Many times when a band covers someone else's music it just turns our really bad (Garth Brooks doing Shameless). Or a song that is a note for note cover that you almost cannot tell from the original that there is so little input from the band doing the cover (Creed, I'm lookin at you here for Riders on the Storm - show some creativity). I'm not even considering "novelty" covers like Shatner's Lucy.
So this blog post is a list of covers that I thought were as good or better than the original.
Songs covered that Bob Dylan wrote don't count - there are too many of them, and almost all are better than the Dylan originals.
Elenor Rigby by Godhead. Industrial cover, and the metallic dehuminizing music fits the songs theme of lonelyness perfectly.
Stairway to Heaven by Dolly Parton. The way she takes the song, with violin banjo mandolin and her wonderful voice is just great. Very good approach to a song that has been way overplayed.
The Big Medly by Dream Theater - a live homage to the stuff they loved. Any band that can pull off a medly of:
* In The Flesh?
* Carry On Wayward Son
* Bohemian Rhapsody
* Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin
* Cruise Control
* Turn It On Again
Is just great.
American Woman - Lenny Kravtz - A great take on another overplayed chestnut.
One that I liked but I don't exactly consider better (or even as good) but that I liked nonetheless was Limp Bizkt's Behind Blue Eyes.
Welcome to the Machine - Rocket Scientists. A great cover of a great Floyd song.
Have a Cigar - Foo Fighters and Brian May. Yeah I'm biased there.
Holy Diver - Pat Boone. Yeah it was something for laughs, but I really like this one, and the fact that Dio came and did backup vocals for it shows that he has class too.
In the same vein - True by Paul Anka. I prefer this album over the Boone, as I think the arrangements are better. This is one of the best on the album.
And saving the best for last. In my opinion the greatest cover in the world -
Hurt by Johnny Cash. His cracked and pained voice singing this with very little accompanyment is just brutal to hear, and as you listen, you know he is just singing about all the loss of his life, especially his wife. Powerful powerful stuff.
5 comments:
Two additions for you, if you don't mind:
"Gypsy (Of a Strange and Distant Time)" by Rocket Scientists. Mark sounds like he's channeling Justin Hayward here.
"Baby One More Time" by Ahmet and Dweezil Zappa. Much more entertaining than the original.
Oh yeah, and "Sweet Caroline" by the Railbenders. That's a pretty good one too.
And one I forgot - New York State of Mind by Mel Torme.
And let's not forget New Morty Show's take on "White Wedding". Billy Idol as swing is just brilliant.
Swing covers in general - One hand in pocket and Detroit Swing City are also very nice.
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