Covers

[DvChWi]

Can anyone think of any non-parody covers of songs that you have enjoyed?  For the most part, I think covers are a cheap way to cash in on others artists succeses.  Very few fresh ideas are brought out in cover songs.  This being said, have you heard any you have liked?  I liked Derek Webb's live version of Bob Dylan's "Every Grain of Sand."

[Josh]

I generally hate cover songs, but I enjoy Jeff Buckley's cover of "Hallelujah," U2's cover of "Helter Skelter," and The Innocence Mission's cover of "Follow Me."

Oh, and Emmylou Harris has a lot of cool covers, too... you should hear her version of "Every Grain of Sand," Dv.

[bloop]

I like:

The Smashing Pumpkins - "Landslide" (orig. by Fleetwood Mac)

Radiohead w/ Beck - "I'm Set Free" (orig. by The Velvet Underground)

The Flaming Lips - "Can't Get You Out of My Head" (orig. by Kylie Minogue)

Ben Folds Five - "Barrytown" (orig. by Steely Dan)
"Tiny Dancer" (orig. by Elton John)

[DvChWi]

The Smashing Pumpkins - "Landslide" (orig. by Fleetwood Mac)
 

I can't imagine what this would sound like.  

[bloop]

The Smashing Pumpkins - "Landslide" (orig. by Fleetwood Mac)
 

I can't imagine what this would sound like.

It's on Pisces Iscariot, which is their b-sides collection to Siamese Dream.  Billy Corgan is a pretty prolific guy.

I thought of another one:  Joan Baez - "Blowing in the Wind" (Bob Dylan)  It's kind of a classic in its own right.

[Josh]

Dylan is, like, the most frequently covered artist ever...

[enemy anemone]

I like Counting Crows' cover of "Big Yellow Taxi" (orig. by Joni Mitchell, which I dislike greatly), Peter Paul and Mary's cover of "Blowing in the Wind" (orig. by Bob Dylan, which I haven't even heard), Innocence Mission's cover of "Moon River", Frank Sinatra's cover of "Moon River" (I guess Audrey Hepburn sang the original, which I do like, in Breakfast at Tiffany's?), Sixpence None the Richer's cover of "There She Goes" (orig. by the La's)...and Dennis Agajanian's live cover of "Jesus Freak" was pretty interesting.
I do not like any covers done of Rich Mullins' songs. I think Julie Miller wrote a song that Leann Womack recorded and later Julie recorded it herself; in that case, would that be considered a cover of her own song? I like hers better than Leann's.

maybe most covers don't bring out fresh ideas, but there are certain musical styles and vocalists I prefer over others, so I like some covers better than the originals (usually if the cover is what I heard first anyway).   I generally do not like covers of songs I already know and love, especially if they try to bring out fresh ideas and totally change the style of the song. (RSJ's cover of Rich Mullins' "Hold Me Jesus" in particular--ugh.)

maybe classical compositions interpreted for different instruments don't count as being "covers" but some are quite good. James Galways' performance of The Four Seasons on flute (rather than violin) was cool, and Paul Galbraith's versions of various classical pieces for his 8-string guitar are cool, too.

(edit) I like Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" and was curious about Smashing Pumpkin's cover...ew... I didn't like the Dixie Chicks' cover, either.  

[Emericana]

Gary Jules' version of the Tears For Fears song "Mad World" is excellent.

[bloop]

Liking The Smashing Pumpkins cover of "Landslide" usually comes down to one thing:  do you like Billy Corgan's vocals.  It's an acquired taste, like Tom Waits and Bob Dylan's vocals are as well.

[Brandon]

In order for a cover to work, the cover artist must make the song his own, not just rehash the original.
One awesome cover in recent memory is "Hurt" by Johnny Cash.  I prefer his version over NIN.

[Josh]

In order for a cover to work, the cover artist must make the song his own, not just rehash the original.

Yeah, that's why I wasn't crazy about Nichole Nordeman's cover of "In Your Eyes." If you're not going to change a single thing about it, then... why bother?

One awesome cover in recent memory is "Hurt" by Johnny Cash. I prefer his version over NIN.

Word.

[Skrappybiskit]

Caedmon's Call does a great cover of Rich Mullen's song "Hope to Carry On"... quite possibly much better than the original version. But I don't much like mullins.

Skraps

[Josh]

A cover song that I'm dying to hear but haven't quite yet: Sixpence's cover of Sam Phillips' "I Need Love." The original is wonderful... the quintessential Sam Phillips song.

[DvChWi]

A cover song that I'm dying to hear but haven't quite yet: Sixpence's cover of Sam Phillips' "I Need Love." The original is wonderful... the quintessential Sam Phillips song.

This is different from the song "Love" on Sixpences self titled album, right?

[enemy anemone]

yep.

I hadn't heard until now that Sixpence was covering Sam's song. I'd like to hear it too.

(edit)
I found it through kazaa and uploaded it...somewhere. let me know if you want the link.

[murlough23]

A cover song that I'm dying to hear but haven't quite yet: Sixpence's cover of Sam Phillips' "I Need Love." The original is wonderful... the quintessential Sam Phillips song.

I love that song. I stumbled across it quite by accident when I was first learning how to use Napster.

Some of my favorite covers that put a new spin on the original:

Barenaked Ladies - Lovers in a Dangerous Time (orig. by Bruce Cockburn)
David Crowder Band - Obsession (orig. by Delirious?)
dc Talk - In the Light (orig. by Charlie Peacock)
Jars of Clay - Rose Colored Stained Glass Windows (orig. by Petra)
Jennifer Knapp - Diamond in the Rough (orig. by Shawn Colvin)
Rebecca St. James - You're the Voice (orig. by John Farnham)
Rebecca St. James - Let My Words Be Few (orig. by Matt Redman)
Smash Mouth - I'm a Believer (orig. by The Monkees)
The Benjamin Gate - Overkill (orig. by Men at Work)
The Echoing Green - Accidentally 4th St. (Gloria) (orig. by Figures on a Beach)
Third Day - Agnus Dei (orig. by Michael W. Smith)

Some favorites that pretty much mimic the original style, but that I think are well done:

Audio Adrenaline - Free Ride (orig. by Edgar Winter Band)
Circadian Rhythm - Gloria (orig. by U2)
Human - Bullet the Blue Sky (orig. by U2)
Kevin Max - Hallelujah (orig. by Leonard Cohen - live cover)
Polarboy - Where the Streets Have No Name (orig. by U2)

Some covers that are just plain bizarre:

Aleixa - The Reflex (orig. by Duran Duran)
Cake - I Will Survive (orig. by Gloria Gaynor - yeah, I like it despite his use of the "f-bomb")
Eric Champion - Every Heartbeat (orig. by Amy Grant)
Fanmail - I Want It That Way (orig. by Backstreet Boys)
Five Iron Frenzy - It's Not Unusual (orig. by Tom Jones)
Ghoti Hook - Friends (orig. by Michael W. Smith)
Nickel Creek - Spit on a Stranger (orig. by Pavement)
Relient K - The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (orig. by VeggieTales)
Sixpence None the Richer - Dancing Queen (orig. by Abba)
The W's - Country Roads (orig. by John Denver)
This Train - Baby Baby (orig. by Amy Grant)

And then there's my favorite "unintentional cover":

Kutless - Tonight (orig. "What If" by Creed)

Just kidding... that last one sucks! HA HA!

[Josh]

The Benjamin Gate - Overkill (orig. by Men at Work)

Actually, I thought the Gate's version was largely the same as the original. More enjoyable, though.

[beautifulmess]

I enjoyed Nichole Nordeman's cover of "As" by Stevie Wonder. I've only heard the original once so I can't say how different the two were.  

[murlough23]

Actually, I thought the Gate's version was largely the same as the original. More enjoyable, though.

You're joking, right? The original was total, cheesy, overprogrammed 80's music. The two versions may have the same melody and lyrics (actually, the BG changed "I roll between the sheets" to "I can't get to sleep" in the second verse, but let's not split hairs), but in terms of musical execution, the BG's version has a heck of a lot more muscle.

[Harenil]

There are some covers that I like. some of those mentioned by murlough23 are good. I didn't know In The Light was a cover though... I learned something new....

[oneafroboy]

Yeah, dcTalk's cover of In The Light is amazing. It is one of *the* best tracks on the Jesus Freak album. The harmonies are just great.

I tend to like Sixpence's covers. They do covers extremely well.

Cover of Rich Mullins stuff never quite satisfy me.

I'm not a big fan of U2's cover of Helter Skelter. The Beatles did it so much better.

By the way, The Beatles' (well, Paul's really) song "Yesterday" is *the* most covered pop song (versus classical pieces) of all time.  My little Beatle plug for the day.  =)