cover songs. how very vaguely odd.

[racinchikki]

Listening to my radio.sonicnet station just now, I heard Tori Amos singing Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". It's incredibly odd to hear that song sung as if it's a pretty little ballad. The "hello hello hello hello hell-o" parts are the only recognizable parts -- heck, I didn't know that song HAD actual words when Kurt Cobain mumbled through it. It was incredibly, incredibly odd.

I also heard some altrock band's remake of "Mrs Robinson", which was extremely recognizable. I didn't particularly care for it (I didn't like the original), but at least it WAS the same song.

I still can't get over that Nirvana cover.

[Zenster]

Now you know how I feel when I'm forced to listen to the "unplugged" version of Layla. Gimme Derek and the Dominoes anytime.

[dropzone]

At least the ones you mention attempt to do something new with the song. What irks me are cover versions that try to recreate the original note-for-note. None come to mind at the moment (the work radio is playing country and my mind is awash in whiney pabulum) but I'll list some when I can get my brain back.

[Saint Zero]

Any cover of "Purple Haze".

You'd think someone would finally pronounce the line "'scuse me, while I kiss the sky" CORRECT! But no! Everyone makes it sound like he's about to have a Gay Moment. (no offense, just wish they'd ennunciate right.)

[Ogre]

Racinchikki,

I'm guessing that Mrs. Robinson was the Lemonheads.

[Silver Fire]

Just to satisfy a burning curiosity, I listened to the Leann Rimes cover of "Purple Rain". Bad, horrible. It was just so... WRONG.

I've heard that the Amos version of Smells Like Teen Spirit is actually pretty good. I can't bring myself to listen to it though.

[jb_farley]

dropzone, Wish You Were Here by sparklehorse is an example.

what a waste of a yorke

[racinchikki]

The Tori Amos "Smells Like Teen Spirit" sucks, in my honest opinion, even if not compared to the Nirvana version.

[Freudian Slit]

I know what you mean- I D/Led the Tori Amos version of Smells like Teen Spirit at amazon.com last year, very odd.

Sweet Dreams- another example of a cover not even vaguely resembling its original.

Britney Spears doing (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction! Good lord, what induced her to do THAT? Her silicon breast implants?

The American Pie cover version...strange and kind of techno-weird.

All I can think of for now. I rather like the cover of Mrs. Robinson by the Lemon Heads: i like the original better though.

[Whammo]

Originally posted by dropzone
What irks me are cover versions that try to recreate the original note-for-note.


See, I'm just the opposite. The original was the best. Yours isn't going to be better in any of the original fans eyes. The song was written the way its supposed to be, don't fuck with it!


As for the worst... Sheryl Crow doing guns and roses "sweet child of mine" is just plain blasphemy.

[Gunslinger]

Good cover:
Jimi Hendrix, All Along the Watchtower

[Ike Witt]

On Napster I found a Soundgarden cover of the Spinal Tap classic Big Bottom. It is surprisingly good.

[MadPoet]

Good cover of Purple Haze: The Cure

Other good covers:
Build Me Up, Buttercup - The Goops
Take on Me - Reel Big Fish
Most of Garage Inc. - Metallica
How Soon is Now? - Love Spit Love (but death to the girl band who redid it recently)
Blue Monday - Orgy
Hazy Shade of Winter - Bangles
Sail Away - Eric Cartman
Everybody Knows - Concrete Blonde

And I like the Tori remake of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Then, I'd buy a CD of her gargling, as long as it had a picture of her on the cover.

[Coldfire]

Rusty Cage, as covered by Johnny Cash.

And by God, Tori Amos' version of SLTS is one of the most bonechilling songs I've ever heard. Beautiful.

[The Mermaid]

Originally posted by adam yax
On Napster I found a Soundgarden cover of the Spinal Tap classic Big Bottom. It is surprisingly good.

How could I leave that behind?

Just about the funniest lyrics in rock n roll.

[Kilt-wearin' man]

Sting does a surprisingly good cover of "Purple Haze" in concert sometimes. I was impressed, anyway.

Stevie Ray Vaughan had a way with Hendrix tunes, too.

I notice a few years ago a handful of Dire Straits songs being covered by country/western singers. Most of the cover versions sucked.

U2 did a great cover of "Everlasting Love" on one of thier singles from "Rattle and Hum." They made a disco song cool. That's GOTTA be hard.

[TwistofFate]

I saw Moby in 1996 backing up the Red Hot Chili Peppers. he was half way through his set (all played completely live, BTW, he was in his rock phase).

He steps up to the mike, and he says "I'm gonna play a song now, by a dead guy from Seattle"

He then launches into SLTS, and the crowd got right into it. After about 8 bars (the intro, for you non music types) he stops... and the crowd goes silent.

"Sorry," he says, starting the intro to Purple Haze, "Wrong Dead guy".


classic.


speaking of the Red hot Chili Peppers, they do really good covers of "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John (which is better than the Original) and "If you want Me to Stay" by Sly and the family Stone.

[Punoqllads]

Didn't we just have a cover song thread? I forgot to mention there one of my favorite covers, The Sundays' version of Wild Horses.

[pldennison]

Originally posted by Whammo
Originally posted by dropzone
What irks me are cover versions that try to recreate the original note-for-note.


See, I'm just the opposite. The original was the best. Yours isn't going to be better in any of the original fans eyes. The song was written the way its supposed to be, don't fuck with it!

Oooh, I couldn't disagree more. In fact, as an example, I'd say nearly every single cover on both Please Please Me and With the Beatles is as good as if not better than the original recordings. Like, don't get me wrong--I worship Smokey Robinson. The man is a god. But I still like the Beatles' version of "You Really Got a Hold on Me" better.

[alibey]

I think that it depends on how the remake is done. I have heard some that are good, like Hole redoing Gold Dust Woman, and some that blew chunks (vomiting)like some of the others that I have suffered through. It just depends on ones taste (or lack of) in music.

[Mockingbird]

The covers I have liked recently have been "Take On Me" and "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Reel Big Fish...

[Feynn]

Cartman rocks, the southpark version of "Sail Away" is too funny.

Death can be the only punishment for Madonna's cover of American Pie.

Has anyone ever heard Garth Brooks do Kiss' Hard Luck Woman? It is amazingly good and most people wouldn't know it was Garth.

[stofsky]

Even my 5 year old daughter and her friend agreed that that Stones are far superior to Brittney when played side-by-side (OK, maybe it was a bit much to force them to listen to them, but I wanted to know). Burst her breast implants for doing that--to paraphrase another doper who I don't remember, the one foot Keith Richards has in the grave is spinning.

Whatever dead teenager song that Pearl Jam just redid, with identical instrumentation but worse vocals.

Anything Bonnie Raitt has done to a John Hiatt song, except the Buddy Guy version of "Feels Like Rain" where she only sings backup--and I like most BR.

Good covers: The SRV tribute album. The Janis Joplin tribute, though many of Janis's songs were covers. Most covers Aaron Neville's done.

I'm the opposite of the earlier poster who called for note-for-note cover versions. As a musician, I won't be able to express myself by playing, say, Eddie Van Halen's solo exactly. Looking back, it wasn't long ago that songwriters and performers were usually separate entities. The era of the singer/songwriter came about in the late 60s. And, as a non-songwriting musician, everything I play is a form of a cover song. OK, I'm rambling. My point, to get to it, is that a note-for-note cover is for Kiss copiers who wear the makeup. Otherwise, make it your own, just as Metallica did with "Turn the Page" (though I personally think they should be lined up and shot from the toes up for that one).

[Jman]

Good Covers:

"Hey Bulldog" by Toad the Wet Sprocket: IMO, this version is considerably better than the original by the Beatles. It's got the edge I think the song needs.

"Come Together" by Soundgarden. The original is still better, but this cover is just cool for some reason.

Bad Covers:

"Sweet Dreams" by Marilyn Manson - the most god-awful crap ever produced. The Eurhythmics version is such a great song, and MM just makes it horrible.

"American Pie" by Madonna. Ugghhh.. I think it's horrible.

Jman

[andygirl]

I like Judy Collins' covers of Dylan songs.

I also like Tori's version of SLTS... gives me shivers.

[Olentzero]

Ok, speaking of cover songs, who the hell is behind the folksy remake of Easy E's "Gangsta"?! I hear it on the local indie station all the time and they never say who it is.

It makes me laugh because of the total oddity of it, but I shudder to think what my poet friends think of it.

[gigi]

Originally posted by Silver Fire
Just to satisfy a burning curiosity, I listened to the Leann Rimes cover of "Purple Rain". Bad, horrible. It was just so... WRONG.

Haven't heard that one, but substitute Faith Hill and "Take Another Piece of My Heart" and that's my thought.

And as I was about to type this, "Me and Bobby McGee" came on the radio. Thanks for the nod, Janis :)

[RealityChuck]

One of the most surprising juxtaposions was when Bobby McFerrin and Yo Yo Ma started playing Bach's "Musette in D Major" and McFerrin turned it into "Purple Haze."

Of course, I'm probably the third person in the world to get the joke, alas.

[Robot Arm]

I've heard a little of the Kronos Quartet (two violins, viola, cello) version of Purple Haze and it's fantastic, and I've read that they also do Miserlou by Dick Dale.

The Bobs do a lot of brilliant covers. My favorites are White Room, Ring of Fire, Sittin' in Limbo and Psycho Killer. Saint Zero, you can make out the lyrics pretty well in their rendition of Purple Haze. And as much as I love them for covering Particle Man, it loses a little something when done a cappella.

I saw a couple of street musicians a few months ago. They did Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D-minor and Winter from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons on two accordians. And they kicked ass.

[neutron star]

Tori has done many brilliant covers. My favorites right now are Case of You (Joni Mitchell) and I'm on Fire (Springsteen). Both are absofrigginlutely amazing.

She also did a good cover of the abforementioned Purple Rain. And lets not forget Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Home on the Range, and a musical adaptation of Humpty Dumpty.