Cover Songs

I just heard a Metallica cover of the Kink's You Really Got Me. I have to say, I really didn't enjoy it. I do still enjoy Van Halen's cover of the same song that they did back in the 80's. This got me to thinking of cover songs I have enjoyed vs cover songs I can't stand. I really enjoyed Social Distortion's punked up version of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire and I like Johnny Cash's cover of NIN's Hurt better than the original. On the other hand, I cannot stand Shinedown's cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man. What are some of my fellow B&B members favorite and least favorite cover songs?

bassmanlarry said:

I really enjoyed Social Distortion's punked up version of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire and I like Johnny Cash's cover of NIN's Hurt better than the original.

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+1 to both of these. There are a LOT of great covers out there. One of the obvious great ones is Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower." (I don't think it's 'better,' per se, than Bob's version; they're entirely different animals.) From their debut album, The Clash do a great version of "Police & Thieves" by Lee Perry and Junior Murvin.

Brad Mehldau has been reviving the lost art of the 'standard,'* i.e., jazz arrangements of contemporary popular songs. There are great live versions on two of his trio albums of "Exit Music (For A Film)" by Radiohead and "River Man" by Nick Drake. He's got more on his albums, including "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead and the Beatles' "Dear Prudence."

Speaking of Nick Drake, he also does a beautifully haunting version of Bob Dylan's "Tomorrow Is A Long Time."




*Which is not to say that jazz artists haven't been playing the canonical 'standards', but that for a long time direct adaptations of currently popular songs seemed to fall out of practice.

Fine Young Cannibals do a great cover of Elvis's "Suspicious Minds." I also really like The English Beats "Tears of a Clown." More Recently, Justin Townes Early covered The Replacements "Can't Hardly Wait" I recommend that one, too.

At the other end of the spectrum is Nitty Gritty Dirt Band doing "Cadillac Ranch"

'Aint Too Proud To Beg' by the Stones is one my all-time favorite covers.

While I am sure I can think of many more, but the first one that jumps into my head is Sexual Healing by Soul Asylum. I used to listen to that all day.

dklaiman said:

Fine Young Cannibals do a great cover of Elvis's "Suspicious Minds."

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+1

Atomic Day's cover of "Don't You Want Me Baby" is pretty solid.

There are lots of fantastic covers, some on my favs ...

"Some Velvet Morning" Lydia Lunch covers Lee Hazelwood / Nancy Sinatra
"Top of the World" Shonen Knife (From "If I were a Carpenter")
"I'm Not Like Everybody Else" - Chocolate Watch Band - the kinks had great songs that others made their own through their interpetation too, like
"David Watts" - The Jam


Things that need mind, eye and ear bleach...

The Sgt Pepper's movie soundtrack with the Bee Gee's and Peter Frampton.

Lots of great covers/remakes out there. Some of my favorites:

- Led Zeppelin's Dancing Days covered by Stone Temple Pilots
- Paul McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed covered by Jem
- Tears for Fears' Mad World covered by Gary Jules
- Deep Purple's Hush covered by Kula Shaker
- The Foundations Baby, Now That I've Found You covered by Alison Krauss
- Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World covered by Joey Ramone
- Debby Boone's You Light Up My Life covered by LeAnn Rimes
- The Zombie's She's Not There covered by Santana

There are lots of great cover songs but some of the most memorable I can think of off the top of my head are

Townes Van Zandt - Dead Flowers
Joan Jett - I Love Rock and Roll
Rage Against the Machine - Pistol Grip Pump
The Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane
Willie Nelson - Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Tom Morello, Chad Smith, and Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothin to F With
Ram Jam - Black Betty
The Clash - I Fought the Law

Just a few dislikes I can think of at the moment:

Metallica - Turn the Page. Most embarassingly lame and annoying cover ever.
The Sundays - Wild Horses. This song should be all ragged and masculine and Keith Richardsy, not chickified and pretty.
Britney Spears - I Love Rock and Roll. Joan Jett should track down Ms. Spears and smash her face in with a Gibson Les Paul.

I like pretty much any cover Marilyn Manson has done.
Golden Years (David Bowie), Tainted Love (Soft Cell), Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode) and of course Sweet Dreams (are made of this) by the Eurythmics.

I know he's done more, but those are the best ones IMO.

Anthrax covered "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and did an awesome job. You can find it on the B side of the "I'm the man" single.

Check out the Nativity in Black CD's (there are two of them) for some really good Black Sabbath covers.

Oh and don't forget Anthrax's version of Public Enemy's "Bring the noise"

covers are fun

Dinosaur Jr. - "Just Like Heaven" (Cure)

Iron Maiden - "Cross Eyed Mary" (Jethro Tull)

Husker Du - "Eight Miles High" (Byrds)

Johnny Cash - "Hurt" (Nine Inch Nails)

Nine Inch Nails - "Get Down Make Love" (Queen)

The Wedding Present - "Box Elder MO" (Pavement)

Galaxie 500 - "Ceremony" (Joy Division)

A Perfect Circle - "Diary of a Love Song" (combined The Cure's "Love Song" with Ozzy's "Diary of a Madman" - yes, it works..)

William Shatner/Joe Jackson - Common People.

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maxman said:

I like pretty much any cover Marilyn Manson has done.
Golden Years (David Bowie), Tainted Love (Soft Cell), Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode) and of course Sweet Dreams (are made of this) by the Eurythmics.

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Marilyn Manson's cover of Sweet Dreams is one of my favorites... can't believe I forgot it. I'll have to give the others you listed a listen.

Some really good ones listed above.

I'm a big fan of Johnny Cash doing "Hurt".
He did quite a few great covers on those "American" albums.

One cover that I LOVE:
The Pixies doing "Head On" by TJAMC

Umm...trying to think of off the beaten path stuff.

Seu Jorge doing Bowie. Life On Mars or Starman, especially.

Bruddah IZ doing "Wonderful World/Over The Rainbow" hybrid.

The Chieftans doing "Long Black Veil".

Devo doing "Satisfaction".

Jake Shimabukuro and his ukulele.
His cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a revelation. Honestly.

Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k

if you liked that, check this out:
http://www.ted.com/talks/jake_shimabukuro_plays_bohemian_rhapsody.html

A Perfect Circle has a few great covers. My favorite is John Lennon's "Imagine."

Marilyn Manson has done some great cover songs (mentioned above).

For those who like Billy Idol, Drowning Pool does a great cover of "Rebel Yell."

Just tonight I found one I like. Ace Frehley of Kiss did a cover of "New York Groove" that is pretty good.

Komputer - Valentina (Kraftwerks model). Thats quite amazing, unmistakebly Kraftwerk. Also Laibach - life is life (Opus - life is life) etc etc etc...

"Careless Whisper" by Seether
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" - Guns N' Roses (the live versions are the best, youtube them)
"Nice Boys" - GnR again
"Train Kept a Rollin'" - Aerosmith
"Barracuda" - Alice in Chains w/ Gretchen Wilson (Youtube this too, it's amazing)

Slim1023 said:

"Barracuda" - Alice in Chains w/ Gretchen Wilson (Youtube this too, it's amazing)

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Yes! I remember seeing this on TV. It's a good cover.

AIC also did a cover of Bowie's "Suffragette City" really early in their career.
It's good too.

"Back in the Saddle" - Sebastian Bach w/ Axl Rose