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20,000 Retired Number
Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 29999 Location: Likely nowhere near you
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:45 pm Post subject: What are the best cover songs? What are the worst? |
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I used to hear arguments all the time about how cover songs always sucked and how the originals were always better, and when younger I used to agree with this sentiment. But the more I listen to music the more I realize this is hogwash. Yes, there are bad covers, but there are also good ones.
The good:
Foo Fighters - Baker Street
Train - Ramble On (live on Howard Stern)
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Gipsy Kings - Hotel California
Smashing Pumpkins - Landslide
Ben Folds - Tiny Dancer
Guns 'n' Roses - Live and Let Die
Foo Fighters - Have a Cigar
Lemonheads - Mrs. Robinson
Juliana Hatfield - Say It Ain't So
White Stripes - Good To Me
All Led Zeppelin songs (as done by Led Zeppelin, that is)
The bad:
Dave Matthews - All Along the Watchtower
Cat Power - New York, New York
The tired:
Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams
Seal - Fly Like an Eagle
Lenny Kravitz - American Woman
Most anyone doing Wonderwall.....again
Thousands of others, but this just to get started.
What are other ones, for any category? _________________ Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying...'I will try again tomorrow.' |
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ocho Retired Number
Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 53910
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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best: Jimi Hendrix- All Along the Watchtower
worst: Limp Bizkit- Behind Blue Eyes |
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DaMuleRules Retired Number
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52680 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:28 pm Post subject: Re: What are the best cover songs? What are the worst? |
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encina1 wrote: |
The tired:
Most anyone doing Wonderwall.....again |
I actually think Ryan Adams version is better than the original. But then again, I think Oasis is one of the most overrated bands of their era. _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Jason Isbell
Man, do those lyrics resonate right now |
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DaMuleRules Retired Number
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52680 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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Good:
Led Zeppelin - You Shook Me
Bad:
Iron Maiden - Communication Breakdown _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Jason Isbell
Man, do those lyrics resonate right now |
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non-player zealot Franchise Player
Joined: 05 Nov 2007 Posts: 21365
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends (not that Ringo's version sucked)
Van Halen - The Kinks' You Really Got Me
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Hendrix' The Sky Is Crying
Ike/Tina's version of Proud Mary wasn't bad considering CCR is a tough act to follow.
Crap:
There are a lot, but Madonna covering Don McLean's American Pie didn't need to be attempted.
Van Halen - Dancing In The Street (the one Eddie wants to forget). Mick Jagger and David Bowie did an even gayer version where in the video, they flounced and minced in the street.
Puffy ripping off Every Breath You Take. That wasn't a sample, he stol'd the whole template, and what's worse, look what it was eulogizing.
Jessica Simpson did an atrocious remake of Berlin's Take My Breath Away. Surely a drippy pop song and it was lyrically up Jessie's alley, but where she went wrong is that Teri Nunn had a top drawer voice despite working in the synthwave genre.
Last edited by non-player zealot on Sun Feb 17, 2008 4:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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venturalakersfan Retired Number
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144483 Location: The Gold Coast
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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Good:
The Ataris - Boys of Summer
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded by the Light
Though I haven't heard the studio album, Deana Carter was on Mark & Brian a few weeks ago and did an accousical version of Simon & Garfunkel's The Boxer that was awesome. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023. |
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AirKobe8 Star Player
Joined: 30 Jan 2005 Posts: 8586
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jamas33 Star Player
Joined: 28 Jun 2001 Posts: 3369 Location: Lake Minnetonka
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drzucchini Franchise Player
Joined: 28 Sep 2002 Posts: 16327
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 5:26 pm Post subject: |
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Worst: Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal |
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LarryCoon Site Staff
Joined: 11 Aug 2002 Posts: 11266
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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Here's one nobody else is going to name:
Kevin Gilbert -- Kashmir |
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venturalakersfan Retired Number
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144483 Location: The Gold Coast
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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Johnny Cash doing Hurt. The song was good, the video was the best that has ever been made. _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023. |
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frenzy Star Player
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 1161
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:26 pm Post subject: |
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venturalakersfan wrote: | Johnny Cash doing Hurt. The song was good, the video was the best that has ever been made. |
I think him being as old as he was at the time gave the song more meaning. I liked the Nine Inch Nails version but Cash's version was amazing. |
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unleasHell Franchise Player
Joined: 16 Apr 2001 Posts: 11591 Location: Stay Thirsty my Friends
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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LarryCoon wrote: | Here's one nobody else is going to name:
Kevin Gilbert -- Kashmir |
I saw Kevin Gilbert do The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (The Genesis Classic) not to long before he died.
(Larry: If you don't know how he died, message me...)
THE Good:
Social Distortion doing:
Ring of Fire
Under my Thumb
NOTE: I love Hendrix's "All along the Watchtower" but another interesting version was done a year or so ago by Byan Ferry and Robin Trower plays guitar in it... |
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DaMuleRules Retired Number
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52680 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:00 pm Post subject: |
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AirKobe8 wrote: | I personally like this version of Bob Marley's Redemption Song. |
When it comes to covers of "Redemption Song", it doesn't get better than Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash. _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Jason Isbell
Man, do those lyrics resonate right now |
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DaMuleRules Retired Number
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52680 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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unleasHell wrote: | THE Good:
Social Distortion doing:
Ring of Fire
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That was good.
But better:
Wall of Voodoo
(Totally my opinion - WOV's version is definitely an "acquired" taste)
Quote: | NOTE: I love Hendrix's "All along the Watchtower" but another interesting version was done a year or so ago by Byan Ferry and Robin Trower plays guitar in it... |
That one was alright - I'm a big fan of both Ferry and Trower - but that one kinda misses the spirit of the tune - it just doesn't have the same soul as other versions. _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Jason Isbell
Man, do those lyrics resonate right now |
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Dorray Star Player
Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 3494 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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Oh c'mon...the correct answer is Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah. Actually anything Buckley covered was totally amazing. RIP.
Other good ones I can think of right now:
Living Colour - Memories Can't Wait
Talking Heads - Take Me To The River
Radiohead - Nobody Does it Better
Ben Kweller - Today
Beck - Creep
Elliott Smith - Jealous Guy
Foo Fighters - Darling Nikki
Nirvana - Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam
Faith No More - Easy (Like Sunday Morning)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Search and Destroy
Primus - Silly Putty
Thom Yorke - After the Gold Rush |
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srm90 Franchise Player
Joined: 29 Dec 2007 Posts: 10662
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Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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Decapitated covering Mandatory Suicide is a good one. I don't think anybody else is going to be mentioning that one, or even know wtf I'm talking about |
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Triumph Star Player
Joined: 20 Jul 2002 Posts: 3116 Location: Orange County, CA
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Ted Star Player
Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 3477
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:29 am Post subject: |
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Walking On The Moon by some dude on America's Got Talent |
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20,000 Retired Number
Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 29999 Location: Likely nowhere near you
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:36 am Post subject: |
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The Sundays is a good one, Triumph, and I will throw out the other Lily Allen tune "Oh My God."
Somewhere, someone did a punk cover of "Cabaret" that was interesting.
I like the Sex Pistols version of "My Way"
Sarah Slean covered Radiohead's "Climbing Up The Walls"
Carbon Leaf did a live version of Led Zeppelin's "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" that was really good.
Nirvana's "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" _________________ Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying...'I will try again tomorrow.' |
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prisma8slg Star Player
Joined: 02 Jul 2005 Posts: 4664 Location: Michigan
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:38 am Post subject: |
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I love this version! I like the live version more than the album version, I love how his voice isn't perfect.
one of the worst covers, is Mariah Carey covering Def Leppard's, "Bringin' On the Heartbreak." it's horrible. I don't recommend listening to it. _________________ "I define success by championships, by winning..." Kobe Bryant
"I've seen it all. Sasha dunked on somebody," Kobe Bryant said. "I'm ready to retire now." |
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methdxman Star Player
Joined: 31 Jan 2002 Posts: 6879 Location: Los Angeles/Barcelona
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:51 am Post subject: |
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Some of my favorite covers:
Al Green - I Want To Hold Your Hand
The Fugees - Killing Me Softly
Beatles - Twist and Shout
Isreal Kamamawiwo'ole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares To You
many more... |
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TACH Retired Number
Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 28461 Location: Chillin on the Delaware.. from the Jersey Side
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:16 am Post subject: |
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Higher Ground by RHCP is one that comes to mind that I like...
Co-Sign Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares To You and The Fugees - Killing Me Softly
Worse, Britney Spears My Prerogative...
Most memorable: Whitney Houston - Star Spangled Banner - Superbowl 25
Oh, and let's not forget Walk This Way by Run-DMC |
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Socks Franchise Player
Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 10761 Location: Bay Area, CA
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 8:37 am Post subject: |
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As others have already said here, the first 3 that jump into my head right away:
- All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
- Hurt - Johnny Cash
- I Fought the Law - The Clash
One horrible one that comes to mind is Green Day doing I Fought the Law. Just awful, and I generally like Green Day. |
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TNLakersFanInLA Star Player
Joined: 21 Nov 2004 Posts: 9657 Location: Chattanooga, TN
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Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 9:37 am Post subject: |
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Nirvana's cover of "The Man Who Sold the World" _________________ Monta Ellis: "Kobe is #1, I'm #2, LeBron is #3." |
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