OT: Songs that you like a cover version better than the original?
Just curious. Anybody have some songs where they think the cover version is better than the original artist’s version?
Here are some of mine off the top of my head...
Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” covered by Whitney Houston. Yes, I know, fairly obvious. If you want a chuckle, read or listen to Dolly’s comments about when Colonel Tom Parker tried to talk her into letting Elvis do a cover of the song.
CCR’s “Proud Mary” covered by Ike and Tina Turner
“The House of the Rising Sun” (maybe written by Georgia Turner and Bert Martin) covered by The Animals. Honorable mention: Frijid_Pink.
John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” covered by the Dropkick Murphys
The Bobby Fuller Four’s “I Fought the Law” covered by The Clash.
It’s OT season as far as I’m concerned.
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Edit: Also Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats, Nick Drake - Don't Think Twice, and a couple Elliott Smith Beatles covers. Billy Bragg and Jeff Tweedy also did an album of Woody Guthrie covers and One by One is my favorite from that.
So many great covers of that one
I know it’s blasphemy to a lot of people, but I think Pentatonix has the best version of this song and that it’s not particularly close. I never used to think Buckley’s version could ever get supplanted, but the Pentatonix version is on a whole other level.
March 17th, 2023 at 12:37 AM ^
it's definitely blasphemy. better than the original, jeff buckley, john cale, and rufus wainwright?! also kd lang does a really great version too.
Maybe it’s the choir-nerd in me, but yes, I think it’s better than all of those.
March 17th, 2023 at 10:56 AM ^
fair enough!
there were actually 3 "Mermaid Avenue" (billy bragg and wilco) records released.
Ah, I actually had the first two as a double CD.
March 16th, 2023 at 10:18 PM ^
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
in my opinion the greatest cover ever
March 17th, 2023 at 12:34 AM ^
I also like the Mermaid Avenue albums, though they are not covers. Billy Bragg and Wilco wrote music to accompany previously unreleased Woody Guthrie lyrics. The resulting songs are originals co-written by the musicians and Guthrie.
Hallelujah is a great song and the Buckley version introduced me to Leonard Cohen. Interestingly, Buckley discovered the song through John Cale's version, which is also great (check out Cale's take on Heartbreak Hotel).
This is one of my favorite covers. This Mortal Coil (featuring the amazing vocals of Elizabeth Fraser) performing Song to the Siren - originally by Tim Buckley, Jeff's dad.
The trajectory of the song is mythical. There are so many weird coincidences that brought it to fruition. It took 5 years to write the first version which Cohen first presented to legendary music producer Walter Yetnikoff, (Micheal Jackson, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen) in 1984 who immediately called it a disaster. In Yetnikoff's defense, the original version was morose and plodding, nothing like what the song evolved into 180 versions later.
Cohen continued to play it live and in the late 80's Bob Dylan caught his set in Paris and told him he loved the song and offered a few suggestions. Inspired by Dylan, Cohen continued to tweak; nudging the melody, slowing the tempo, reworking and adding lyrics.
Then John Cale caught the newer version and told Cohen he would like to do a version could he send it to him. Cohen faxed 72 verses.
Cale condensed it into a version close to what we are used to. When a French magazine decided to fund an anthology of Cohen tunes they asked Cale to contribute. I’m Your Fan was purchased by no one - except a New Yorker named Jeannine who picked up her copy from a discount bin at a local 2dn hand CD store.
Singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley happened to be house sitting for his friend and rifling through her extensive record collection found Cale's tribute and decided to learn it.
The next night Buckley had a gig at a small East Village cafe. It was a Monday. It was raining so the place was practically empty so he added it to his set. While the rain kept people from coming it also kept one guy from leaving. A Columbia A&R exec. loved the song and Buckley and signed him.
Buckley's version gets released in 1994 but it too wallows in obscurity, peaking at 160 on Billboard.
It wasn't until 3 years later, after Buckley disappeared with his boots on, into the muddy Mississippi did the song rise to prominence.
It is arguably the second most covered modern song behind only Yesterday, which had a 30 year head start.
I like several covers Weezer has done.
Pink(erton) or Blue, or I'm fighting you.
Can’t believe I forgot this one!
What is, "questions that GNR asked of itself before forming?"
March 16th, 2023 at 10:14 PM ^
This may be unpopular but I like Chris Cornell's version of "Patience" better than G'n'R version.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:57 AM ^
Maybe blasphemous to Dylan fans, but I prefer GNR's version of Knockin on Heaven's Door.
Hurt by Johnny Cash. I like Reznor’s original but damn, Cash owned it after that.
On the flip side, I prefer the soundtrack version of Walk The Line (and just about every other song in the movie) to the original. Perhaps an unpopular opinion.
I'm more of a fan of Kermit the Frog's take on this one.
Rainbow Connection - Kermit the Frog
Social D's Ring of Fire
Reznor agrees:
Having Johnny Cash, one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time, want to cover your song, that's something that matters to me. It's not so much what other people think but the fact that this guy felt that it was worthy of interpreting. He said afterwards it was a song that sounds like one he would have written in the '60s and that's wonderful.
And:
That song isn't mine anymore.
Johnny Cash also did a spectacular cover of Wichita Lineman, It was near the end of his life and his vocal is so plaintive.
March 16th, 2023 at 11:36 PM ^
Let's also mention his cover of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage".
This is what I thought of as well, then came looking for it since I can't be the only one.
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower (original Bob Dylan)
Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends (original The Beatles)
Got to love the passion Joe Cocker puts into With A Little Help From My Friends. He raised that song to a new level.
Came here to say All Along the Watchtower and Hurt. Was beaten to the punch on both counts.
Hendrix cover of Like a Rolling Stone very good too.
March 16th, 2023 at 10:24 PM ^
It is different and very good, but not better than the original - not even close.
March 17th, 2023 at 10:58 AM ^
When he plays it "really fucking loud" after getting called Judas for going electric is the one that gets me. (start around 1:55):
That said, Dylan's voice sounded like he just swallowed a kazoo, so most covers of his song are musically superior than his album versions. When he plays live, the extra balls make all the difference.
March 16th, 2023 at 10:24 PM ^
It is different and very good, but not better than the original - not even close.
Nobody covers the Beatles well
Here's the thing about Beatles songs.
They're all better when they're covered.
Aretha Franklin - RESPECT (Otis Redding)
The Beatles - Twist & Shout (Isley Brothers)
Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now (she wrote it originally and Judy Collins got famous with it then Joni's version came out; a recent version by Michelle Moyer is really beautiful as well)
YES - I am a Camera (The Buggles originally wrote it and then joined YES for the overhaul on the under appreciated Drama LP)
Much of Led Zeppelin's early catalog including Dazed & Confused and In My Time of Dying (Blind Willie and then covered by Bob Dylan)
Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower (also Bob Dylan though Michael Hedges version is sublime)
Yes' cover of America by Simon and Garfunkel is really really good.
March 16th, 2023 at 10:21 PM ^
I forgot that one Peter - but I agree - I think that is some of Steve Howe's very best guitar work and there is such an effortlessness to how they play some amazing stuff. Thanks for catching it!
March 16th, 2023 at 10:22 PM ^
It was very good but ... not as good as the original.
Also, the Yes album Drama is super good!
Led Zeppelin's version of Taurus by Spirit. :)
Joni Mitchell also wrote and sang (live in late 1969) Woodstock before Crosby Stills Nash and Young released it in March of 1970 on Deja Vu, only one month before Mitchell's album release of it on Ladies of the Canyon. So its kind of difficult to say which one is the "original" version.
Probably a little bit of a similar situation with Both Sides, Now where Mitchell wrote it and undoubtedly played it, but Judy Collins was first to record and release it. Collins' version, while very pretty, is a bit light and happy whereas Mitchell's version is much more melancholy, and more fitting to the lyrics.
Another example I've not seen mentioned is The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down first recorded and released in 1969 by The Band, and later by Joan Baez in 1971. While I don't know if The Band's version ever charted, Baez' did and reached #3 on Billboard.
Gourds do a fine Gin & Juice.
Metallica- am i evil
Black crowes- hard to handle
Ccr- heard it through the grapevine
The original Hard to Handle by Otis Redding is a fantastic song. The Crowes’ version is good, but I couldn’t call it better.
March 17th, 2023 at 11:00 AM ^
The Crowes’ version is a good rock version of the song, but the Grateful Dead OWNED that song in live concert performances when Pigpen was still kickin’. Bear’s Choice has a great rendition, but for a no-holds-barred, smoking interplay between Lesh and Garcia of the song, you need to find a copy of Fallout from the Phil Zone.
Take your Dolly slander elsewhere, sir!!!!!!!
I do like Dolly's version, but no sane, educated, self aware, rational human being or simian could deny Whitney's version is the best.
My wife is a huge Dolly fan so I'm basically standing up for her on this one. Don't tell her I agree with you.