Since the last post mentioned an Australian, I’ll throw out Doug Parkinson/In Focus’ version of “Dear Prudence” by the Beatles.
Minnie Ripperton’s first band (of ‘Loving You’ {yuck} fame). Their Rolling Stones covers on their first album are so weirdly psychedlic they’re almost unlistenable. But Rapid Transit/Turn Me On are still, in my opinion, listenable.
My 5 fave covers (probably favorite because I heard them prior to the originals):[ol]
[li]I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down - Paul Young (covering Ann Peebles)[/li][li]Warning - Black Sabbath (covering Aynsley Dunbar’s Retaliation)[/li][li]Going Down - Jeff Beck Group (covering Don Nix)[/li][li]Jet Boy, Jet Girl (The Damned covering New York Dolls)[/li][*]Changes - Jimi Hendrix & The Band of Gypsys (covering Buddy Miles)[/ol]
[ul][li]The definitive cover of Elton John’s Rocket Man, IMO, is by Kate Bush.[/li][li]Dolly Parton took Collective Soul’s namby-pamby song Shine to where it always should’ve been.[/li][li]Duran Duran’s covers collection (Thank You) was widely panned (for several good reasons, including their attempt at 911 Is a Joke) but their version of Lou Reed’s Perfect Day was accoladed by the man himself and is delightfully wistful and sweet.[/li][li]Annie Lennox’s covers collection (Medusa) was similarly bashed by the critics but her complete re-imaginings of The Clash’s Train in Vain and Bob Marley’s Waiting In Vain are sublime.[/li][li]Cassandra Wilson refashioned Glen Campbell’s Wichita Lineman into something pretty special.[/li][li]Eva Cassidy is the queen of beautiful covers. Her reworking of Nat King Cole’s chestnut Autumn Leaves makes me weep.[/li][li]Red Hot Chili Peppers rocked Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground.[/li][li]Alana Davis’s version of Ani DiFranco’s 32 Flavors is better than the original and deservedly got more notice.[/ul][/li]
Lastly, this is somewhat unfair because it’s not out on file trading networks (to my knowledge) but when I saw them live a whole bunch of years ago, Cowboy Junkies performed David Bowie’s Loving the Alien, which seemed a million miles away from their typical ouvre, but damn if Cali didn’t make that song her own. Absolutely gorgeous.
The Beatles’ “I Will” and the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rambler” by Alison Krauss and Union Station.
Neil Diamond’s “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees. I’ve got Neil’s version and it’s not bad.
The Doors’ “LA Woman” by both Billy Idol and Rats of Unusual Size
I recently heard Delbert McClinton covering The Beatles’ “Come Together”. It was so good I had to play it again… even though I normally hate all Beatles covers. This was one of two or three exceptions I’ve ever heard.
:dubious:
:dubious:
:smack:
That’s “Midnight Rider”
I bought her Songbird CD just for Fields of Gold. Too bad she left us so soon…
No BIAS here or anything, but:
The Honeydrippers’ cover of SEA OF LOVE is completely awesome. I could listen to it forever, as a continuous loop, as the soundtrack to the rest of my life–the grand expansiveness of the orchestral accompaniment and the incredible, sexy sensuous voice of the singer… the loopy (I don’t mean crazy, it is more like assigning a SHAPE to the delivery of the song), almost “inevitable” aspects of the delivery – it is just A PERFECT INTERPRETATION. It is THE PERFECT SONG.
AND
The version of If I Were a Carpenter (Tim Hardin) on Fate of Nations is incredible as well. I had HATED IIWAC in any other incarnation – thought it was a lame-o, wimpy, whiny song, but when I heard THIS cover of it, I just fell hopelessly, irretrievable in love with it.
Anyone heard The Postal Service’s cover of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds”? It starts with Ben Gibbard singing the first verse in a trembling falsetto, segues into a stuttering acoustic guitar part for the second, and ends on a wave of synths and chiming electric guitar.
I think it’s cool that one of my favorite artists (Gibbard) shares the same guilty pleasures that I do.
Gibbard’s full-time band Death Cab for Cutie also does a very good cover of Bjork’s “All is Full of Love.”
Already Mentioned:
Johnny Cash: Hurt
Fiona Apple: Across the Universe
Fugees: Killing me Softly
Additions (or I missed them):
Johnny Cash: We’ll Meet Again
Amy Correia: Gasoline Alley/It’s All Over Now
ELO: Roll Over Beethoven (I admit to some embarrassment over this one)
CCR: I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Not my top 10 covers, but 10 that come to mind that I don’t thing have been listed before:[ul][li](Don’t Go Back To) Rockville (R.E.M.) - 10,000 Maniacs[/li][li](What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding (Nick Lowe) - Elvis Costello[/li][li]Thing Called Love (John Hiatt) - Bonnie Raitt[/li][li]Atlantic City (Bruce Springsteen) - The Band[/li][li]Shoot Out The Lights (Richard Thompson) - Los Lobos[/li][li]Knockin’ On Heavens Door (Bob Dylan) - Warren Zevon[/li][li]Tenderness on the Block (Warren Zevon) - Shawn Colvin[/li][li]Tear Stained Letter (Richard Thompson) - Jo-El Sonnier[/li][li]Marie Marie (The Blasters) - Buckwheat Zydeco[/li][li]What the World Needs Now (Burt Bachrach) - Aimee Mann[/li][/ul]
Why?
I see you’re an ELO fan (concerto for a Rainy Day). No offence ment. My guilt is my problem
Taking one of rock’s original classics and progging (for lack of a better word) it up is like scratching chicken pox. It’s not gonna kill you, it feels good, but it’s not recommended.