Okay, now what's the BEST cover song?

[flvegan]

Good list of the worst, most make me cringe. Now, credit where credit is due. Who did some really great covers?

I like Rage Against the Machine's cover of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (Springsteen). I also think that Pearl Jam doing "(Keep On) Rockin' in the Free World" (live, with Neil Young) was pretty damn awesome. Additionally, Disturbed did a pretty kick-ass rendition of "Land of Confusion" (Genesis).

Your turn...(c'mon...we haven't done this in a while).

[Ekirh]

1. Small correction . .

I thought it was Land of Confusion? If I'm wrong and you're right I apologize and you can nyah nyah nyah me ;)


I would also go for the Ghost of Tom Joad . . . always loved the Rage version. Of course to give my own answer and not steal yours I'll say Nina Gordon's cover of Straight Outta Compton . . . Just because it's a guilty pleasure that's all.


Edit: Screw that... N.I.B by Primus (Granted Ozzy is still the vocals).

[flvegan]

16. You're right.

Changed, and thank you.

[LeftyMom]

2. Aretha Franklin doing Respect

She made it her own to such a degree that hardly anybody even remembers that it's an Otis Redding tune orignally.

[Ekirh]

3. Very Good Answer

In the back of my head I knew it was a cover. . but I can never imagine anyone other than Aretha doing it.

[blondeatlast]

51. Yep--no question about it. nt

[cleofus1]

75. aretha's cover of

spanish harlem pretty damn good too!

[livetohike]

4. Hendrix's cover of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower"

Hendrix loved Dylan's work - it was a great tribute, imo :-).

[NewJeffCT]

9. One of the best covers

Great cover of a great song. Hendrix made his version distinct

[WritingIsMyReligion]

17. That is a wonderful cover.

:thumbsup:

[mduffy31]

5. Johnny Cash's Hurt

That is haunting, especially the video, and I dig when the Dave Matthews Band does Watchtower.

[SeattleGirl]

64. I love Johnny's version of "Hurt", and that video!!! Yow!!!

It just nailed me to the wall!

[NewJeffCT]

6. Great cover of a great song...

Van Halen doing the Kinks' "You Really Got Me" - the song really blew me away when it came out with the energy of David Lee Roth & the guitar of Eddie Van Halen... both versions are great, though.

[RetroLounge]

7. Cake doing I Will Survive

Great version!

RL

[Ekirh]

8. I didn't remember that one . .

That one is always fun to listen to.

[laheina]

11. Good one.

I love Cake.

[fudge stripe cookays]

31. I prefer them doing...

"Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps" by Doris Day! :P

[July]

10. Not the best ever, but an improvement on the original:

Chicks' cover of "Landslide." Way better than the original.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

18. Really?

I love the Fleetwood Mac version...I've only heard the Chicks' version once or twice.

:shrug:

[driver8]

24. Nope -- wrong....

Original much better than Dixie Chicks' version. But who am I to argue with a Bills'fan! (I am a Bills' fan, too!)

Is it time to change my avatar already??

[ghostsofgiants]

63. I like the Smashing Pumpkins' version, personally.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

12. Social Distortion's first cover of

the Stones' Under My Thumb. They covered it twice, second time in around '96 or 7 but it wasn't as good as the first one.


T-Grannie, still rockin'

[blue neen]

84. Social Distortion also does a great cover of "Ring of Fire"

I love Social Distortion. :)

[TallahasseeGrannie]

115. I even have the black T-shirt

with the skeleton and martini.

I am a rather unusual grannie.

[ismnotwasm]

13. I'll probably get lynched

But I kinda like Guns and Roses version of Black Leather.....

[LeftyMom]

15. Oh, that reminds me,

thier cover of Live and Let Die was better than Sir Paul's original.

[Guava Jelly]

14. Just don't know what to do with myself White stripes

covered also by Elvis costello and also Dusty Springfield
written by
(burt bacharach / hal david)

I just don’t know what to do with myself
Don’t know just what to do with myself
I’m so used to doing everything with you
Planning everything for two
And now that we’re through

I just don’t know what to do with my time
I’m so lonesome for you it’s a crime
Going to the movie only makes me sad
Parties make me feel as bad
When I’m not with you
I just don’t know what to do

Like a summer rose
It needs the sun and rain
Oh, I need your sweet love
To beat all the pain

I just don’t know what to do with myself
I just don’t know what to do with myself
Baby, if your new love ever turns you down
Come back, I will be around
Just waiting for you
I don’t know what else to do

Like a summer rose
It needs the sun and rain
Oh, I need your sweet love
To beat all the pain

I don’t know just what to do with myself
I don’t know just what to do with myself
Baby, if your new love ever turns you down
Come on back, I will be around
Just waiting for you
I don’t know what else to do, no, no, no
I don’t know what else to do
I’m still so crazy for you, no, no, no, no
I don’t know what else to do, no, no, no
I’m still so crazy for you

[SlavesandBulldozers]

19. Faith No More had some great covers

THey covered a Nestle Commercial for white chocolate called "Sweet Dreams"
they also did Lionel's "Easy", Sabbath's "War Pigs", and Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game". Faith No More also has a hilarious medley of the Cranberries' "Zombie", Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and Journey's "When the Lights Go Down in The City" with the lyric ". . .and the sun shines on my asshole."

Soundgarden has a great Devo cover of "Girl U Want" and Sabbath's "Into the Void". Brian May has done a cover of Soundgarden's "New Damage" that is awesome.

Sinead OConnor's cover of a song also covered by Buju Banton called "Untold Stories" is amazing.

[flvegan]

23. "Creamy white, dreamy white..."

I did love FNM. Patton also liked to work "Pump Up The Jam" from Technotronic into the end of "Epic" (I think) during the live shows.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

108. yes! pump up the jam! i remember that. they also did

"The Right Stuff" from NKOTB a tthe end of epic as well if i remember correctly from that You Fat Bastards Live at Brixton that i keep praying comes out on dvd one of these days.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

109. yes! pump up the jam! i remember that. they also did

"The Right Stuff" from NKOTB a tthe end of epic as well if i remember correctly from that You Fat Bastards Live at Brixton that i keep praying comes out on dvd one of these days.

[driver8]

25. They did a great version of "Easy"...but I absolutely love the original.

The guitar solo in that song is one of my favorites, for some reason.

[fudge stripe cookays]

32. Jason and the Scorchers...

doing Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie" or The Pursuit of Happiness doing "Edmonton Block Heater."

[ballabosh]

113. Jason and the Scorchers

have done some of my favorite covers: "Take Me Home Country Roads" and "19th Nervous Breakdown" are both good.

Also love the Dick Dale/Stevie Ray Vaughan version of Pipeline (originally by the Venturas).

[cedahlia]

49. Yes! Their cover of "This Guy's In Love With You" is classic!

Also, "I Started a Joke..." is great, too. I love those guys!

[SlavesandBulldozers]

107. I started a Joke, forgot about that one. Awesome

good call!

[ghostsofgiants]

20. Ben Folds' "Bitches Ain't Shit" is brilliant.

At the Drive-in's cover of The Smiths' "This Night Has Opened My Eyes"

Muse's cover of "House Of The Rising Sun"

[name not needed]

38. Fuckin right it is.

[anarch]

21. probably not the best, but the Butthole Surfers' "American Woman"

made me really happy when it came up on the random play today.

For the ultimate best, I'd probably go with Hendrix, "All Along the Watchtower".

[Left Is Write]

22. Heart and Dave Navarro performing Misty Mountain Hop.

I saw that on VH-1 Classics In Concert series on Saturday night. Normally, I would say that NO ONE should be doing Led Zeppelin songs - but it was a fantastic performance.

Also: The Mavericks' version of Cat Stevens' "Here Comes My Baby" (which was a 1967 hit for the Tremeloes) is by far the best version of the song.

[Bossy Monkey]

69. Hey! It's the OTHER person who watches VH1 Classic!

You must be the one who sends all the requests for the All Request Hour. :D But shouldn't it just be VH2?

[SlavesandBulldozers]

110. dude VH1Classic is the best channel on TV. bar none.

n/t

[GOPisEvil]

26. The Bangles version of "Hazy Shade of Winter"

[Va Lefty]

27. Aerosmith "Come Together"

The Clash a close second with "I Fought The Law"

[av8rdave]

28. I have several favorites

Dave Matthews: Wish You Were Here

Natalie Merchant: Space Oddity

Annie Lennox: Whiter Shade of Pale

Stevie Ray Vaughn: Little Wing and Voodoo Chile

I know there are others, but can't think of 'em off the top of my head.

[speedoo]

29. Janis Joplin's cover of "Me and Bobby McGee" is my favorite.

It's a Kris Kristofferson song. Janis' version is one of the greatest records of all time, IMO. From her "Pearl" album... a masterpiece.

[LeftyMom]

30. Kristofferson wrote but did not record and perform it before Janis

Country singer Roger Miller released the song two years before Janis did though.

I love that song.

[speedoo]

35. According to my research....

Kris recorded it in 1970 on his first, self-titled alsum. Janis released Pearl in 1971. Kristofferson was performing in 1970 (I saw him several times back then), and probably earlier, so it's a safe bet that he started singing it as soon as he finished writing it, because he knew it was a great song.

Here's an interesting account of how Kris and Janis met, and how she came to record the song:

http://www.janisjoplin.net/friends/kris/kristofferson.html

[LeftyMom]

36. My apologies, I thought he recorded it later, though I knew he wrote it.

:)

[speedoo]

37. No apology necessary. Actually there is a chance you were right.

I don't think it's possible to know exactly when they each recorded the song. But it's certain Janis recorded it before Oct. 4, 1970 because that's the date of her death. I did not realize she died before Pearl was released.

But most likely Kris recorded it before she did, as his album was released in 1970.

[greendog]

33. Emmylou Harris...take your pick

Best interpretive singer ever.

[tishaLA]

50. *nods head in agreement*

[HughBeaumont]

34. Isaac Hayes - "Something"

Ten times better, more soulful and more haunting than the Beatles' version. Arranged like it's not of this planet. You can feel the pain in Ike's voice when singing this, as if to tell George "THIS is how you long for someone else's woman!" Violin solo by John Blair that sears the heart. It's ending is as euphoric as post coital bliss.

[Kat45]

58. I liked his version of "The Look of Love"

THat was sexy.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

39. "Somewhere over the rainbow/beautiful world"

By Bruddah Iz.

"With a little help from my friends"

by Joe Cocker

And I kind of like Fiona Apple's "Across the Universe"

[jpgray]

40. Hands down Robert Wyatt - "At Last I Am Free"

Chic is already a guilty pleasure of mine, but he just totally converts that track and makes it his own.

[speedoo]

41. Fifth Dimension - Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In

Not really a cover, as it was a a recording of music from the musical "Hair"... but it's well done. I'm big on bass lines and the bass line on "Sunshine" is sensational. I should listen to the original cast recording to see if that bass line is there too.

[MrSlayer]

42. "Stone Cold Crazy" - Metallica (Queen)

Metallica's early covers are in many cases better than their early originals.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

43. Rebekah Del Rio - Llorando (Crying)

(as heard on Mulholland Drive)
http://www.rebekahdelrio.com/audio/llorando-film_version.mp3

The Dresden Dolls - "War Pigs":
http://www.automaticjoy.com/mp3/Criminal_Records-2004-10-16/The_Dresden_Dolls-05-War_Pigs_(2004-10-16_Criminal_Records).mp3 <- 12 meg MP3
http://dresdendolls.com/media_site/downloads/warpigsQTHI.mov <- 20 meg MOV

& more a reworking than a cover -- Patti Smith's "Gloria", although her straight cover of "My Generation" kicks ass.

[ghostsofgiants]

55. That scene in Mulholland Drive was intense.

And The Dresden Dolls are amazing!

[CPMaz]

44. Bob Seger's cover of "Fortunate Son"

It was a live version, and really should be the theme song when somebody does a movie/telepic (and you know *someone* will) of W's life.

[TroubleMan]

45. Al Green's cover of "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"

The original wasn't that good. Al Green's cover was legendary.

[elshiva]

48. Al Green did a great version of "I Can't Get Next to You."

[TroubleMan]

83. and "For The Good Times"

However, I mentioned "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" because the original song wasn't that good, so it's in stark contrast the remake (the remake is exponentially better).

The original "I Can't Get Next To You" was a good song, but I like how Al changes the whole thing around. The original "For The Good Times" was a great song, too. I liked Al's remake better than the original in all of those cases, but "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" just stands out to me because I don't like the original

[Kat45]

57. Yes! I loved his version of that song.

I remember listening to it a lot when I was a senior in high school.

[kwassa]

46. "I Heard It Throught The Grapevine" Marvin Gaye remake of Gladys Knight

though according to Wiki, two other versions were recorded first that were never released. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and the Isley Brothers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Heard_It_Through_The_Grapevine

Then there was Creedence Clearwater.

[elshiva]

47. Otis Redding "Try A Little Tenderness" and....

his cover of "A Change is Gonna Come."

Etta James: "Security"

Byrds: "All I Really Wanna Do"

Them: "It's All Over Now Baby Blue"

[kwassa]

67. Otis wrote and performed the original version of "Try a Little Tenderness"

Three Dog Night had a hit with a cover of that song.

[Ron Green]

116. The original version was recorded in 1933 by Bing Crosby.

Otis had a nice cover of it, though.

[blondeatlast]

52. The Replacements cover of KISS's "Black Diamond."

And damn, I saw them do it LIVE.

God I feel old!

[WeRQ4U]

53. Faith No More's version of "Easy (Like Sunday Morning)"

And I'm partial to Ben Harpers version of "Strawberry Fields".

They aren't the "best" per se, but they're my favorites.

Oh, and John Denver's original version of "Leaving on a Jet Plane". It was actually written and recorded by him first, and therefore it isn't a "cover". But it gained notoriety when played and performed by PP&M, so it's close.

[Spider Jerusalem]

54. Let's see...

Jeff Buckley's cover of 'Hallelujah'

This Mortal Coil's cover of 'Song to the Siren'

Lou Reed's cover of 'This Magic Moment'

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' cover of 'Long Black Veil'

Soft Cell's cover of 'Tainted Love'/'Where Did Our Love Go'

Johnny Cash's covers of 'Rusty Cage', 'Hurt', and 'The Mercy Seat'

[tuvor]

56. "Satisfaction" by Devo.

I heard it before I heard the Stones' version.

[meegbear]

73. Now THAT is a great cover ...

I got a friend who worships the Stones and he likes that version better than the original.

[Kat45]

59. I like Clapton's version of "Little Wing:

[ComerPerro]

60. Phish doing "Roses Are Free", Talking Heads "Take Me to the River"

[cmf]

61. Velvet Underground covers

Sweet Jane as sung by Cowboy Junkies.
Femme Fatale by Duran Duran. (My husband's submission.)

We don't hate Velvet Underground or anything, it's just that people make good covers of their songs.

[mac56]

88. "Femme Fatale" and "There She Goes" by R.E.M.

Two of the best VU covers.

[argyl]

62. Springsteen's "Fire" as done by the Pointer Sisters.RIP, June.

[donheld]

105. Springsteen's "Pink Cadillac" As done by Natalie Cole

I love ya Bruce but, Ms Cole Rocked on this. Besides who can really picture Bruce in a Pink Cadillac?

[Common Sense Party]

65. Cheap Trick: Day Tripper, Ain't That a Shame

Johnny Cash has done tons of great covers: One, Sunday Morning Coming Down, I Won't Back Down, Hurt, etc.

[RagingInMiami]

66. Speaking of RATM

I love their version of Maggie's Farm. It just blows Bob Dylan's verion to pieces.

[taterguy]

68. Eric Bachmann's Every Word Means No

It’s from Songs for Sixty Five Roses, a new CD that’s subtitled Re-working the North Carolina Jukebox. Every track is amazing and the cause is great, (cystic fibrosis research). It’s been the in my CD player constantly the past 24 hours. Bachmann’s track stands out for being what a great cover should be: a complete reinterpretation of the original. The original version is a shiny happy pop song, with bunny rabbits in the video and occasionally used as party background music in episodes of Friends. This version is, um, stark. Recorded in an Outer Banks hotel room. You can almost smell the isolation and desolation. Just a guy with a couple instruments sighing: “Watching . . . for a sound to leave me to where ever you are; I can’t help it, I will always want you.” Just makes me want to go far away and hide from the world.

[Bossy Monkey]

70. Stevie Wonder, We Can Work It Out n/t

[Tracyjo]

71. Bruce Springsteen

Chimes of Freedom

[HuskerDU]

72. Here are 2 favs:

'Give Her a Great Big Kiss' by the New York Dolls- Best of the 60's fun, crossed with best of the 70's fury!

'Gimme Gimme Gimme' by Uncle Tupelo- Took the angry Black Flag song and turned it into a campfire singalong!

[long_green]

74. "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals

it's their song now.

[ornotna]

98. "House of the Rising Sun" by Frijid Pink

Also an excellent version.

[GumboYaYa]

76. Peggy Lee singing "Fever"

She owns that song after the way she did it.

[Skittles]

77. was it Lemonheads who did Mrs. Robinson?

I only heard it a couple of times but I really liked it! :thumbsup:

[taterguy]

78. yes

[no name no slogan]

79. "American Woman" by the Butthole Surfers

nt

[noonwitch]

80. Nina Simone's cover of "Ooh Child"

I don't know who the original band was. A lot of people have covered it over the years, but I love Nina's cover best.

[jakefrep]

81. Feelin' Alright by Rare Earth, among others:

"Burning Down the House" by Tom Jones & The Cardigans
"I Heard It Through The Gravevine" by Marvin Gaye

[kwassa]

101. "Get Ready" by Rare Earth, live remake of the Temptations song

[kwassa]

82. "Money" by the Flying Lizards

with the little toy piano

[shawmut]

85. Isley Brothers cover of "Summer Breeze" and Sinead O'Connor's

cover of "Nothing Compares To You"

[WritingIsMyReligion]

86. O'Connor's "Nothing Compares" was awesome.

:thumbsup:

[mac56]

91. The Isleys also did a great cover of "Love The One You're With"

nm

[mac56]

87. Springsteen's version of Dylan's "Chimes Of Freedom"

The Byrds' version of Dylan's "My Back Pages"
Jason and the Scorchers' version of Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie"
k.d. lang's version of Roy Orbison's "Crying"
Any Trouble's version of Springsteen's "Growing Up"

Add: Wilson Pickett's version of "Sugar Sugar" (yes, the Archies)
Shonen Knife's version of "Daydream Believer"

[Guy Fawkes]

89. Common People...

by Ben Folds and William Shatner. While I enjoy the original Pulp version, I think Shatner's stop-go beat adds a lot of punk to an already good punk song.

[begin_within]

90. No contest - Nat King Cole's 1957 recording of "Stardust," hands down.

[KamaAina]

92. Stones. "Time is on My Side".

Yes it is... a cover! Believe it or not, it was a B-side from New Orleans R&B legend Irma Thomas.

Some of you may recall that Irma was unaccounted for for those first few harrowing days; she did get out and is said to be living upriver in the town of Gonzales, LA.

[KamaAina]

93. Most Improved Cover: Keali'i Reichel, "Come Sail Away".

Perhaps only a kumu hula (troupe leader) from Maui could have taken the Stynx original and made it into a thing of beauty.

Another notable Keali'i cover is "Wanting Memories". That one still gets airplay out here.

[swag]

94. Maybe Lydia Lunch & Rowland S. Howard doing "Some Velvet Morning"

[KamaAina]

95. Most Unusual Cover: Shelly Berg Trio, "She's Always a Woman".

The Billy Joel classic reimagined as jazz! Rather good jazz, at that, good enough to have been played earlier today on New Orleans' legendary WWOZ, which I am streaming right now:

http://www.wwoz.org/listen.php

edit: Obviously the seminal piece in this pop-to-jazz genre was Miles Davis' "Time After Time".

[WritingIsMyReligion]

96. The misogynic Billy Joel classic.

:evilfrown:

[KamaAina]

100. Ah, but the jazz version is an instrumental!

:-)

[WritingIsMyReligion]

102. That's always good!

:)

[mac56]

97. How about a whole album of covers?

Nanci Griffith's "Other Voices Other Rooms"




Across The Great Divide
Woman Of The Phoenix
Tecumseh Valley
Three Flights Up
Boots Of Spanish Leather
Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness
From Clare To Here
Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound
Do Re Mi (the Woody Guthrie song, not The Sound Of Music)
This Old Town
Comin' Down In The Rain
Ten Degrees and Getting Colder
Morning Song For Sally
Night Rider's Lament
Are You Tired Of Me Darling
Turn Around
Wimoweh

[ornotna]

99. "Misty Mountain Hop" by 4 non Blondes

Damn good version.

[donheld]

103. Elton John - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

The beatles did the black and white version, Elton did it in bright living multicolor.

[donheld]

104. Steve Winwood - Why Can't We Live Together

IMHO he rocks on this version.

[donheld]

106. Seal - Hey Joe

From the "Set It Off" soundtrack. It was over looked my most, but Seal was great.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

111. Ween doing Ozzy O and Lita Ford's "Close my Eyes Forever"

amazing.

[blindpig]

112. Johnny Winter, Highway 61

The Dylan version is damn fine but Johnny was on top of his game back then. My, my my.

[devilgrrl]

114. Nina Simone - "I Put a Spell on You"

In fact any cover that Nina did works.