Cover songs versus the original track, which ones are better?

[Hornbein]

I found that very disturbing. You prefer this to the original?

Yeah. It is truly extreme, yes?

Just about anything by Eva Cassidy is better than the original. It's phenomenal. Her version of Over The Rainbow has largely surplanted the Garland version, something I would have thought impossible.

Sershen and Zaritskaya, same thing. Daria is the best hard rock singer ever, if you ask me. The sort of thing you wouldn't want anyone else to know you liked.

Foxes and Fossils are a terrific cover band. Don't forget Big Brother and the Holding Company w Janis Joplin.

 

[BWV]

Satan was hailed better in this cover

 

[Hornbein]

Whether I like or dislike any cover version will not be how another listener must react to that cover version. I would find very very little way to reason why I am correct and the other listener to be incorrect. I am trying to find a way to "judgement independent of personal taste".

Being a (untalented) musician myself who has studied music for fifty-plus years, it is true that enjoyment of music is subjective. Though while mass popularity is highly unpredictable, there is remarkable consistency in musicians' evaluation of the skill of others. I once saw a TV show where they had polled famous rock musicians as to whom they thought the best and had made a ranking of the top 100. I was able to predict the top 4 in order, and thought the whole list was pretty much bang on. After developing a certain amount of skill in music and listening to a lot of it you get an idea of what someone's goal is and how close (or not) they are to reaching it, even if you don't like their goal.

There are certain musicians who are praised by ALL other musicians in their genre. It's unanimous. How subjective can that be?

In comparison I find lists of top selling recordings to be highly unpredictable. It has more to do with clothes and hairstyle and so forth.

 

[pinball1970]

Satan was hailed better in this cover

I checked this one. Also fairly disturbing as a mash up of the film.

 

[BWV]

I checked this one. Also fairly disturbing as a mash up of the film.

The singer is Mike Patton also of Faith No More and Mr Bungle (and a host of other projects). Did a whole album of film tunes, which youtubers have combined with film excerpts

 

[DaveC426913]

Never have I heard a cover do justice to an original so much as with Lovers in a Dangerous Time.
It was an OK song when Bruce did it, but the BNL breathed a haunting soul into it that made it all it was meant to be.

Bruce Cockburn (1984)
Bare Naked Ladies (1991)

 

[hutchphd]

You will never hear the song the same way again......

 

[hutchphd]

@DaveC426913 He also does "Hey Mr Tamborine Man" that makes me wish to cry. He's Canadian you know. I used to love Mr Tamborine man.

 

[pinball1970]

You will never hear the song the same way again......

I have been waiting for these! Shatner, Legend!

 

[pinball1970]

@DaveC426913 He also does "Hey Mr Tamborine Man" that makes me wish to cry. He's Canadian you know. I used to love Mr Tamborine man.

Ill see your Shatner and raise you a Kojak!

I think William was having fun but I really think this one is supposed to be serious! Reason I know? He lights a cigarette before he starts, gets that gravel ready!

 

[pinball1970]

I think I have only contributed one so far! some interesting versions!

 

[fresh_42]

I think I have only contributed one so far! some interesting versions!

Sure that all these have been covers, or did you raise with monopoly money?

Anyway, I pay a William(s) plus a Savallas, no reraise:

Original:



Cover:



Edit: No monopoly money, I found the original. Malheuresement.

 

[pinball1970]

Sure that all these have been covers, or did you raise with monopoly money?

Anyway, I pay a William(s) plus a Savallas, no reraise:

Original:



Cover:



Edit: No monopoly money, I found the original. Malheuresement.

Bread fantastic. London Bridge and Guitar man my favourites. Mum saw David Gates a few years ago in Manchester. Said his voice sounded just as pure.

 

[Klystron]

Which songs were performed, arranged or produced better in a cover than the original version?

Jimi Hendrix covered Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" with an ethereal voice and superb guitar playing that exceeds the original release. Hendrix's version has itself been covered by singers and poets alike. The 2018 series "Vanity Fair" based on a 19th Century novel by Thackeray features a slow measured "Watchtower" theme by Afterhere based on Jimi's cover that sets the pace and feelings for each episode in the series.

Which songs should have been left well alone?

Many other Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) songs including the beautiful sleepy "Lay, Lady, Lay" that others cover but do not surpass. Not so much 'left alone' as folksingers by definition interpret and borrow from multiple sources including the blues, baroque, and poetry.

Presuming the King actually wrote the scores, I rather enjoy Henry VIII's dance music played on authentic or accurately reproduced period instruments. Modernized covers tend to over dramatize the inherent simplicity and pace of the original dances.

 

[BillTre]

Original (Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven):


One of the best covers ever (Heart, etal. Kennedy Center):

 

[pinball1970]

Original (Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven):


One of the best covers ever (Heart, etal. Kennedy Center):

This one is a mixed bag. It's Led Zeppelin and Heart covering so SHOULD have been perfect.

The gospel choir kicked in, not required and unnecessary.
The brass kicked in, should have left that alone.
Jason Bonham on drums was a nice touch.

 

[pinball1970]

Jimi Hendrix covered Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" with an ethereal voice and superb guitar playing that exceeds the original release. Hendrix's version has itself been covered by singers and poets alike. The 2018 series "Vanity Fair" based on a 19th Century novel by Thackeray features a slow measured "Watchtower" theme by Afterhere based on Jimi's cover that's sets the pace and feelings for each episode in the series.Many other Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) songs including the beautiful sleepy "Lay, Lady, Lay" that others cover but do not surpass. Not so much 'left alone' as folksingers by definition interpret and borrow from multiple sources including the blues, baroque, and poetry.

Presuming the King actually wrote the scores, I rather enjoy Henry VIII's dance music played on authentic or accurately reproduced period instruments. Modernized covers tend to over dramatize the inherent simplicity and pace of the original dances.

Jimmy Hendrix "all along the watchtower" is perfection.
No other way of putting it.

Dylan's Mr Tambourine Man and Mighty Quinn gave the Byrds and Manfred Mann's Earth Band two great songs too.

 

[Hornbein]

The Byrd's covers of Dylan are superb but suffer from lotech recording. I like The Thorns recent versions of same.

 

[BWV]

 

[pinball1970]

I thought it was Lou Reed! All these years!

 

[Hornbein]

Burning up Highway Star. Better than the orig I say. Endorsed by Ian Paice. He says they are from Austria.

 

[Hornbein]

I thought it was Lou Reed! All these years!

Iggy Stooge was class valedictorian at my high school.

 

[BWV]

Burning up Highway Star. Better than the orig I say. Endorsed by Ian Paice. He says they are from Austria.

Nice cover, made me think of this for some reason

 

[jack action]

Astronomy Domine

Good original from Pink Floyd:

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Better cover from Voivod:

​

 

[pinball1970]

Burning up Highway Star. Better than the orig I say. Endorsed by Ian Paice. He says they are from Austria.

Ian Paice is a very nice man. However he is wrong , a nice cover but a woman singing Ian Gillan works in terms of range but not timbre.

 

[BWV]

Astronomy Domine

Good original from Pink Floyd:

​

Better cover from Voivod:

​

another cool PF cover

 

[pinball1970]

another cool PF cover

Not keen an the Sid years. A few tracks are ok but Floyd kicked in when Gilmore started firing for me. Echoes

 

[pinball1970]

Burning up Highway Star. Better than the orig I say. Endorsed by Ian Paice. He says they are from Austria.

Deep purple. Listen to how relaxed his voice is. The try singing it.
He has a go a bouncers who were being rough

 

[Hornbein]

That reminds me, Nick Mason's band Saucerful of Secrets does great Pink Floyd covers.

 

[Hornbein]

another cool PF cover

Way better than the orig. (Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun.)