I disagree, but I like Cash. I like Live as well, but that cover just didn’t do it for me. I guess it just depends on what side your bread is buttered on. As stated upthread, Cash’s versions of Hurt and Personal Jesus were far superior to the originals, IMO. And I’m not saying someone can’t cover his songs and improve them; a number of the songs on the Cash tribute album, Kindred Spirits, were improvements, including Hank Williams Jr.'s take on Big River, Springsteen’s rendition of Give My Love to Rose and Steve Earle’s cover of Hardin Wouldn’t Run.
Now for a couple of controversial picks: I prefer Metallica’s version of Seger’s Turn the Page, and Shinedown’s cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Simple Man to the respective originals. May not spark much furor around here, but if I made that statement (especially the latter half) in my home town, I’d probably be punched in the mouth, no questions asked.
Kinda surprised no one’s mentioned it, but Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer’s cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” is absolutely chilling. Already a great song to begin with, but they took it to the next level. Especially freaky given that it was recorded weeks before they both died, and released posthumously.
For covers that fall into the “as good but completely different” category, I nominate the Ramones’ version of Tom Waits’ “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up.” While the original sounds like depressed dread of the inevitable (the kind that’s fun to wallow in during those “I hate my life” moments), the cover is positively defiant: they could’ve changed “don’t wanna” to “ain’t gonna” and it would’ve been the same.
First all the dissing of Dolly. Then someone asserting that Nirvana’s version of “In the Pines” is better than Leadbelly’s (whose version is superbly chilling). I despair of the lot of you!
I don’t have any particular problems with The Greatfull Dead’s version of Ripple. It’s a perfectly decent song if that’s the sort of thing that you like. On the otherhand Janes Addiction launched that song into the stratosphere as far as I’m concerned.
I prefer Dave Edmunds’ version of “Girl Talk” to Elvis Costello’s, but just barely.
Have you ever heard the soundtrack to Mona Lisa Smile? Modern artists covering old pop standards from the late 40s, for the most part. Some standouts include Tori Amos’ “Murder He Says” and the Trevor Horn Orchestra’s remakes of “Istanbul Not Constantinople” and “Life Would Be a Dream.”
Of the million versions of “Santa Baby,” my favorite so far is Maria Muldaur’s.
I agree. Her duet with George Jones on “Blues Man” is one of the all-time greats, as are her songs with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris on the Trio albums and the Kenny Rogers duet, “Islands in the Stream.” She is amazing.
Don’t know if they’re available on records, but Heart’s live covers of Battle of Evermore and Misty Mountain Hop are better than Led Zep’s. It helps to have two singers to choose from, and they absolutely nail the voices when the wailing really gets going in both songs (which is why I’m pretty sure, even though I never saw Zep live, that even Zep live would be inferior in Battle of Evermore since Sandy Denny is sadly unavailable.) There’s no other way to explain it except that they sing the notes that Plant was trying to sing. Think him but %50 better.
On the downside, though, they don’t have the quickie drum solo in MMH that’s the highlight of the song and really adds to its atmosphere and character, although they might be able to if they put it to vinyl, and of course the harmony on BoE is not quite as good.
I wish Heart would do a song-for-song cover album of Led Zep IV. I bet they’d do Four Sticks and Levee better as well (their version of Black Dog is slightly worse, and I think Rock n Roll and Stairway would be worse as well.)
ETA: according to wikipedia, they did release a cover of BoE as the Lovemongers.
“The Battle Of Evermore” was available by The Lovemongers on a CD single (EP), but it’s out of print now. That doesn’t mean you can’t still find it for cheap on the net. I’ve got one, and you’re right, it is awesome!
Heart cut their teeth doing Zeppelin covers. I’ve got a bootleg of them playing in a bar right around the time they got their first recording contract, and three of the songs are Zep. They kicked ass on all of them!
I like the Talking Heads cover of Take me to the River better, but not by a lot, than the Al Green original.
I think that the Missy Elliott pseudo-cover of I Can’t Stand the Rain is as good as it is different from the Ann Peebles original.
My old RA in college said that Frankie Goes to Hollywood did Born to Run the way it was supposed to be done. FTR, this was in 1985, when Bruce ruled America.
While I love The Wolfgang Press and wonder why most of their catalog is out of print, I have to say that their cover of Momma Told Me Not to Come is not as good as the Three Dog Night version.
