It's not very often that a new band or musician's cover is better than the original or hit version of a song. Recently I discovered my new favorite band of musicians "Leonid and Friends" while searching an old song, "Vehicle" on youtube. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX8g_JEJol8) Has anyone else made similar discoveries?
https://www.youtube.com/embed/fX8g_JEJol8
Tori Amos covering Slayer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUOuJJdjFHc
Urge Overkill's cover of Neil Diamond's "Girl, you'll be a woman soon":
Nirvana's "Love Buzz", originally from Shocking Blue (also the original authors of Bananarama's "Venus"):
And of course,
Despite the version of Take That is the most famous, this cover of the veteran Chuck Jackson is better than the Dan Hartman's original:
_
I love Johnny Cash's Hurt. I can't say it's better than the original. Just as good, maybe, in its own way.
Here's one that's similarly just as good in its own way. Failure's cover of Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode:
I'm not sure if dubs count, but the version of Be Prepared from the Lion King by the late Rikard Wolff still feels great years later.
I don't know, Blondbraid. It's hard to surpass the slick menace of Jeremy Irons' performance (though apparently Jim Cummings doubles for him in the last verse).
I've come to appreciate the Nancy Sinatra version of this a bit more with time, but I still think I prefer this cover by, of all bands, Coldplay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIKyNyI6V68
For me, it's probably just about any Bob Dylan cover. Weird fact: I like Dylan's songs, but I can't stand his voice. Many of my favorite songs are covers of Dylan songs. Guns and Roses "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower," and the Ramones' "My Back Pages." Every one of them a Dylan song sung by better vocalists.
But if I had to pick one, it'd be Jeff Healey's bluesy cover of "When the Night Comes Calling"
By way of comparison, here's Dylan's original, which is like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.
Quote from: Ponch on Thu 09/04/2020 13:28:32
For me, it's probably just about any Bob Dylan cover. Weird fact: I like Dylan's songs, but I can't stand his voice. Many of my favorite songs are covers of Dylan songs. Guns and Roses "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower," and the Ramones' "My Back Pages." Every one of them a Dylan song sung by better vocalists.
Hahah, same thing happens to me with Neil Young. Great songwriter, horrible performer (for the most part... he does have some brilliant moments, especially when he goes acoustic.)
The Ramones' "My Back Pages"! Such a great choice! Actually, pretty much all the covers on
Acid Eaters are fantastic.
Quote from: Ponch on Thu 09/04/2020 13:28:32
For me, it's probably just about any Bob Dylan cover. Weird fact: I like Dylan's songs, but I can't stand his voice. Many of my favorite songs are covers of Dylan songs. Guns and Roses "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower," and the Ramones' "My Back Pages." Every one of them a Dylan song sung by better vocalists.
That's not a weird fact, it is a very normal reaction to Bob Dylan. His voice and random accordion insertions do not do his songwriting skills any favours.
Guns and Roses did have a few memorable covers. Another one being:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D9vAItORgE
Quote from: KyriakosCH on Thu 09/04/2020 17:16:47
Guns and Roses did have a few memorable covers. Another one being:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D9vAItORgE
Nice - yeah I always liked this version, too.
Guns & Roses - what an AMAZING cover! :cheesy:
Here's another one. Guns & Roses covering Since I Don't Have You from The Skyliners.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYOYlqOitDA
I have to agree with everyone about Dylan. As much as I enjoy him, I do enjoy the covers more. The first one I heard will always be my favorite, and that's Jimi's Watchtower.
Guns & Roses do some good ones as well. I think I may prefer their Live and Let Die as well. Don't forget about their Dylan cover, either.
Here's another cover I may prefer to the original:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - We Almost Lost Detroit (Gil Scott-Heron cover)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh0WOhbGlvk
The original is a fantastic track, much more laid back with some sweet grooves. This one is more intense, more urgent. I like it when an artist re-invents a song, or makes it their own, rather than just a reproduction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuH_DugTmE0
:)
I'm having a Nick Cave day and... how could I have forgotten about this terrifying cover of Leonard Cohen's
Avalanche?
Afaik this is also a cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVdaFQhS86E
Vader kicking Metallica's ass. The ending really gives me goosebumps :D
https://youtu.be/v-W05lNjztM
Got to add one more Johnny Cash entry.
Absolutely love this, works so well with Cash's distinctive and somehow emotion laden simple style.
Also...
Quote from: KyriakosCH on Sun 12/04/2020 20:17:31
...The Girl From Ipanema...
I must be getting older, I can remember being young(er) and thinking this is tacky, now I just think 100% tune!
Does the Samhain version of "All Hell" count? Both groups had Glenn Danzig on vocals.
https://youtu.be/xAsZDUGQ6pg
I'm not sure if "better" is the right word, but this MS Paint Furby cover of Blue by Eiffel 65 really is something, and it sure cracked me up.
Well, if dancemix counts as cover then...
_
Tronic DX7 - Red Soil (Lower Brinstar)
Yes, a cover of some Metroid music.
Here's a good one:
José Gonzalez - Teardrop (Massive Attack cover)
As much as I love the original track (which some may recognize as the opening theme for the show House), I just enjoy listening to this one more. Both are intimate in different ways. And while looking in the comments of the original track on YouTube, I read that this version was used in the recent Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance. So that's neat.
José Gonzalez also does a fantastic cover of Heartbeats by The Knife. It's damn good, but I just don't like it more than the original.
Quote from: Olleh19 on Mon 25/05/2020 13:53:56
(Cats in the Cradle)
That's a tough one. This is a really good cover, updated for a more modern audience, but I really like the original.
Here's one that is so different from the original that it's really tough to say which is 'better':
The Cardigans - Iron Man
I love the original, no doubt about that, but I often prefer listening to this one. It's really relaxing! I love a cover that totally reinvents the song, and this one definitely does that.
Cobain's version of "The man who sold the world" is more famous than the original - but I never cared about Bowie.
Quote from: KyriakosCH on Mon 25/05/2020 21:21:53
Cobain's version of "The man who sold the world" is more famous than the original - but I never cared about Bowie.
Bowie's original is fine, but Nirvana's cover is fantastic:
Siouxsie's "The Last Beat of my Heart" is fantastic, but Devotchka's more passionate reinterpretation just suits the song better than the original's languidness, in my opinion:
Original:
Not exactly a cover, but a reworking to minor key:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGflu3TbREo
Far better than the original. Major key is for normies ^_^
I don´t really know if this hits the forums musical taste, but I instantly had to think of this when its about good covers. So much better than the original! And Aurora is just etheral.
https://youtu.be/dfSbQ3_jrtA
The last few have been fantastic.
Personally, I like this one:
Khruangbin - Il Clan Dei Siciliani (Ennio Morricone Cover)
But I do love Khruangbin.