Marilyn Manson’s cover of Depeche Mode’s very fab “Personal Jesus” is just bloody AWFUL!!!
(Johnny Cash did a WAY better version!)
You know, if it had been her producer who said it, it would make sense.
“Why did you have your no-talent chalk-screecher do a cover of ‘Revolution’?”
“Because I love The Rolling Stones.”
Going way back,I used to love the Everly Brothers.I loved the way they did “Love Hurts”.I hated covers of songs I liked,and the people that made them.
Then I heard Nazareth do Love Hurts,and I had to revise my thinking.I now consider Nazareth’s version a classic,and every time I hear it it’s as good as the first time.
Would that be the Lazer 103 rock station by chance?
Yup! The people claiming ownership to today’s remakes are committing murder! I’d rather listen to the cries of a buzz saw, hound dog howls, sandpaper, and Yoko Ono all mixed together!
Thank goodness the radio has an off button, but it shouldn’t be manditory to use it! The music industry should be more responsible about the level of so-called talent out there!
Ya here that, RIAA?
- Jinx
Absolutely the better song. Have you ever heard System of a Down’s cover? I adore it.
You have GOT to be kidding! Jasper and I just heard it last night and wanted to vomit. This is not a happy song and should not be sung while you are smiling, laughing and dancing around, which they were. I thought they absolutely wrecked it. But, of course, that’s just my humble opinion.
Regarding Korn’s cover of Cameo’s “Word Up”:
94.7 “The Zone” actually.
Regarding Scissors Sisters’ cover of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”:
Yeah, I know, and I think that’s why I enjoy it. A complete perversion of the song and yet it keeps working its way back into my brain. I just start laughing whenever someone who hasn’t heard it before realizes what song is being covered, and gets this horrified look on their face. Sort of like whoever did the dance version of Roseanne Cash’s “The Wheel” for those Bridgestone commercials; I love that too.
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A good friend of mine was the producer Tricky’s cover and the producer and co-writer for whole album Maxinquaye. Talk about problems we should all have - he was bummed that the album - generally considered a great album critically and commercially - didn’t make RStone’s list of the Top 500…
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Getting started on awful covers is a slippery slope. How about that awful, twee cover some band did of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle”?
Heck, what about Cream (does anybody remember the Cream, with Clapton, Bruce, and Baker? God, am I old…). While their cover of Albert King’s “Born Under A Band Sign” was a wonderful re-interpretation, their cover of Mose Allison’s “Parchman Farm” is really bad. As for their cover of Ray Charles’ “What’d I Say” - well, it might have been fine, but once Brother Ray has put his stamp on something, why bother?
Bottom line? Rare is the cover where an artist puts an interesting enough twist on the song to make is worth listening to. Having said that, in live settings I find it interesting to hear an artist do a cover when I get the sense they are doing it out of being a fan themselves.
Anyone a fan of Jeffrey Gaines (sp?) cover of PGabriel’s “In Your Eyes”? Acoustic and the vocals are a bit over the top, but heartfelt and respectful…
Ooof. That would be Frente, an Australian band. I don’t know if I’d call it twee, I’d just call it bad. It’s not cheeky enough for twee. Around 1994, my girlfriend (future wife) went through a Frente thing. I ended up seeing them in concert. Bad news. At least the other two bands on the ticket (the Violent Femmes and G Love and Special Sauce) were good. And the show was like $15. We still own two of their albums, which are still bad.
I find a lot of these bad covers on movie soundtracks. F’rinstance, the I Am Sam soundtrack contains a bunch of Beatles covers, most of which are surprisingly bad. I was very disappointed by an emotionless Nick Cave cover of “Let it Be” and a whiny Rufus Wainwright cover of “Across the Universe.” But there is a very good cover of “Two of Us” by Aimee Mann and Michael Penn.
Well if you’re going to make a cover,at least make it something we havent heard for a good 30 years or so or go and find an obscure track that you think you can do a real good job on.If it’s failed with one singer,then I consider you have the right to have another crack at it(Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn for example,which was a cover of a song by some Norwegian girl that no-one had ever heard of).It’s when you have covers of songs that have barely dropped the charts that I get annoyed.
Or do something different to it.The cover of Mad World which was effectively just a spoken word piece over a piano was very good in that it brought something new to the record.Covering The Tide Is High and putting a boingyboingy rap section in wasn’t.
Then you have kids who hear the original and have no idea it existed ‘Oh I thought Westlife sang that’.No,this is the PROPER version by the ORIGINAL band.
Westlife are a prime example.All their hits are either covers or slushy teen ballads.Even now with some of the songs,I can’ even remember how it goes.Just flows straight through brain…
And whoever gave Gareth Gates Unchained Melody for his first song…bleeahh.Everyone who can make a noise has attempted to sing that.A Pop Idol winner doing a bad cover…modern music in a nutshell…
It was actually by an L.A. band called Edna Swap. The song is off of their 5 song E.P. called “Chicken” and is a completely different song from Imbruglia’s version. It’s more stark and more angry.
IMO the Ben Folds cover of “Golden Slumbers” is better than the original. But that might just be because I’m a BF fangirl.
I must say that I hate the monstrousity of Behind Blue Eyes, originally done by The Who and murdered by Fred Durst and Limp Biscuit. Parts of the song sound like Stephen Hawking is speaking through a voice modulator. :smack:
Anyone like the ‘Simple Man’ cover by Shinedown? I think it’s awsome, although I’m also a Skynyrd fan.
Not sure how much play time it gets around the rest of the country but I here it often up here.
Actually, I do like that. It gets some play on the local hard rock station here in Chicago.
Ah, you mean like Nirvana’s “The Man Who Sold the World”, with people not knowing that David Bowie sung it first. (I happen to like the remake of this one, too.)
I like that one too. The original’s a classic, but the remake is different enough that it stands on it’s own.
Anyone heard the Fear Factory remake of Gary Numan’s “Cars”? Exactly like the original but with heavy guitars instead of synth. Very cool.
Also, of course, Nirvana’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” (aka “In the Pines”) is great, IMHO. Especially the video of it, where right at the end Cobain’s eyes fly open like he was startled by something or just realized something shocking.
Just thought I’d add in some good ones, to make you forget the dreck that’s been mentioned (ughh. I’d forgotten about Madonna’s American Pie remake)
Couldn’t agree more. Really, really awful. Fred should consider investing in a soul.
I really dislike Joss Stone’s “Fell in love with a boy” which is a cover of “Fell in love with a girl” By The White Stripes. Not that I like the White Stripes.
Yeah, I hate it when a singer sings a song they didn’t write. It’s just like when an actor performs dialogue they didn’t write. Doesn’t that just piss you off?