Cover songs

[The Third Dukes]

The local radio station here plays a song called "Never Been to Heaven". It's an ok song, but what makes it cool is that they take an Elvis version and a Three Dog Night version and act like the two are singing at the same time. I know there are such things called "mashes" (from a previous EWB topic) where DJs do this to two completely different songs, but this was the first time I'd heard someone take the same song and mash two versions of it.

So it got me thinking about cover songs (or remakes, or whatever you want to call them). Here's a few survey questions for some discussion:

1. What was the best 1-2 punch of original and remake you've heard?

For me, it's "Hurt", hands down.

2. What was the worst matching of remake song and artist?

Ever heard Britney Spears sing "I Can't Get No Satisfaction"? She's due five years in purgatory for that alone.

3. What "same-song mash" do you think would be pretty cool to hear?

My choice would be The Who vs. Limp Bizkit "Behind Blue Eyes", just to see how they'd handle the two bridges.

Thoughts, please.

[SeanDMan]

Whenever bad cover songs come up, if Nickleback's bastardization of "Saturday Night('s alright for fighting)" doesn't come up, and then subsequently win, something is wrong with the world.

[Toe]

Rancid's "Radio" and NOFX's cover version of the song are both awesome songs. I actually like the cover version better though.

[Guest KidDiamond]

1. What was the best 1-2 punch of original and remake you've heard?

I really like "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" (Simon & Garfunkel/Me First and the Gimme Gimmes), although "Nowhere Man" (the Beatles/Paul Westerberg) is another good set.

2. What was the worst matching of remake song and artist?

It wasn't an exact remake, but Madonna's complete and utter destruction of "American Pie" the Don McClean classic everyone should know, should be more than plenty to send her straight to hell, purgatory, Hoboken New Jersey, or any other unpleasant place you can think of.

3. What "same-song mash" do you think would be pretty cool to hear?

I'd kind of like to hear the Rolling Stones/Tea Party "Paint it Black", just to hear the more 'happy' Stones version with the Tea Party's heavier guitars and such would be awesome.

Added Nowhere Man Comment

Edited September 16, 2005 by KidDiamond

[Skummy]

As awful as Nickelback's butchering of "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" undoubtedly is, it's not a patch on Creed's "I'm Eighteen", The Donnas' "Too Fast For Love", NOFX's "Iron Man" or, and God forbid I have to bring up the memories of this...Avril Lavigne's "Chop Suey".

As for best covers, there's hundreds to choose from. Anything Evan Dando or The Lemonheads have done, most of Tori Amos', Voltaire's "Lovesong", Ani DiFranco's "Hurricane", Nouvelle Vague's "Too Drunk To Fuck"....the list goes on and on and on...

[thuganomic]

Add Avril's butchering of "Fuel." to that list of horrific covers.

[Guest John Kerry's Evil Twin]

1. "Turn the Page"- Bob Seger and Metallica

2. Madonna's cover of "American Pie"

3. can't think of one

[MalaCloudy Black]

I find myself partial to Rob Zombie's cover of Blitzkrieg Bop, personally.

[Benji]

TOP FIVE

"La Bamba (Live)" by Rancid

"I Fought The Law" by Green Day

"Take On Me" by Reel Big Fish

"Behind Blue Eyes" by Limp Bizkit

"Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley

LOWER FIVE

"Fell In Love With a Boy/Girl" by Joss Stone

"Satisfaction" by Britney Spears

"Tragedy" by Steps

"Wannabe" by Zebrahead

"Chop Suey" by Avril Lavigne

[TMM]

The best cover I've heard of the top of my head would probably be Marilyn Manson's cover of Tainted Love.

The worst covers are easily Limp Bizkit's Behind Blue Eyes and Oasis' My Generation. Actually, add to that McFly's Pinball Wizard. Basically, no butchering any songs by the Who or you'll make me cry, and by gawd did they butcher these songs. Fucking awful.

[DoubleX]

I quite liked Evanescence's version of "Thoughtless" by Korn off their Anywhere But Home DVD. It's only ever done live (like their covers of A Perfect Circle's "Orestes" and a couple of others), but it's still pretty good. And Shannon Noll, I think, did an alright version of Moving Pictures' "What About Me".

Bad covers? Britney doing "I Love Rock and Roll" by ZZ Top was quite terrible. Every time that song's on TV or the radio, I change the channel.

Edited September 16, 2005 by DoubleX

[fineintent]

1. What was the best 1-2 punch of original and remake you've heard?

I quite like Sikth's cover of Feel So Bad's Tupelo. That rocks. Pantera's Planet Caravan is pretty nice as well, a real contrast to the rest of the album. Lostprophets live cover of Cry Me a River is also decent. As for Hip-Hop covers/samples I really like Talib Kweli's Lonely People, with the Eleanor Rigby sample.

2. What was the worst matching of remake song and artist?

I'll go with Britney Spears again. This time her version of My Prerogative by Bobby Brown.

3. What "same-song mash" do you think would be pretty cool to hear?

Cry Me a River, so you could have the Timbaland back-beat with the solo.

[Liam]

The best cover I've heard of the top of my head would probably be Marilyn Manson's cover of Tainted Love.

←

That, my friend, is an awful cover. And I'm not even overly partial on the original. He just does nothing with the song, especially considering he showed what he could do with cover versions when he did an awesome job of "Sweet Dreams". Even his passable "Personal Jesus" was better than "Tainted Love".

Best covers for me are:

Jeff Buckley "Hallelujah"

A Perfect Circle "Lovesong/Diary Of A Madman" (live)

Mnemic "Wild Boys"

In Flames "Everything Counts" (as you can see from the above and this one, I just dig metal acts doing 80's pop songs)

Marilyn Manson "Sweet Dreams"

Johnny Cash "Hurt"

The Cure "Love Will Tear Us Apart"

The Cure "World In My Eyes"

Best one/two original/remake for me is probably........Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division and then The Cure. Class song, and done just as much justice by The Cure.

The worst covers are probably the aforementioned Tainted Love, Louise Redknapp's "Stuck In The Middle With You", Avril Lavigne "Chop Suey" and T.a.t.u's "How Soon Is Now?"

Edited September 16, 2005 by Liam

[Summers]

I hated Personal Jesus, aswell as Tainted Love.

Sweet Dreams was good.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Tainted Love was mediocre and so was Personal Jesus. Sweet Dreams was creepy as fuck, though.

[R.W.]

1. What was the best 1-2 punch of original and remake you've heard?

I love Crowded House's "Pineapple Head", and Natalie Imbruglia's cover is top notch too (esp. live).

Neil Finn did a great cover of "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" by The Smiths, which was good in it's own right.

I'm also quite partial to Sheryl Crow's cover of "Peace, Love & Understanding" by Elvis Costello, but I don't believe it's ever been released commercially.

2. What was the worst matching of remake song and artist?

Gareth Gates "Unchained Melody" was horrendous. Even Robson & Jerome did better. That, or the butchering DJ Sammy gave "Heaven" by Bryan Adams.

3. What "same-song mash" do you think would be pretty cool to hear?

Perversley, I'd be quite interested to hear a mash of Jimi Hendrix & The Corrs doing their versions of "Little Wing".

[VerbalPuke]

Some of the betters one...

The Cramps - Surfin' Bird

Reverend Horton Heat/Mummies/Controllers - Jezebel

D.I. - Uncontrollable Urge

Billy Childish and Thee Milkshakes - Something Else

No Alternative - Folsom Prison Blues

As for ones I didn't like, I'll just go ahead and list that whole Ramones cover album. I realize alot of people enjoyed it, but I really didn't see it's appeal. There wasn't a song on the album that I enjoyed after giving it a listen. On top of that, I'm not a big fan of any of the bands on the album in general.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Some of the betters one...

The Cramps - Surfin' Bird

Reverend Horton Heat/Mummies/Controllers - Jezebel

D.I. - Uncontrollable Urge

Billy Childish and Thee Milkshakes - Something Else

No Alternative - Folsom Prison Blues

As for ones I didn't like, I'll just go ahead and list that whole Ramones cover album. I realize alot of people enjoyed it, but I really didn't see it's appeal. There wasn't a song on the album that I enjoyed after giving it a listen. On top of that, I'm not a big fan of any of the bands on the album in general.

←

I liked RHCP's cover of Havana Affair.

[King Ellis]

Gareth Gates "Unchained Melody" was horrendous.

←

Speaking of Gareth Gates, I believe his and Will Youngs double act cover of The Long and Winding Road was voted the worst cover of a Beatles song ever.

[AJ]

Best Cover: Limpbizkit - Take Me Home/Sanitarium.

Fuck off, it was way better than the original.

Worst Cover: Bryan Adams - Wonderwall

How dare anybody try to cover one of the great Oasis' songs of the 90's? It just disgusts me, and the fact Jo Whiley and all her faggot fans were phoning in to talk about how great it was makes me hate him even more.

Mix-Up: Well personally I'd find it pretty funny to play George Michaels' "Faith" at a disco with a load of grandmas, then just when it hits that last 'you gotta have...' switch it to the limp bizkit version and see what the reaction is.