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General => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: rumborak on December 08, 2017, 10:29:11 AM
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There was an interesting discussion regarding what makes a good cover version in the DT sub, so maybe we can discuss this further here, and post examples.
To me, a good cover takes a song into a place it wasn't before. That doesn't necessarily mean it has to be radically different, but at the very least, to me, there has to be an answer to the question "why would I want to listen to this over the original".
My two examples for great covers are:
https://youtu.be/xyvFhrDzLfY (Johnny Cash covering "Personal Jesus")
https://youtu.be/LsvuipGq2ns (Peter Gabriel covering "Heroes")
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The first example I thought of was Johnny Cash - Hurt (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FywSzjRq0e4), so I think we're on the same page.
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Fair assessment. My personal best examples are
"Summertime Blues" by The Who. Eddie Cochran's version is a product of it's time (as it all art). The Who brought it in to their generation (pardon the pun).
"Sloop John B" by The Beach Boys. Al Jardine recognized the potential to rework the song utilizing the band's vocal talents and Brian's mastery and composition.
"Ain't No Grave" by Johnny Cash. Same reasons can apply to "Hurt" and "Personal Jesus." This song gets the upper hand due to Undertaker's Wrestlemania 27 entrance.
Bottom line, they made the song their own, and took it "into a place it wasn't before."
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Metallica's "Turn the Page" is always the first song I think of when someone asks for a GREAT cover.
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Then Rush did a cover of Summertime blues with a bit of Hendrix mixed in, and they also did "The Seeker" by The Who. Very cool!
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Metallica's "Turn the Page" is always the first song I think of when someone asks for a GREAT cover.
Yea, Metallica do great covers, by and large.
I really like PoS' Hallelujah too, since, it's the only cover I've heard that incorporated the irony in the original and didn't just make it sad.
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I've also LOOOOVE Transatlantic's cover medley of "I Need You" by America and The Beatles
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Links, guys!!!
Yea, Metallica do great covers, by and large.
To the point where I even like their cover more than the original. E.g. "Stone Cold Crazy".
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The best covers are Black Sabbath covers:
Ulver - Solitude
Pantera - Planet Caravan
Type O Negative - Black Sabbath
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Links, guys!!!
Yes sir.
Metallica - Stone Cold Crazy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3IrqmsC2rY)
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Threshold - Supermassive Black Hole (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC71mWxLuO0)
Sikth - Tupelo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BZk73UQX98)
And since it was mentioned earlier, here's a link for Pain of Salvation - Hallelujah (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfxScuK3Qy4)
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpY4na_ofxs
Best cover ever.
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Harry Nilsson, Without you. It became a classic after his version.
original : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPco24LS31A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPco24LS31A)
Nilsson's version : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEd6Wkx_rCI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEd6Wkx_rCI) (voice only)
Actually, the two versions are universes apart.
But, please, don't tell me about the Mariah Carey version because, IMO, it doesn't compare to Nilsson's at all.
B.Lee
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Heard this at the Dallas show. Really made it their own and actually I like it better.
10 Years - Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana)
https://youtu.be/IEhGh-MjNZ8
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While it isn't the most stellar cover, I also like when artists cover songs you would never imagine them to do so:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnRgod7teRk
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I disagree that a cover should "take the song somewhere else", and while I don't mind when a band "makes it their own", it's not necessary either. A good cover, in my opinion, has to capture the essence of the song, whatever that is.
Metallica absolutely captured the loneliness and solitude - well, pack mentality - of being on tour with their version of "Turn The Page". It's why I despise the Janis Joplin and don't really like the Dead versions of Me and Bobby McGee, arguably my favorite song of all time when done by Kris Kristofferson. His version has that essence of loss and sadness and inevitability that the others don't. MaBM is NOT a blues song; it's a COUNTRY song (and Kris even says this at the start of the original song: "If it sounds country man, that's what it is... it's a country song") and they're not coming from the same place. Ace Frehley nailed the essence of "Do Ya" by ELO, in my opinion. Disturbed nailed "Sounds of Silence"; Type O got "Cinnamon Girl".
I think most Sabbath covers butcher the originals - Metallica excluded - because they think the essence is "heavy" and it's not.
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I've always love Queensryche's cover of "Scarborough Fair"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwQlGjNqrs
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We were playing covers at work a few years ago and I put on GnR's Sympathy for the Devil (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tBZFQf--50) and 1 minute in my coworker unplugged my phone from the stereo which I thought was really rude but I still absolutely love that version of the song and prefer it to the original
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Machine Head - Hallowed Be Thy Name (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odVsy4gwZGM)
Not better than original but damn good, if you ask me!
Crippled Black Phoenix - Of a Lifetime (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE8p_5EDjg0)
I don't think it's different, I just like it more.
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Harry Nilsson, Without you. It became a classic after his version.
original : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPco24LS31A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPco24LS31A)
Nilsson's version : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEd6Wkx_rCI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEd6Wkx_rCI) (voice only)
Actually, the two versions are universes apart.
But, please, don't tell me about the Mariah Carey version because, IMO, it doesn't compare to Nilsson's at all.
B.Lee
Um, what about this version?
https://youtu.be/FQt-h753jHI
Seriously though, I actually like the Mariah Carey version better.
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Joe Cocker's 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Windows'
I hate Beatle covers.....except these two.
An old Alice Cooper 'I'm Always Chasing Rainbows', originally done in 1917 (Judy Garland's version is quite nostalgic)
Qryche's 'Scarborough Fair' ain't bad.
Metallica's cover of Queen's 'Stone Cold Crazy' (one of a handful of Queen covers I can stomach). I was disappointed in DT's Sheer Heart Attack medley (actually thought Mike would do LVs on 'Tenement Funster'), but I still adore their cover of Rush's 'Tears'.
For fun....listen to Hayseed Dixie's covers of 'Fat Bottomed Girls' and 'BoRhap'.
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An old Alice Cooper 'I'm Always Chasing Rainbows', originally done in 1917 (Judy Garland's version is quite nostalgic)
One of my favorite Alice albums. I love his voice on that.
I was disappointed in DT's Sheer Heart Attack medley
Really? I think it's spectacular.
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Just off the top of my head:
Halestorm release a covers EP between every album and they tend to be very creative with their takes on the songs. Prime example is their cover of Get Lucky. Bad Romance is another good one.
Nevermore - The Sound Of Silence
Lacey Sturm - Roxanne (Live) (freaking amazing, from her Life Screams album)
Suppose I could also name Rage Against The Machine's - Renegades album. All covers and all done in their style.
Anthrax - Carry On Wayward Son - freaking awesome. Available digitally only as an add-on to the latest album but well worth it. My wife thought I was full of it when I told her it was Anthrax.
Faith No More's cover of War Pigs off The Real Thing.
Maiden United - Acoustic takes on Iron Maiden tracks and sung by Damian Wilson. They have 3 albums out there. Can't go wrong.
Damone - Wasted Years off of their Out Here All Night album. Was so skeptical but they nailed this thing. Totally different take on it.
That's a good start. I'm sure I have more but it's late and I'm tired.
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Just off the top of my head:
Halestorm release a covers EP between every album and they tend to be very creative with their takes on the songs. Prime example is their cover of Get Lucky. Bad Romance is another good one.
Oh yeah, good shout out about Halestorm. They did a cover of Damn, I wish I was your Lover in their cover EP, this year and I really enjoyed that one in comparison to the original track (which had a 90s poppy vibe to it) whereas Halestorm had a great hard rock edge to it.
Johnny Cash's take on Hurt was just too damn powerful. For the longest time, I didn't even realize it was originally made by NIN.
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I saw a mention for Disturbed’s The Sound of Silence, which is breathtaking, but their first great cover was actually Land of Confusion. Just a badass rendition of an awesome Genesis song.
Also, Guns N‘ Roses have a tendency to do a great job with covers. Their versions of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, Live and Let Die, and Sympathy for the Devil are great.
And of course, in my opinion, Metallica are the masters (pun intended) of covers. Am I Evil?, Stone Cold Crazy, So What?, Whiskey in the Jar, and Turn the Page have become classic Metallica songs despite being covers because the band did such an amazing job on them. Turn the Page in particular is as close to being a perfect cover as possible, with the band keeping the mood of the song intact while molding the arrangements to fit their sound and style.
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Harry Nilsson, Without you. It became a classic after his version.
original : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPco24LS31A (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPco24LS31A)
Nilsson's version : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEd6Wkx_rCI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEd6Wkx_rCI) (voice only)
Actually, the two versions are universes apart.
But, please, don't tell me about the Mariah Carey version because, IMO, it doesn't compare to Nilsson's at all.
B.Lee
Um, what about this version?
https://youtu.be/FQt-h753jHI
Seriously though, I actually like the Mariah Carey version better.
OMFG!! What did I just see!!I blame you Rumby for having me lose some seconds of my life with that version of "Ken Lee"! :rollin :rollin :rollin
On a serious note, it's not that the Mariah Carey version is not good, but Nilsson's has a special place in my heart.
B.Lee
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I just sent this in a Roulette. It's such a different take on Rush's Xanadu that I love it. So full of energy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3bB2IkBHiE
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Sinead o connor - nothing compares 2U ( A prince song)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-EF60neguk
I went years thinking this was an original, but was pleasantly surprised to one day find out that it was a Prince song.