Cover songs that improve on the originals

[Caligastia]

Sometimes when a rock band does a cover of an older song it ends up sounding better. These are the ones I like:

Shout - covered by Disturbed
Let the good times roll - covered by Powerman 5000
Smooth Criminal - covered by Alien Ant Farm
Paranoid - covered by Megadeth
Symptom of the Universe - covered by Sepultura
Sweet Leaf - covered by Godsmack
Renegades of Funk - Rage Against the Machine

Which covers do you think improved on the originals?

 

[scorch]

any punk/ska cover of a song


esp. Every breath you take covered by Fanmail

 

[Caligastia]

Head Like A Hole did a good cover of "Im on fire"

 

[Greadius]

I disagree, I think usually when a rock band covers a song its because they have so little writing talent they are desperate for material (You gave a few good examples, no offense, music is all subjective )

However, a few exceptions:
Metallica - Whiskey in the Jar
Pearl Jam - Crazy Mary, Sonic Reducer
Smashing Pumpkins - Dancing in the Moonlight
Travis - Hit Me Baby One More Time (Once you're done laughing you find its actually a good song )

 

[amadeus]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Shout - covered by Disturbed

You thought THAT was better than the copy of "Shout" by Tears For Fears? Have you ever even HEARD the original?

 

[Whiskey Priest]

Under My Thumb by Social Distortion
Only the Good Die Young by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Freshmen by Mustard PLug
Tweater & the Monkeyman by the Headstones
Every Dylan song Jimy Hendrix ever played.
We're only gonna die of our own arrogance by Sublime
Folsom Prison Blues by Reverand Hortan Heat.
Last Kiss by Peal Jam
I Ran by Appendage 23 (more of a remix)

 

[ApocalypseKurtz]

"Mama Kin" covered by Guns N Roses

"Live and Let Die" covered by Guns N Roses

"Knockin on Heaven's Door" covered by Guns N Roses

"All Along the Watchtower" covered by Jimi Hendrix

"I Shot the Sheriff" covered by Eric Clapton (not sure - did he write this or Bob Marley?)

"The Ghost of Tom Jones" covered by Rage Against the Machine

I concur with Smooth Criminal and Last Kiss

 

[allan]

"Heard it Through the Grapevine" by CCR--actually both Marvin Gaye's and CCR's versions are just as good, only different from each other....

I agree about Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower", but NOT about the Guns n' Roses covers of "Knocking on Heaven's Door" or "Live and Let Die"--they sounded terrible (to my ear anyway) compared to the originals....

Joe Cocker's version of "With a Little Help from My Friends" is very good, I wouldn't say better than the original but certainly with a lot more soul.... His version of "Feelin' Alright" is definitely better than Traffic's original version though.

 

[SuperR]

Originally posted by ApocalypseKurtz


"I Shot the Sheriff" covered by Eric Clapton (not sure - did he write this or Bob Marley?)

The great BOB of course!!!

He was one cool rasta mOn.

 

[dannyevilcat]

Smashing Pumpkins- Landslide
Marilyn Manson- Sweet Dreams
Nirvana- Man Who Sold The World

 

[BlueMonday]

Trent Reznor and his sampling of "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon for the song "Starf***ers Inc." on The Fragile.

 

[The Balrog]

The ones i like having nothing to do with the real ones except the melody.

Another one rides the Bus - Weird Al

The Saga Begins on American pies melody - Weird Al

Bill Clinton, Bimbo No. 5 - Weird Al

My name is Darth Vader (My name is what? Slim Shady) - Weird Al.

 

[ainwood]

Just like Heaven covered by Dinosaur Jnr.

 

[animepornstar]

Originally posted by ApocalypseKurtz
"Knockin on Heaven's Door" covered by Guns N Roses

"The Ghost of Tom Jones" covered by Rage Against the Machine

... are not better.

 

[TheNiceOne]

Originally posted by Greadius
I disagree, I think usually when a rock band covers a song its because they have so little writing talent they are desperate for material (You gave a few good examples, no offense, music is all subjective )

I think you're right that this is the usual reason, at least now that the girl/boy-bands are rolling out covers.

But there are exceptions of course, when the band have talent and use it to transform a song into something different than the original.

Far above anyone else (IMO), stands the Slovenian band Laibach. They have released the Beatles' album Let It Be complete, except for the title song and managed to transform an anonymous song like "I, Me, Mine" into a fantastic song. They have released a full album containing different versions of Rolling Stones' Sympathy for the devil only. But their greatest achievement is their two versions of the totally terrible 80's hit "Life is Life" by Opus. You wouldn't think such a song could ever be decent, but Laibach's versions are great.

 

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by rmsharpe


You thought THAT was better than the copy of "Shout" by Tears For Fears? Have you ever even HEARD the original?

Who didnt? Yes, I have heard the original and like Disturbed's version better. What can I say, heavy guitar almost always wins me over.

 

[Caligastia]

I also think GnR's version of "Sympathy for the Devil" is better than the Stones.

Also, has anyone else heard Johnny Cash's version of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage"? Not better than the original of course, but its pretty funny.

 

[atawa]

Brown eyed girl - Lagwagon
California Dreaming - Hi Standard
I Think We're Alone Now - Snuff
Come on Eileen - Save Ferris

"I Shot the Sheriff" covered by Eric Clapton (not sure - did he write this or Bob Marley?)

 

[VoodooAce]

Led Zep did a few great covers of some old blues songs....

'When the Levee Breaks' being the best, imho...

 

[Whiskey Priest]

Originally posted by Caligastia
Also, has anyone else heard Johnny Cash's version of Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage"? Not better than the original of course, but its pretty funny.

Yeah, it was pretty good. I would love to see Chris Cornell and Johnny Cash do a duet. Cash with his low, sombre, gritty voice and Cornell just ripping out some of his banshee screams.