Best covered band?

[Liam]

Ok, so basically, some bands get the cover treatment more than others, and some bands get good covers done of their stuff....and then some bands get terrible covers done of their stuff.

Simply put, which bands/artists do you think generally gets well represented in cover versions? Which are some bands/artists that people shouldn't touch, or when they do, it all goes horribly wrong?

[zero]

Depeche Mode get covered all the time and I mostly enjoy whenever someone else does their work... except Lacuna Coil. Ugh.

The Ramones are another one, I enjoyed most of their tribute album and generally I like it when a band takes a much different direction with some of their very stripped down songs.

I don't think there are any bands that should never be covered, there's always someone who can offer an interesting interpretation. But I do hate it when shitty local bands try to incorporate The Who, Zeppelin, or Pink Floyd into their sets, that's a bit presumptuous.

[Liam]

Depeche Mode get covered all the time and I mostly enjoy whenever someone else does their work... except Lacuna Coil. Ugh.

Spot on with what was going to be my answer. I used to be a little skeptical about DM covers, but with The Cure "World In My Eyes", Dishwalla "Policy Of Truth" and No Use For a Name/Evergreen Terrace versions of "Enjoy The Silence", there are enough decent DM covers for me to enjoy...oh, and I hate the Lacuna Coil cover as well, strangely enough. The idea of making the song more moodier/gothic detracts from the actual darkness of the song, as that kinda hinged (in my eyes) on the upbeat melody.

[Clawson]

An obvious choice for most overed would be the Beatles. As for bands that shouldn't be covered I also believe there are all bands can be covered. However there are some songs that shouldn't be covered.

[Liam]

An obvious choice for most overed would be the Beatles. As for bands that shouldn't be covered I also believe there are all bands can be covered. However there are some songs that shouldn't be covered.

I put the "shouldn't be covered" for the sake of it, but I more mean bands that get more shit covers than good covers.

Like The Smiths...

[Skummy]

With the exception of the "How Soon Is Now" tribute album, I find most Smiths cover rather good, to be honest. Even TATU's How Soon Is Now is bearable.

Billy Bragg's "Never Had No One Ever", The Lucksmiths and The Divine Comedy's respective takes on "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", Supergrass' "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others", Trash Can Sinatras "I Know It's Over", Jeff Buckley's "I Know It's Over", Dinosaur Jr's "Boy With The Thorn In His Side".....there's a lot of great covers to choose from there, so I might actually throw their name into the hat for this one, although I do mostly agree with Depeche Mode.

Pink Floyd covers tend to be terrible, to be honest, with the exception of Voivoid's "Astronomy Domine, David Bowie's "See Emily Play" and Carter USM's "Another Brick In The Wall" (which I actually like, unlike the original song).

Edited July 14, 2006 by Skumfrog

[gunnar hendershow]

Iron Maiden is covered a ton, and it seems 50/50 on whether the cover is good or just is lame. I tend to not like when harsh vocals are used with Maiden songs. But there are a few good ones out there. Most just feel.... wrong.

[Crybaby Bunting]

The Misfits are covered by everyone and their mother, and due to the fact that they often try and produce a song with decent production quality, it seems like some covers end up sounding better. Almost all of the Misfits work is great and as there are so many decent songs that they've written each cover tends to go in another direction.

Check out:

AFI: Last Caress/Halloween

Gre... erm... The Network - Teenagers from mars

MCR - Astro Zombies

Alkaline Trio - Halloween/Children In Heat

[Guest KoRnCHiLD]

Limp Bizkit - Faith

[Steeb]

I've never really heard a Smiths cover I didn't like. Plus the At The Drive-In cover of 'This Night Has Opened My Eyes' is one of my all-time favourite covers, so yeah, probably them.

[Liam]

My problem with the Smiths is that although some of the covers are good, they don't come near to surpassing the original. How much I like the cover tends to be based on the songwriting aspect of the original, rather than anything overly impressive by the covering band, personally.

[Guest Bosstown Boy]

I hear a lot of Sublime covers nowadays, actually.

I suppose Nirvana gets some good covers, but nobody gets cover bands like KISS. They may suck, but they sure do have a lot of them. Did anyone else see that special on the midget KISS cover band?

Quality.

[gunnar hendershow]

I forgot to mention. In high school when I went to local concerts there was song that someone played. It didn't matter who, just one band would play it. Rage's "Killing in the Name".

[GRIFT]

Pink Floyd covers tend to be terrible, to be honest, with the exception of Voivoid's "Astronomy Domine, David Bowie's "See Emily Play" and Carter USM's "Another Brick In The Wall" (which I actually like, unlike the original song).

[thatshortguy]

Covers I like:

-A Perfect Circle - Imagine (John Lennon)

-Abandoned Pools - Army Of Me (Bjork)

-Kittie - Run Like Hell (Pink Floyd)

-Machine Head - Hole In The Sky (Black Sabbath)

-Metallica - Whiskey In The Jar (Thin Lizzy) -- video sucks, though.

-Pantera - Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath)

-Queens Of The Stone Age - Never Say Never (Romeo Void)

-Rage Against The Machine - How I Could Just Kill A Man (Cypress Hill), Ghost Of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen)

-Snake River Conspiracy - Lovesong (The Cure)

-Soundgarden - Waiting For The Sun (The Doors), Into The Void (Stealth) (Black Sabbath), Girl U Want (Devo), Smokestack Lightning (Howlin' Wolf)

-Spiderbait - Black Betty (Ram Jam)

-Static-X & Burton C. Bell - Burning Inside (Ministry)

Covers I'm lukewarm on:

-Korn - Word Up (Cameo)

-Rage Against The Machine - Renegades Of Funk (Afrika Bombaataa)

-Slaves On Dope - War Pigs (Black Sabbath)

-Soundgarden - I Can't Give You Anything (The Rolling Stones), Cop Killer (Body Count)

-Static-X - Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment (The Ramones), Behind The Wall Of Sleep (Black Sabbath)

-The Ataris - Boys Of Summer (Don Henley)

-The Dillenger Escape Plan - Jesus Christ Pose (Soundgarden)

-Ugly Kid Joe - War Pigs (Black Sabbath)

Covers I do not like:

-Korn - Another Brick In The Wall (Pink Floyd)

-Pearl Jam - Last Kiss (J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers)

-Shinedown - Simple Man (Lynard Skynard)

-Soundgarden - Hey Baby (Land Of The New Rising Sun) (Jimi Hendrix), I Can't Give You Anything (The Ramones), Homicidal Suicidal (Budgie), I Don't Care About You (Fear), Swallow My Pride (Green River)

-Static-X - Speedway (Elvis Presley)

Edited July 16, 2006 by The Midget