Oct 17 - 46/45 - McCain +01
Top Five - Song Covers
For a long time I have been adamantly opposed to cover songs. I generally thought that the originals were by far superior (especially after I heard a terrible cover of a Beatles song at a Gap years ago, which also made me boycott the Gap for awhile...I'd like to say that I boycotted them for more profound reasons, like I opposed their use of child labor, but sometimes I am small person). Anyhow, my perspective on covers has changed somewhat. Here is my list of top five covers that I actually think are better than the originals (in no particular order):
1. I Fought the Law - covered by The Clash. Originally performed by Sonny Curtis and the Crickets...The Dead Kennedy's also do a serviceable cover of this song. You just can't beat the intro drum solo...it makes me want to fight the law and lose.
2. Hang on to Your Ego - covered by Frank Black, who used to be of the Pixies. Originally performed by The Beach Boys...don't get my wrong, I love the Beach Boys version too, but there's something about the driving beat of Black's version that signals some sort of urgency that the original doesn't.
3. Ring of Fire - covered by Social Distortion. Originally performed by Johnny Cash. I'm sure that I'll get a lot of guff over this one...did I just use the word "guff?" But, Social D just amps this song up, and I love Mike Ness' voice.
4. California Sun - covered by The Ramones. Originally performed by the Rivieras. Plain and simple - The Ramones play rock and roll the way it should always be played, loud and fast.
5. Physical - covered by Nine Inch Nails. Originally performed by Adam Ant. This is the only one that I don't think is better than the original, but it is so different that it is equally as good. Where Ant's is kind of seductive and subtly threatening, Trent Reznor's version actually makes you feel his awkward repulsion at a very visceral level. Man, whenever I listened to this song as a kid, it made me want to punch a hole through something.
Feel free to debate.
By Kevin - 3/27/2008
27 Comments:
I love the Social D cover of "Ring of Fire", and it sounds even better live. Nice list.
Kyle,
AWESOME post! I think you're missing one of the most powerful covers of all time: Johnny Cash singing "Hurt," which was originally performed by Nine Inch Nails.
The video for that song is spooky, especially given that both John and June Cash were in it, and that she died within a year of the video being made -- and while Nine Inch Nails did an excellent job in the first version, the Johnny Cash version is probably one of the most powerful and somber songs Cash performed.
Here's 10 good one's that come to mind...
Personal Jesus, covered by Johnny Cash, original by Depeche Mode.
Satisfaction, covered by Devo, originally by the Stones.
Walk This Way, covered by Run DMC, originally by Aerosmith.
Bring Tha Noize, covered by Anthrax, originally by Public Enemy.
Word Up, covered by Korn, originally by Cameo.
My Way, covered by the Sex Pistols, originally by Frank Sinatra.
Darling Nikki, covered by the Foo-Fighters, originally by Prince.
Live and Let Die, covered by Guns n Roses, originally by Paul McCartney and Wings.
Pretty Woman, covered by Van Halen, originally by Roy Orbison.
Walk, covered by Avenged Sevenfold, originally by Pantera.
You're right on with The Clash, Frank Black and The Ramones.
My standards for covers are pretty high. You either have to really bring something of yourself to it - Devo/Satisfaction, or just plain outrock the original - 'I Fought The Law'.
Russ - the My Way cover is great. Eve see it in the movie - where he shots Nancy at the end?
I wouldn't call it the Sex Pistols though - Its more of a Sid Vicious solo record(no Rotten, no Pistols)....
Love the movie, Tim.
And Kyle...good pick on "Hurt."
King Floyd- Groove me Baby, covered by the Blues Brothers
Sam and Dave- Soul Man, cv by BluBros
Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes, cv by Elvis - one year later
Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes,
Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry, You Really Got A Hold On Me - The Miracles, Money - Barrett Strong, cv by the Beatles
Yesterday- Beatles , cv by EVERYONE
Louie Louie- Richard Berry, cv by EVERYONE with a dirty mouth, Kingsmen, Paul Revere & Raiders...."If I told you the words, you wouldn't believe them anyway." - Richard Berry
Russ, nobody can live up to the original "Pretty Woman" or "Satisfaction"
When Roy Orbison juked Pretty Woman - we thought it was the second coming! Same with Satisfaction
Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don't fail us now.
Jake: First you traded the Cadillac in for a microphone. Then you lied to me about the band. And now you're gonna put me right back in the joint!
Elwood: They're not gonna catch us.
We're on a mission from God
lame post...site is missing Robert
KEVIN WROTE THIS POST
I'd like to add Joe Strummer's cover of Redemption Song by Bob Marley. Cash / Strummer version is also acceptable.
in no order. some i like them better than the original, some not.
"in your eyes" covered by jeffrey gaines, live.
i like russ' suggestion for "satisfaction" covered by devo.
"across the universe" covered by fiona apple
and along that line, "twist and shout" covered by the beatles
and i can't come up with a 5th one right now. i need to really be getting to bed.
"Wagon Wheel" - Against Me! (original Bob Dylan)
"My War" - Good Riddance (original Black Flag)
"She" - Snapcase (original The Misfits)
"Uptown Girl" - Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (original Billy Joel)
"Linoleum" - Bad Astronaut (original NOFX)
"War Ensemble" - Bigwig (original Slayer)
"Want" - Lagwagon (original Jawbreaker)
"Such Great Heights" - Iron and Wine (original The Postal Service)
"Bark At The Moon" - Strung Out (original Ozzy Osbourne)
I'll admit Johnny Cash doesn't really float my boat in general, but I really can't stand his "Hurt" cover.
-DHM
Oh, and the Hot Water Music covers of "Bleeder" and "Radio" by the Alkaline Trio.
-DHM
Hendrix doing Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower"
Hendrix doing " The Star Spangled Banner"
Joe Cocker covers Beatles "With a Little Help from My Friends"
Joe Cocker covers Traffic's "Feelin Alright"
Johnny Cash covers Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt"
William Shatner covers "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"
Shatner-"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"
PRECIOUS!
The Byrds covered Dylan well too
Mencken, those are all ass kickin songs. A methodist minister (Prof from Duke U) once 'covered" Dylan's Watchtower in his sermon:
There must be some kind of way out of here
Said the joker to the thief
Theres too much confusion
I cant get no relief
Businessman they drink my wine
Plow men dig my earth
None will level on the line
Nobody of it is worth
Hey hey
No reason to get excited
The thief he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke but uh
But you and I weve been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now
The hours getting late
Hey
Hey
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Bare-foot servants to, but huh
Outside in the cold distance
A wild cat did growl
Two riders were approachin
And the wind began to howl
Hey
Peace , Baseball & Rock n Roll to ya
First off, Johnny Cash's Mariachi treatment of "Ring of Fire" was itself a cover. The original was written and performed as a straight-up country song by June Carter (later June Carter Cash) about her attraction to Johnny despite both being married.
To kick it old school for a bit here:
"Proud Mary" cov by Ike and Tina Turner, orig by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
"All Along the Watchtower" as noted above
"Turn! Turn! Turn!" cov by The Byrds, orig by Pete Seeger
"Pressure Drop" cov by The Clash, orig. by Toots and the Maytals
"Monkey Man," cov by The Specials, orig. by Toots and the Maytals.
"Money (That's What I Want)," cov. by many but the punk minimalist version by The Flying Lizards" has it's own special weirdness.
The Diodes' cover of The Cyrcle's "Red Rubber Ball" is great only because they did it to piss off the song's writer Paul Simon when he said he didn't like punk rock.
"Strange" cov by REM, orig by Wire.
The best cover version in the history of rock is beyond dispute if you concede that it is a cover: "Respect" by Aretha Franklin. The original, written and recorded by Otis Redding was heading up the charts and promised to be his first crossover hit (he had to wait until he died for that: "Dock of a Bay.") When he heard her version, he said, "I just lost my song. That girl done took it away from me."
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Stevie Wonder - We Can Work It Out. He pretty much smoked the Beatles original.
You might like Stevie's version better, but there is no way it "smokes" L&M's version.
It's not a drag race.
oh my, we oh so literal here, aren't we mencken? it's just an opinion so relax. (and the wonder man did).
All the remakes by Michael McDonald and Michael Bolton are the worst ever. Also, and I am not a fan of Don McClean, but Madonna's rendition was sacrilegious.
I can get into this:
First and foremost, the best cover hands down is Lola covered by The Raincoats
Trash covered by the Mountain Goats
Hallelujah covered by Rufus Wainwright (also his Across the Universe is great as well)
Far Away from my Heart covered by Presence (original was the Bodeans)
I Don't Like Mondays covered by Tori Amos
-Heidi
I liked this post. It wasn't preachy...it definitely wasn't political...just a few peeps sharing favorite cover tunes.
And even though arguments over music can get as heated as arguments over politics, everyone was cordial.
Good job, Kevin.
Hi Kevin,
Great movie, great post.
1. Hallelujah- Original Leonard Cohen- Covered by Jeff Buckley
2. ...Baby One More Time- Original Britney Spears- Covered by Travis
3. Hard to Handle- Original Otis Redding- Covered by The Black Crowes
4. Helter Skelter- Original The Beatles- Covered by u2.
5. All Along the Watchtower- Original by Bob Dylan- Covered by Hendrix.
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Great post, Kevin! I fully agree with you on The Clash, and also nbriers on Jeff Buckley's cover of Hallelujah. I also love Tori Amos' (b-side) cover of Famous Blue Raincoat by (again) Leonard Cohen, and Nirvana's covers of The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie) and Plateau (Meat Puppets). I have to admit I prefer Bowie's original but Nirvana's take is definitely quality.
Fun list. Love Social D's "Ring of Fire" cover. Three of my all-time faves that haven't been named:
- Husker Du: Eight Miles High (Byrds)
- Jason & The Scorchers: Absolutely Sweet Marie (Dylan)
- X: Breathless (Jerry Lee Lewis)
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