Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” sounds better to me done acoustically; it sounds more haunting and melancholy that way.
Your preferences?
I won’t say I prefer it to the Allman Brothers (or Taj Mahal) version (I like them all), but Alice Stuart has a terrific acoustic version of “Stateboro Blues.”
She Wolf by Megadeth
Ani diFranco has two versions of Out of Range on the same album, and the acoustic version is many magnitudes better.
The Pernice Brothers had a pretty good song on their first album called “All I Know.” As re-released on their all-acoustic “Australia 2002” ep, it’s probably the best thing they’ve ever done.
U2 has a studio mix of “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” that features a strong acoustic guitar line. It’s far superior to the version found on Achtung Baby, IMO.
I also prefer Gomez’s acoustic version of “Rhythm and Blues Alibi”.
I like “All Apologies” better on the Unplugged album, though I like the original too.
Layla. The acoustic version Clapton did a few years ago was incredible.
“Like Suicide” by Soundgarden. Acoustic version tops the electric, though the electric is still very fine.
“Name” by the Goo Goo Dolls. The electric version has clunky drums.
I prefer Noel Gallagher’s recording of Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody” to the original. Just him and an acoustic guitar, the tempo slightly slower, and it works very well.
Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In A Small Town by Pearl Jam
I’ve Been High by REM
Special Ones by george
5 great ones that I can think of immediately (unsorted)
Hide Your Love Away - Either the Eddie Vedder version or the Elvis Costello & Paul McCartney one
If You Could Only See - Tonic
Pardon Me - Incubus
Shimmer - Fuel
My Favourite Game - The Cardigans
I once heard (on TV, as a background song in a drama) a slow, acoustic version of Elvis Costello doing “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love, and Understanding” that was incredibly poignant. If anyone knows if this came from a CD or what, I’d love to track down a copy of it.
everything by dashboard confessional before the crappy band showed up. his best is all just songs with him and his guitar.
i second clapton’s layla. it blows the the original out of the water.
also jeff gaines did a fabulous acoustic version of peter gabriel’s ‘your eyes’
Sarah McLachlan’s “Ice Cream” is a good song either way, but much better as an acoustic version (as heard on The Freedom Sessions).
Also while it’s not exactly acoustic, Peter Gabriel’s softer version of “Steam” (called “Quiet Steam” as a single B-side) is such an improvement.
“Nutshell” and “Brother” by Alice in Chains. Especially “Brother,” because the album version sounds awful.
I once heard an acoustic version of “Learn to Fly” by the Foo Fighters that kicked butt.
The acoustic version of “The Four Horsemen” from Metallica’s radio special is pretty cool too.
Ben Harper did an acoustic version of The Verve’s “The Drugs Don’t Work” that I thought was pretty amazing.
—Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In A Small Town by Pearl Jam—
But that was acoutstic in the original wasn’t it?
Damn, AchimbaProphet, I was all ready to come in here and name Incubus’s Pardon Me, thinking no one else would have thought of it. Guess I was wrong.