“For You”, and “Spirits in the Night” as well.
NFW on “American Woman”.
Don’t forget “Killing Me Softly.”
In 1996, the Fugees had a Grammy-winning release of this song, which is a wonderful version but, in my view, doesn’t have the ethereal beauty that Roberta Flack brings to the song.
However, both releases are much better that the little-known original version of the song released by Lori Leiberman.
Frijid Pink - House of the Rising Sun Frijid Pink - House of the Rising Sun - YouTube
Ive always like Danielle Dax’s and The Mission’sversions of Tomorrow Never Knows over The Beatles. The Beatles’ always felt more of a production experiment than a venerated great song.
Mad World cover by Gary Jules (original by Tears for Fears)
Hurt by Johnny Cash (original by Nine inch Nails)
Common People by William Shatner (original by Pulp) No apologies – I think Shatner’s is better.
Wicked Games by Ursine Vulpine featuring Annaca (original by Chris Isaak)
Interesting. It never occurred to me that somebody might attempt a cover version of Tomorrow Never Knows. I wonder if there’s a cover version out there somewhere of Revolution #9?
Yessssssss…well, I’m not sure I’d say it’s better - Pulp’s is great - but Shatner, Jackson, and Folds did a hell of a job.
Halestorm has a number of good covers…ones I think are better than the original (despite in all cases liking he originals…):
Heathens (Original by Twenty One Pilots.)
Bad Romance (Original by Lady Gaga.)
Yes, a cover that is not different or better is just karaoke.
On that sentiment, it was suggested to me that covering David Bowie is incredibly difficult. They almost always come out as just lesser imitations. The only cover of his stuff that I could think of which is worthwhile is Chris Hadfield doing Space Oddity from the ISS. I don’t think it’s musically better, but is still satisfying.
The Grateful Dead used to play Tomorrow Never Knows. Cool version, but I don’t know if I’d call it better than the original.
The Proclaimers - King Of The Road, said to be preferred by Roger Miller.
Smokey Robinson is said to have wept when he heard a version of Tears Of A Clown by the English Beat, but I don’t know what that means.
I like Chris Cornell’s version of “Billie Jean” a bit more than Michael Jackson’s.
Ah - yes, there is room for conjecture.
It’s not a cover, but I’d love to know his reaction to A Little Soul by the English Pulp.
And yes, it was intended as an homage (see image of sleeve).
j
I’m a huge fan of Joni Mitchell, but I think her song Woodstock is just dreadful.
IMO the cover by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young is much better.
Alien Ant Farm’s Smooth Criminal is also better than MJ’s.
It’s only a semi-cover because Kenny Wayne Shepherd performs on it, but the Five Finger Death Punch cover of Blue on Black takes the original up another notch to a most happy place.
Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Breathless” is wonderful - Jerry Lee Lewis-Breathless - YouTube
But X’s version is sublime - X - Breathless - YouTube
X also (far) surpassed The Doors with their version of “Soul Kitchen” - X - Soul Kitchen (with lyrics) - YouTube
B.B. King did his usual impeccable job on “Be Careful with the Fool,” but Johnny Winter took it up another couple notches - Be Careful With A Fool - JOHNNY WINTER - YouTube
Probably!
This is going to sound insane, but I don’t really care: I think this version of Light My Fire is better than the Doors’. It’s a cover “performed” by the animatronic animal band that used to exist at the now-defunct Showbiz Pizza Place. Unlike rival Chuck E Cheese, they didn’t play “kiddie” music, they recorded dozens of rock covers by the company’s in-house studio band, comprised of local Orlando-area musicians with serious chops who could actually play the hell out of the material.
I dig the Doors but I always thought Light My Fire was one of their musically weakest songs despite being best known. That cover is a vast improvement, in my opinion, especially the lead up to the outro where vocalist Duke Chauppetta belts it out far better than Morrison ever could. Chauppetta is an exceptionally talented guy; his speaking voice is 100% old-school Louisiana Italian, think Cajun but even harder to understand. But his singing voice was remarkably chamelion-like, he could sound like Bruce Springsteen one minute and Andy Partridge of XTC the next.
Absolutely.
Nope. Sorry.
The Byrds’ version was all over the radio when I was eleven years old. Loved it. Then a year or two later, I heard Dylan’s original version for the first time, and it totally blew me away. And this was at an age when I was still listening to mostly bubblegum/teenybopper stuff, but I knew right away that Dylan’s version totally outclassed the Byrds.
LOL. Man, that was cheesy. 