Seal’s Crazy
10,000 Maniacs Stockton Gala Days
Black Crowes She Talks To Angels
What else?
I always liked the acoustic version of “Hotel California” by The Eagles (from the live CD Hell Freezes Over) more than the original version.
A lot of people like the acoustic version of “Layla” by Eric Clapton better than the original. I don’t know, I think the original sounds more…earnest, for some reason. The acoustic version is a little too mellow for my taste.
Foo Fighters – “Everlong”
You beat me to it. I never really liked the original until the Hell Freezes Over version was put out-- that’s a wonderful arrangement.
The nice acoustic version of the theme to Star Trek: Enterprise (in the early seasons when it just called Enterprise) was replaced somewhere along the way by an overdriven synthed-out piece of crap that, combined with the appearance of alien Nazis, caused my last lingering shred of patience to unravel.
U2’s “Stuck in a Moment”
Social Distortion’s “Angel’s Wings”
Stone Temple Pilots, Plush.
Amen on She Talks to Angels.
I’ve never heard an acoustic version of any song that sounded better than the “regular” one. Ditto for live music too, IMHO.
Another vote for Foo Fighter’s “Everlong”
And Social Distortion - “Ball and Chain”
Stone Temple Pilots, Plush.
Amen on She Talks to Angels.
Colin Hay, Overkill
It’s hard to say that the acoustic “Layla” is “better” than an original which is one of the handful of greatest rock songs. But given that the original is a primal scream of desire for a woman that Clapton was then long bitterly divorced from, changing the song so drastically to make it a bittersweet memory and lament was a brilliant move.
Although I like both versions a lot, “Brand New Colony” by The Postal Service is better acoustic in my opinion.
Nick Cave’s acoustic Mercy Seat on the Road to Who God Where vid.
I came in here to vote for that one too. Plus Chris Cornell’s version of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billy Jean’.
Nooooo, I finally heard this the other day on Sirius and wasn’t impressed. It’s ok but the original is a masterpiece.
They’re out there. Sometimes you have to hear them first to like them better. Have you heard Nirvana’s Unplugged album? It’s acoustic and live and one of the best albums ever made IMO, and I’m not a big Nirvana fan.
*Such Great Heights *becomes 10x better when done as a soft acoustic piece by Iron & Wine, vs the original electro-indie-pop version by Postal Service.
Since it’s a cover rather than an acoustic performance by the same artist, it probably doesn’t count, though.
Jason Mraz - Remedy
10,000 Maniacs - Candy Everybody Wants
Squeeze - Pulling Mussels (the radio acoustic version)
Big Country - In a Big Country
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead or Alive
Bruce Springsteen now does an acoustic “Born in the USA” that I don’t know if I’d call better, than the original, but it’s very differnt and IMHO just as good.
I like the version of “Just About Glad” on Costello/Nieve better than the one on Brutal Youth. The version of “God’s Comic” he did on that tour also blows away the one on Spike, but it’s never been officially released.