Covers: The Good, The Bad, The Meh

[BizBuzz]

I struggled with where to put this, so I made an executive decision and just started a new topic.  HA!
 

I saw this today, and I was amazed.  Which led me to thinking that there are a ton of covers that are better than originals.  For my pick today, how about this:

 

Kate Davis does All About that Bass

 

[BatmanBeatles]

The Beatles' Twist And Shout is better than the original. It just has more energy.

[DeLurker]

The winner of this category has to be Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails.

But I also love Bryan Ferry's entire album of 30s & 40s standards As Time Goes By. The album is wonderful.

Dave Grohl/Foo Fighters cover of Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty also rates high. But I love the original to do torn on this.

Edited November 20, 2014 by DeLurker

[PrincessLuceval]

Neil Finn and Friends (including Johnny Marr) covering There Is A Light That Never Goes Out:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sije12JaKdA

Edited November 20, 2014 by PrincessLuceval

[briochetwist]

KD Lang's version of Hallelujah.  Perfection.
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE

[Tabbyclaw]

The versions of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" by Placebo and Within Temptation. I don't like the original at all, but both of those are among my most-played songs.

[Jeebus Cripes]

KD Lang's version of Hallelujah.  Perfection.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE

 

I'm partial to Jeff Buckley's cover, but that was beautiful.

 

The versions of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" by Placebo and Within Temptation. I don't like the original at all, but both of those are among my most-played songs.

 

Love the Placebo version.

 

Ryan Adams' cover of Wonderwall is not only superior, but it actually made me begrudgingly like Oasis. They were so overplayed in their prime that I avoided them like the plague for years; also, that whole "we're better than The Beatles" thing made me stabby. Then, this amazing cover made me realize this was quality songwriting. No, you're not better than The Beatles, Oasis, but you're pretty damned good. 

[harrie]

Oh, I love that Kate Davis version of "All About the Bass" - and I count myself lucky to be only vaguely familiar with the original.  I must look her up on iTunes. 

 

I like the KD Lang version of "Hallelujah," but for me Jeff Buckley owns it. 

 

And yes, yes, yes to Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt."

[DeLurker]

Give a Little Bit - the cover by the Goo Goo Dolls I love and I loathe loathe loathe the original by Supertramp.  In listening to them both, they are very similar but the Supertramp version is nails on a chalkboard to me.

[spaceytraci1208]

A lot of folks don't know that Aretha Franklin's "Respect" is a cover (originally an Otis Redding tune)

My favorite all-time cover is probably a very young Michael Jackson singing "Who's Loving You?"...he sang that song like he understood that pain.

[Shannon L.]

This one goes way back and while I don't think it's better than the original, I think it's an excellent covert and just as good:  George Michael's cover of "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me".

[DeLurker]

I think Roger Daltry's cover of Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me is my favorite - recorded for the sound track of The Lost Boys, but George Michael does a good job with it too.

 

I think I prefer either of their versions over the original.

[Misslindsey]

Glen Hansard's Van Morrison cover of "Into the Mystic" and his Justin Timberlake cover of "Cry me a River" are great, but I just love Glen Hansard so I am biased.

[magicdog]

Bow Wow Wow's version of "I Want Candy" is a definite improvement over the original by The Strangeloves.  It's a fun song in either version, but I think the 80s version just really rocks it.

 

I'm also partial to Frente!'s version of "Let The Sunshine In" (which was recorded by numerous musical acts) over previous versions.  The most commonly heard version for many was used in "The Flintstones" episode, "No Biz Like Show Biz" (1965).

 

There's also the various versions of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles".  It's been done mostly by folk groups (and the Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson), but The Cowsills rock version is quite the standout!

 

Then comes a real toughie:  The Phil Ochs song, "Changes".  He did a great version, but I also enjoy the version done by Crispin St. Peters (who's best known for his 1966 hit, "Pied Piper").  I'm going to go out on a limb and go for the St. Peters' version.

[Rick Kitchen]

Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal".

 

 

And Avi Kaplan (from Pentatonix)'s "All About That Bass"

 

Oh, and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Iz.

 

[BizBuzz]

You got me with Iz Rick, good call.

[AimingforYoko]

spaceytraci1208, on 20 Nov 2014 - 8:26 PM, said:

A lot of folks don't know that Aretha Franklin's "Respect" is a cover (originally an Otis Redding tune)

And to give it back to Otis, his version of "A Change is Gonna Come" is superior to Sam Cooke's.

 

And of course Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" far outshines Bob Dylan's.

 

Also, I don't know if it's "better" than the original, but Mick Jagger said this is the best cover of a Rolling Stones song ever, good enough for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jadvt7CbH1o

Edited November 23, 2014 by AimingforYoko

[spaceytraci1208]

And to give it back to Otis, his version of "A Change is Gonna Come" is superior to Sam Cooke's.

*pulls up a chair to your table...orders a latte*

YES!! I love Sam Cooke's version, but I feel Otis' version

[Bastet]

Johnny Cash's version of Hurt owns this, but Aretha Franklin's Respect, Jimi Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower, Janis Joplin's Me and Bobby McGee, and Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah would be fighting it out otherwise. 

 

I don't think Whitney Houston's cover of I Will Always Love You is better than Dolly Parton's, but it's pretty damn good.  I feel the same way about Rod Stewart's take on Tom Waits' Downtown Train and The Indigo Girls' version of Bob Dylan's Tangled Up in Blue.

 

Getting back to covers I do think outshine the originals:

 

Joe Cocker's version of A Little Help From My Friends

 

Nina Gordon doing Skid Row's 18 and Life

 

Eva Cassidy's version of Fields of Gold

 

Elvis Presley's live recording of My Way

 

The Fugees, Killing Me Softly

 

Sarah McLachlan, Ol' 55

 

Juice Newton's version of Angel of the Morning, which for years I thought was the original

 

Tori Amos' take on Eminem's '97 Bonnie and Clyde and her version of I Don't Like Mondays.  (Not so much her take on Smells Like Teen Spirit.)

 

I love Patti Smith, but ... I have to give Because the Night to 10,000 Maniacs

 

Tina Turner doing Proud Mary, on her own or back when she was with Ike

 

Blake Shelton's version of Home just edges out the original for me

Edited November 24, 2014 by Bastet

[beadgirl]

Word on Johnny Cash's "Hurt," and a lot of the others you guys mention.

 

"Mad World" by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules is far better, in my opinion, than the original by Tears for Fears.  I also enjoy the Indigo Girls's cover of "Tangled Up in Blue" far more than Dylan's version.  Actually, I have a whole playlist of Dylan covers -- as a awesome as he is, I often prefer his songs done by others.

[Bastet]

I also enjoy the Indigo Girls's cover of "Tangled Up in Blue" far more than Dylan's version.

 

I'm going to edit that into my "almost on par with" section, because I can't quite believe I forgot it.  It's a wonderful cover.

[BetterButter]

Sweet Jane -Cowboy Junkies

Without You-Harry Nilsson

[BizBuzz]

Sweet Jane -Cowboy Junkies

 

Thanks for that reminder (looks for my Cowboy Junkies cassette, yeah, I said cassette).

[BabyVegas]

And to give it back to Otis, his version of "A Change is Gonna Come" is superior to Sam Cooke's.

I also like Otis Redding's version of Stand By Me better than I like Ben E. King's. I just feels more fun, for lack of a better word.

Also I know it's from a movie and I'm probably going to Hell or something, but I like the Commitments version of Mustang Sally better than Wilson Pickett's version. The Commitments version is more rock and I think has a little more swagger to it.

[BizBuzz]

Also I know it's from a movie and I'm probably going to Hell or something, but I like the Commitments version of Mustang Sally better than Wilson Pickett's version. The Commitments version is more rock and I think has a little more swagger to it.

 

Everything The Commitments did was awesome!  ::giggle::

[Sandman87]

Most of my favorites would also be right at home in the Songs No One Else Has Heard thread. Some examples:

 

Klaus Nomi did a bunch of covers during his tragically short career (when he wasn't doing operatic disco/new wave songs about nuclear war), including my absolute favorite version of "The Twist". It takes real talent to take a song like that and make it sound like a bad dream.

 

Frank Zappa loved the old R&B and do-w** songs, and covered a number of them. Here's his version of Little Richard's "Directly From My Heart to You". Substituting a violin for the harmonica was sheer brilliance.

 

If PBS ever does a reboot of Sesame Street, I hope they use Idiot Flesh's version of "People in Your Neighborhood". So wrong, and yet so right.

 

You've seen Star Wars, right? Now imagine that Darth Vader likes to relax by putting on a leisure suit and heading to the nearest cocktail lounge. The soundtrack might sound something like this track from Evil Genius Orchestra's Cocktails in the Cantina.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I've always preferred Luther Vandross and Mariah Carey's version of "Endless Love" to the original. The music is more interesting, and let me be brutally honest: Vandross and Carey are superior singers to Lionel Ritchie (who has always coasted on being accessible and merely okay) and Diana Ross (who sounds like she's whimpering in that song). The cover also sounds more passionate and emotional, to the point where it transcends the rather mawkish lyrics.

[Rick Kitchen]

Luther Vandross's live version of "A House is not a Home" is so much better than the original, and I think even Dionne agrees.

[spaceytraci1208]

Luther Vandross's live version of "A House is not a Home" is so much better than the original, and I think even Dionne agrees.

I didn't know until this year that it was Dionne Warwick's song. Luther took that song and ran with it so far that Dionne never found it again lol.

[shoregirl]

Glen Hansard's Van Morrison cover of "Into the Mystic" and his Justin Timberlake cover of "Cry me a River" are great, but I just love Glen Hansard so I am biased.

I love both of those,but I really love Glen Hansard's cover of Everytime by Brittany Spears.

[nicepebbles]

There's a superior version of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come"? I gotta listen to it since I cry just about every time I listen to the Cooke version.

I love Alien Ant Farm's version of "Smooth Criminal".

I didn't know Placebo's "Running Up That Hill" was a cover until recently. I played the Placebo version over and over. Maxwell did a cover of "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush. Because the covers are imprinted in my mind during specific times in my life, I'll always prefer the covers.

The Sundays cover of "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones is way better than the original to me. One of my favorite songs of all time.

[WendyCR72]

KD Lang's version of Hallelujah.  Perfection.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE

 

I prefer the late Jeff Buckley's take on that, myself!

[DkNNy79]

I like Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You" better than Dolly Parton's version.

 

Also, these two versions came out within the same year I think, but I always enjoyed Trisha Yearwood's "How do I live" version better than Leann Rimes.  I think Leann's version was considered the more "mainstream/popular" one, but IMO Trisha's more mature voice made the song more meaningful.  I actually like Leann as a singer, but her voice just sounded so young on the song.

 

The Fugees (Lauryn Hill really) - Killing me softly

[spaceytraci1208]

The Fugees (Lauryn Hill really) - Killing me softly

Seriously..although Wyclef's "One time!" took on a little bit of a life of its own outside of the song lol

[Wiendish Fitch]

The Sundays cover of "Wild Horses" by the Rolling Stones is way better than the original to me. One of my favorite songs of all time.

 

 

I agree wholeheartedly. It's a lovely cover… that, and I hate the Stones (Mick Jagger is a loathsome human being, IMO).

 

I absolutely love Ingrid Michaelson's rendition of "Can't Help Falling in Love". Another UO is that I'm not a big Elvis fan (the only song of his I truly love is "Jailhouse Rock"), and always found his version okay, but not great. Michaelson's cover is sweet, but with a certain rawness and urgency, and I like the minimal instrumentation.

 

Sarah McLachlan's cover of "The Rainbow Connection" is just splendid, does good ol' Kermie justice.

 

For fans of Les Mis, I urge you to check out Michael Crawford's renditions of "I Dreamed a Dream" and "On My Own". He sings them gorgeously, and it's a fresh and interesting change to hear these songs sung by a man.

 

Josh Groban hits "Vincent (Starry Starry Night)" and "The Moon's a Harsh Mistress" out of the ballpark. I also like his cover of "Falling Slowly" (but it will never hold a candle to the original. Sorry, Josh).

 

One of my favorite songs from the Mona Lisa Smile soundtrack is Tori Amos's "Murder, She Said". She sounds like she's having a blast tapping into her inner chanteuse. Sorry to be negative again, but Betty Hutton has always grated my nerves, so I'm glad that song ended up in better hands. Also on the same soundtrack is Mandy Moore's cover of "Secret Love" by Doris Day, and it's surprisingly lovely.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Wiendish Fitch

[Shannon L.]

It may be considered a sacrilege to some, but I love Guns and Roses version of Sympathy for the Devil much better than the Rolling Stones version.  My husband is not a fan of the Rolling Stones at all, but thinks I'm crazy where this one song is concerned. As an aside:  Weindish Fitch, my husband worked with Mick Jaggar once and said he was very nice and polite--a pleasure to work with.

[Bastet]

That reminds me ... Maybe not as much of a sacrilege since it's Wings, not the Beatles, but I like the Guns 'n' Roses version of Live and Let Die better than the original.

[Wiendish Fitch]

That reminds me ... Maybe not as much of a sacrilege since it's Wings, not the Beatles, but I like the Guns 'n' Roses version of Live and Let Die better than the original.

 

Hey, I love Paul McCartney with all my heart and soul, but… yeah, I prefer the Guns n' Roses cover of "Live and Let Die", too. The original is too plinky (not a word, but it should be) and good Sir Paul sounds vaguely bored and distracted. The Guns n' Roses version has way more bite and frickin' rocks. It's actually one of my favorite workout songs.

[methodwriter85]

I prefer the Bangles cover of Hazy Shade of Winter.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I prefer the Bangles cover of Hazy Shade of Winter.

 

Me too! The Bangles are crazy underrated, IMO.

[Shannon L.]

I loved the Bangles Hazy Shade of Winter remake!

 

 

That reminds me ... Maybe not as much of a sacrilege since it's Wings, not the Beatles, but I like the Guns 'n' Roses version of Live and Let Die better than the original.

Heh--I was afraid to go that far, but since you mention it--yeah, me, too.  :)

[harrie]

Another vote for the Bangles' Hazy Shade of Winter.  Also for the Bangles' version of Going Down to Liverpool, which I believe was originally done by Katrina and the Waves.  If not, then it's not a cover but still a great song. 

Edited December 4, 2014 by harrie

[nicepebbles]

Ray Lamontagne has done a cover of "Crazy" by Gnarls Barley. I love his take on it. I love both versions.

[Shannon L.]

I love Ricky Martin's version of Sexy and I Know It from his guest spot on Glee!  He doesn't change the melody, really, but his voice is just so sexy.  Speaking of Glee!, they did a mashup of You and I by Kenny Loggins and You and I by Lady Gaga.  The former wasn't changed at all, but the latter was slowed down (they only used an acoustic guitar and a piano) and the combination of the two was beautiful, imo.  The quality of the show may have gone down significantly since the first two seasons, but I think many of their covers have been outstanding.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Word on Johnny Cash's "Hurt," and a lot of the others you guys mention.

 

"Mad World" by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules is far better, in my opinion, than the original by Tears for Fears.  I also enjoy the Indigo Girls's cover of "Tangled Up in Blue" far more than Dylan's version.  Actually, I have a whole playlist of Dylan covers -- as a awesome as he is, I often prefer his songs done by others.

 

Me too. I have a cover of his song "Man in the Long Black Coat" -- by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Their version is really, really spooky.

 

 

Mad World! I love Michael Andrews and Gary Jules version, they nail it emotionally. The version by Tears for Fears seemed oddly flat imo.

 

I like Johnny Cash's take on Hurt too. He really brings the emotions out in it.

[AimingforYoko]

Actually, I have a whole playlist of Dylan covers -- as a awesome as he is, I often prefer his songs done by others.

That's because he's a better songwriter than a performer.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I'm not a Bob Dylan fan at all. I imagine most, if not all, covers of his songs sound better.

 

With that said, I will always be grateful for him writing "To Make You Feel My Love", because Garth Brooks's rendition is one of my all time favorite love songs. Well done, Mr. Dylan, well done.

[beadgirl]

 

I have a cover of his song "Man in the Long Black Coat" -- by Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Their version is really, really spooky.

Holy crap, that's awesome!  Better than the version I have, by Joan Osborne, which is very bluesy.

 

I love the Pearl Jam cover of "Masters of War"; too bad it's also still relevant.  And Robert Plant's "Girl from the North Country" -- I really wish he'd release a proper version of it.

[proserpina65]

Adele's version of Make You Feel My Love is stunning.

 

I love Kate Bush, but Pat Benatar's version of Wuthering Heights is, imo, vastly superior if only because Kate's original was sung in such a strange, gimmicky voice.

 

And Jimi Hendrix didn't just cover All Along The Watchtower; he OWNED it.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Heart's take on Led Zepplin's song, "Stairway to Heaven" at the Kennedy Center Honors was really, really good.

 

 

Made sure to buy a copy of it via itunes. It was that good.