covers. You have been warned.

A band called Tulip does the John/Paul voices perfectly. I can't tell the difference. This one by the Yellow Magic Orchestra of Hello/Goodbye is unbelievably accurate. I think it would fool me in a blindfold test. It must have been a huge amount of work, not to mention the expense of buying that electric sitar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a384_UTLgi0

Tom Jones and the Cardigans doing The Talking Head's Burning Down The House.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBjuoMy9FUU

Sweden's Army of Lovers doing Let The Sunshine in. If you watch it enough times this video starts making sense. You have been warned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpfsGSxZBMo
 
  • #130
Fever Tree cover Neil Young song I wasn't familiar with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1pmeJxMfQE
 
  • #131
So you think elderly people and modern music don't go together? This video will prove you wrong!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItMJtA8vfpw
 
  • #132
I thought there was a discussion about the impossibility to outperform Freddy Mercury - Queen. But it seems to be gone now.

Anyway, I thought Sarah did a good job here.

 
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  • #133
  • #134
Dread Zeppelin doing Black Dog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bULLwt6cRvI
 
  • #135
As to covers, its hard to beat singer Dilana. She does tend to work with lousy bands though. She appeared on a televised talent show and sings most things better than the original. Ballads, hard rock, character stuff, ton of stage presence, can do everything except be undramatic. Best female rock singer since Janis. You wonder, how can this person not be famous? Maybe she looks too weird, I dunno. Some people hate it, don't ask me why. Go to Youtube, search for Dilana Supernova, and take your pick. Roxanne is nice...


Then there's Killer Queen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fsgFDDV9ko
 
  • #136
I enjoy this cover of U2. Jack White sings in a very similar style to the original.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ult8PF_8SOg
 
  • #137
Every hit song of Queen but sung in Japanese.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njN-pBqvNMI
 
  • #138
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=?v=8J4Tj7oDHPQ (more U2)
 
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  • #139
Van Halen changed this one, originally recorded by Martha and the Vandellas, and written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter. I'm not claiming its better than the original recording, but it seems like a notable cover to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=?v=IWlWvp7Ibxg
 
  • #140
Not better than the original, but a fair attempt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOBmbSFS9Mk
 
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  • #141
Metallica's cover of Nic Caves "Loverman" is the best.

 
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  • #142
MisterX said:
Van Halen changed this one, originally recorded by Martha and the Vandellas, and written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter. I'm not claiming its better than the original recording, but it seems like a notable cover to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=?v=IWlWvp7Ibxg

Diver Down baby...wow, that album reminds of TJ Swan and driving around the graveyard at 2am on Saturday night in high school...:-p
 
  • #143
The Vitamin String Quartet plays Jimi Hendrix' Manic Depression.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p74CJs2J-T4&
 
  • #144
 
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  • #145


Death metal cover of John Cage's 4'33
 
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  • #146
~PN(~PN) said:


Death metal cover of John Cage's 4'33


Quite an intense tempo. More speed/thrash metal, I'd say.
 
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  • #147
Here's the original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etY29UONaHg

Here's the cover: (vkgoeswild)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEOFBXui3rs (It's very hard to play)
 
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  • #148
SW VandeCarr said:
Here's the original:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etY29UONaHg

Here's the cover:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEOFBXui3rs (It's very hard to play)

Very nice. Her "Sweet Child of Mine" is good too.
 
  • #149
When the piano bit comes in at the end of Beatbox, it's like a wonderful cover of the busier rest-of-the-song. Here's an amateur piano cover.

the well-known longest version (piano takes over around 7:10):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxbXq_FLrRI

somebody's cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viZ_R8lyjCo
 
  • #150
South Korea's Led Apple doing Go Away by 2NE1, a South Korean girl band.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1NvZRHvURA
 

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