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The Covers Thread

97K views 1K replies 446 participants last post by  ed1980 
#1 ·
Covers better than the originals or just as good

I've got a thing for punk rock covers. Some of my favourites:

Louie Louie - Black Flag
99 Red Balloons - 7 Seconds
Stepping Stone - Minor Threat
California Dreaming - Hi Standard
Eight Miles High - Husker Du
Pills - New York Dolls

and also love Nouvelle Vagues covers of punk songs. :)

What are everyone elses favourites?
 
#2 ·
The Futureheads - "The Hounds of Love"

I really like the original, but The Futureheads version is good.

The Byrds - "The Chimes of Freedom"

I like this version way more than Bob Dylan's version. But only the studio version, which I couldn't find a link for (the singer, Roger or maybe David, I don't think it's Gene, sounds like his voice is just about to break, gets me every time). Here's another Byrds cover I like much more than the Dylan original - "My Back Pages"
 
#31 ·
Leonard Cohen fans will slap me for this, but KD Lang's Hallelujah is phenomenal.
I should slap you, but I won't. I really don't care for that version though. I'm extremely biased but I think Leonard Cohen's originals outclass all the covers. I suppose some can be just as good in rare cases, but that's as much as I'm willing to concede.

My brain isn't working that well at the moment but I can think of a few:
I like a lot of Otis Redding's covers - I Can't Get No (Satisfaction) (Rolling Stones), A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke), Stand By Me (Ben E. King), and, well, I could go on all day really.
Which reminds me of Aretha Franklin - Respect (Otis Redding)
Sam Cooke - Summertime (Gershwin)
Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind, You Are My Sunshine, Your Cheatin' Heart, Yesterday, Elenor Rigby, too many to mention really. I just like his whole blues/jazz/soul take on a lot of songs.
 
#6 ·
i wouldn't say all of these are better than the originals, but i still like them:

siouxsie and the banshees - dear prudence
dinosaur jr - just like heaven
pixies - head on
drop nineteens - angel
teenage fanclub - like a virgin
rasputina - why don't you do right
grizzly bear - he hit me (and it felt like a kiss)
soft cell - tainted love
tricky - black steel

i'm sure there are tons more, i just can't think right now... need sleep...

good topic, though!
 
#9 ·
Anything is better than the original "The Day the World Went Away" of NIN's, such as this one:

 
#14 ·
I thought that The Cramps wrote "Surfin' Bird" until that Family Guy episode. So I'll add that.

Also, The Jesus & Mary Chain do a pretty good cover of "Surfin' USA", although I prefer the original to it, it's still pretty good.
 
#16 ·
Easy Star All-Stars did some awesome cover albums with Dub Side of the Moon and Radiodread and from what I'm hearing, they did it again with their 3rd, Sgt Peppers Lonely Dub Band.
 
#17 ·
The Man Who Sold the World by Nirvana
Astronomy by Metallica
No Quarter by Tool
Am I Evil? by Metallica
How I Could Just Kill a Man by RATM
Come Together by Aerosmith
Heard it Through the Grapevine by CCR
Live and Let Die by G'n'R
Sabbra Cadabra by Metallica
Whiskey in the Jar by Metallica
I Fought the Law by Green Day
 
#19 ·
Heard it Through the Grapevine by CCR
Gladys' version of that is the only version for me. She sounds pissed off as ****. Marvin just sounds sad, and CCR mixes the two. The original was by Smokey & The Miracles, if memory serves.

 
#18 ·
Frijid Pink's cover of "House of the Risng Sun"
The Who or Blue Cheer covering "Summertime Blues"
Deep Purple's cover of "Kentucky Woman"

Yes, I'm way old. For something almost this century, I like Jeff Buckley's cover of Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing". Although, the original may be my favorite song (studio-Astral Weeks)
 
#20 ·
Frijid Pink's cover of "House of the Risng Sun"
Yeah that's a cool cover. Also the Adolescents do a great version of it. Though The Animals version will always be the one for me.

Lateralus said:
Heard it Through the Grapevine by CCR
bezoomny said:
Gladys' version of that is the only version for me. She sounds pissed off as ****. Marvin just sounds sad, and CCR mixes the two. The original was by Smokey & The Miracles, if memory serves.
The Slits do a good cover of it as well.

Another one that springs to mind is Ministry's cover of Lay Lady Lay. Thanks to MaidMarion for bringing them to my attention! :)
 
#25 ·
Mark Lanegan - Man in the Long Black Coat (Bob Dylan) (Covering Bob is touchy, but it's Mark Lanegan, so I like it automatically)


Mark Lanegan - She's Not For You (Willie Nelson) (Possibly the worst version of this cover.... dude in the background needs to ****ing shut up).


Speaking of Dylan....
Bob Dylan - Gospel Plow (The traditional folk song)


Screaming Trees also did a version (albeit much different and not as good)


Gun Club - Preachin' the Blues (I think this one is fabulous in its own way)


Tom Waits - Ice Cream Man (John Brim)


Tom Waits - Brother Can You Spare A Dime? (Bing Crosby)


Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen) (I like both.... I think I prefer Cohen, though. This is still good, however)


I have tons more, but.... yeah, I've listed too many already.
 
#30 ·
Bless the Beasts and Children - 4 Non Blondes
Misty Mountain Hop - 4 Non Blondes
Across the Universe - Fiona Apple
Please Send Me Someone to Love - Fiona Apple
Mercedes Benz - Concrete Blonde
Since I Don't Have You - Guns N' Roses
Knockin' on Heavens Door - Guns N' Roses
Crimson and Clover - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Hurt - Johnny Cash
Lay Down (Candles In The Rain) - Meredith Brooks
To Sir With Love - Susanna Hoffs
Cat's in the Cradle - Ugly Kid Joe
 
#38 ·
Tori Amos - A Case of You (Joni Mitchell)
Sarah McLachlan - Dear God (XTC)
Sarah McLachlan - Gloomy Sunday (Billie Holiday)
Sarah McLachlan - Blue (Joni Mitchell)
The Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane (Velvet Underground)
The Indigo Girls - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (Buffy St. Marie)
Tori Amos - Famous Blue Raincoat (Leonard Cohen)
Tori Amos - Time (Neil Young)
Emm Gryner - Dearg Doom (Horslips)
Sheryl Crow - The First Cut is the Deepest (Cat Stevens)
Emm Gryner - Pour Some Sugar on Me (Def Leppard) <-- At least more interesting.
Within Temptation - Running Up that Hill (Kate Bush)
Tori Amos - '97 Bonnie and Clyde (Eminem)
Maxwell - This Woman's Work (Kate Bush) <-- Actually, I'm on the fence. It's hard to cover a work of art.
Joshua Radin - Only You (Yaz)
Emm Gryner - Straight to Hell (The Clash)

Bonnie Somerville's "Father and Son" is excellent, but I'm not sure if it's better than the original Cat Stevens' verison.

I am addicted to Sarah McLachlan's "The Rainbow Connection." Does that count as a cover? If so, then I also add Joshua Radin's version of the Sesame Street theme song.

I agree with Fiona's "Across the Universe" and Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah." It's better than the kd lang version, IMO.

I'm sure I'll think of more.

Have a nice day,
Kelly :)
 
#42 ·
White Stripes' cover of Son House's Death Letter. An amazing cover and Jack's playing is perfect at this show.
That's great. I like their cover of Bob Dylan's One More Cup Of Coffee as well. And Dolly Parton's Jolene. And Burt Bacharach's I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself.

Jimi Hendrix did some great covers as well, apart from the one already mentioned:
Hey Joe (The Leaves) - I didn't know this was a cover until today. The original is pretty good though.
Like A Rolling Stone (Dylan) - I think this one is more difficult to cover than All Along The Watchtower but he did a great job. I prefer the original but I love this too.
Wild Thing (The Troggs) - much sexier than the original
Star Spangled Banner - miiiiiiiiiiles better than the original
 
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