Best Cover Song?

[ComradeDavo]

Marilyn Manson does good covers. I've never though he was very talented at writing his own stuff though...

Sir, we must duel!

 

[Abaddon]

You can duel me aswell, i think his covers are his best songs!

 

[GuitarHero]

Killswitch Engage's best song is a cover. Kind of sad, really.

 

[ComradeDavo]

You can duel me aswell, i think his covers are his best songs!

My faves are tracks like 'The Reflecting God', 'Coma White' 'The Love Song' and 'Great Big White World'.

The cover tracks have generally the most mainstream appeal.

Anyway...

I thought of another awesome cover..

Orgy - Blue Monday

Though the original is still great!

 

[Dubai Vol]

I don't like to identify anything musical as "best" just because music is so subjective-a matter of taste. That said, I have very high standards when it comes to judging a cover as being better than the original.

Led Zeppelin's "Gallows Pole", a cover of Leadbelly's "Gallis Pole" is a good example of a clear improvement, I think.

Dare I say it, I prefer Elton John's "Pinball Wizard" to The Who original.

Artists who exclusively sing material written by others are not all worthy of contempt. Linda Ronstadt's cover of "Desperado" was good. I respected her for knowing her limitations: she could sing, but that didn't make her think she could write.

Another touchy one: Stevie Ray Vaughan's various covers of "Voodoo Chile" were generally technically superior to Hendrix. Jimmy was a genius, SRV was a superb guitarist.

I could go on, but dinner is almost ready. Turkey curry!

 

[GuitarHero]

Artists who exclusively sing material written by others are not all worthy of contempt.

Even though, most cover-only artists are awful at their job. Like Jet.

 

[WerBackIII]

AC/DC - Baby Please Don't Go (Chuck Berry Orginal)
Metallica - Am I evil? (Diamond Head)
Guns'n'Roses - Live and Let Die (The Wings)
Krokus - Ballroom Blitz (Sweet)
Megadeth - Anarchy in the UK (Sex Pistols)

 

[scherbchen]

Cake: I Will Survive (original by Gloria Gaynor I think) http://youtube.com/watch?v=10C68Gzd5GM

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Even though, most cover-only artists are awful at their job. Like Jet.

Jet is not a cover band.

Besides, they have a song on Rock Band, so shouldn't you be spontenously orgasmic about them or something?

Cake: I Will Survive (original by Gloria Gaynor I think) http://youtube.com/watch?v=10C68Gzd5GM

Ooo I'd forgotten about that one!

 

[GuitarHero]

Jet is not a cover band.

Besides, they have a song on Rock Band, so shouldn't you be spontenously orgasmic about them or something?

I've only noticed them doing covers.
I don't get orgasms for men. Or for people with songs on music games.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I've only noticed them doing covers.

Jet has never recorded a cover song before.

I don't get orgasms for men. Or for people with songs on music games.

Eh-heh. Sure.

 

[ravensfire]

Jet has never recorded a cover song before.

A quick search on Allmusic.com shows several songs with composers different from the rest. Of those, 2 are possibly cover songs.

"Everlovin' Man" was originally recorded by The Loved Ones in 1985.

"That's Alright Mama" was recorded by Eric Andersen in 1967. EDIT: And goes back farther! Found a reference that Elvis recorded a version in 1954.

-- Ravensfire

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

A quick search on Allmusic.com shows several songs with composers different from the rest. Of those, 2 are possibly cover songs.

"Everlovin' Man" was originally recorded by The Loved Ones in 1985.

"That's Alright Mama" was recorded by Eric Andersen in 1967. EDIT: And goes back farther! Found a reference that Elvis recorded a version in 1954.

-- Ravensfire

Is it the same song? Or merely a song with the same name?

 

[ravensfire]

Is it the same song? Or merely a song with the same name?

I'm almost certain they are the same song as they have the same composer. If you look at the link, every original song by Jet has a certain composer, while those two songs have very different composers.

So yeah, I'd call it a cover song.

-- Ravensfire

 

[sourboy]

Big Yellow Taxi (remade by like... everyone, I like Green Day and Counting Crows versions)

Motorhead? redid Nirvana's Negative Creep

Tainted Love, Soft-Cell

There's a lot really...

 

[GuitarHero]

I like the WaveGroup cover of the Butthole Surfer's "Who Was In My Room Last Night?". It's the version on Guitar Hero II.

 

[Alpine Trooper]

Both Celine Dion and Gwen Stefani covered Roy Orbison and Talk Talk to great success. I drove all night and It's my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe12p0sfU5o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBGQ1AyQh2A

Smashing Pumpkins have covered some good Fleetwood Mac and Pearl Jam has covered Indigo successfully as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb5KXozi_HM

 

[Aneurism]

There are a lot of good covers out there but most dont quite live up to the original, here is a short list of covers that are on par or even better than the original:

Jimi Hendrix cover of Bob Dylan "All Along the Watchtower"
-Jimi took ownership of this song

Richie Havens cover of the Beatles "Here Comes the Sun"
-cool variation, Richie Havens sounds like a dozen acoustic guitar players at once

Sarah McLachlan cover of XTC "Dear God"
-adds emotion

Johnny Cash cover of Nine Inch Nails "Hurt"
-Johhny lives and breathes "Hurt" in his twilight years

Stevie Wonder cover of the Beatles "We Can Work It Out" -funky

Joe Cocker cover of the Beatles "With a Little Help From My Friends"
-made it a generationl anthem

Janis Joplin cover of Kris Kristofferson "Me And Bobby McGee"
-Its hard to imagine anyone but Janis Joplin singing this.



Here are some covers which are complete crap compared to the original:

Perfect Circle Covering John Lennon "Imagine"
-They sucked the hopeful aspect of the song and replaced it with vileness

Disturbed covering Genesis "Land of Confusion"
their attempt to make it sound more heavy and edgy feels phoney to me

 

[Jack the Ripper]

pantera doing sabbath's Hole in the Sky, crowbar doing zeppelin's No Quarter, metallica doing lotsa stuff

 

[Harbringer]

O yes and Nirvanas cover of Bowies the man who sold the world was suerior by miles and miles me thinks.