When the "cover" song is as good or better than the original

[Johnny Vinyl]

There are some really nice Beatles covers from the movie I Am Sam. I don't think any of them are better, but they are well done and enjoyable.

 

[still-one]

I might agree with you on Dylan, but definitely NOT Neil!

Just the opposite for me, I own some Dylan. Neil is unlistenable. The best thing ever to happen to CSNY was to eliminate the Y. I guess we all have our annoying artists.

 

[edorr]

Gary Jules - Mad World

 

[astrotoy]

I might agree with you on Dylan, but definitely NOT Neil!

Try Joan Baez's double album "Any Day Now" which are all Dylan songs. Also on her "Diamonds and Rust" album she does a spot on parody of Dylan's voice in Dylan's "A Simple Twist of Fate." The title song is a story of Joan's love affair with Dylan.

In the Spring of 1964, for our Freshman Class dance, we hired Bob Dylan to give a concert. As a surprise, he brought along Joan Baez, who was his then girlfriend. Many, many years later, I was working on a science education committee with Joan's dad, Albert, who was a well known physicist educator. Back in the late '50's and early '60's, Joan hung around Cambridge (her first album was "Folksingers 'round Harvard Square" on the Veritas label" was recorded in 1959) when her dad was teaching at MIT.

Larry

 

[BlueFox]

Guns and Roses - Sympathy For The Devil. A more rocking version.

 

[Orb]

Guns and Roses - Sympathy For The Devil. A more rocking version.

Good call, and also 'Knocking on Heavens Door', 'Live and Let Die', and 'Sweet Child of Mine'.
Cheers
Orb

 

[BruceD]

Pet Shop Boys

[video]https://youtu.be/n2aMaMkDwTA[/video]

 

[Whatmore]

Try Joan Baez's double album "Any Day Now" which are all Dylan songs. Also on her "Diamonds and Rust" album she does a spot on parody of Dylan's voice in Dylan's "A Simple Twist of Fate." The title song is a story of Joan's love affair with Dylan.

In the Spring of 1964, for our Freshman Class dance, we hired Bob Dylan to give a concert. As a surprise, he brought along Joan Baez, who was his then girlfriend. Many, many years later, I was working on a science education committee with Joan's dad, Albert, who was a well known physicist educator. Back in the late '50's and early '60's, Joan hung around Cambridge (her first album was "Folksingers 'round Harvard Square" on the Veritas label" was recorded in 1959) when her dad was teaching at MIT.

Larry

at the risk of controversy, have you heard Judas Priest's cover of "Diamonds and Rust"...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLDazyvMMGw

 

[Ronm1]

Couple of 'Season of the Witch' covers moons ago I was partial too.
Just about everything on 'Famous Blue Raincoat'

 

[JackD201]

Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah over Cohen's and anybody else's.

 

[853guy]

"All My Tears" by Emmylou Harris on Wrecking Ball. I love Julie (and Buddy) Miller, but Emmylou's version is devastating.

In fact, add "Goodbye" (Steve Earle) and "Wrecking Ball" (Neil Young) to the list as well.

 

[amirm]

Branching out the subject a bit, there are a few bands that end up doing an entire album of cover songs.

Indeed. It reminds of this video we post of this band that does nothing but covers:

And the original from Gotye:

I do love a cover song, in spite of what I wrote before So these albums are particularly fascinating to me... I wouldn't say any of these songs are done better than the original, but they're all pretty good, and worth hearing!

I think "different" is good enough standard to use here. It doesn't have to be better than the original to be enjoyable and work of art. The above amature video brings fascination in the way the song is played.

BTW, the cover version has been viewed 165 million times versus 650 million for the original.

 

[jazdoc]

Marvin Gaye "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (originally Gladys Knight and the Pips)

Al Green "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" (originally The Bee Gees)

Antony "If It Be Your Will" (the greatest Leonard Cohen cover ever?)

Madness "Our House" (originally CSN)

Otis Redding "Sittin' On The Dock of The Bay" (Aretha Franklin)

and of course

Detroit Cobras "You Better Leave My Kitten Alone" by Little Willie John. (The Cobras only do covers...)

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

Priest "Diamonds and Rust" is awesome, especially live. Actually prefer The Ripper to Halford.

Anything on Santana's Inner Secrets, amazing album.

 

[jazdoc]

"Down From Dover" Marianne Faithfull (Dolly Parton's original is pretty darn good too)

"Islands in The Stream" The Bee Gees (written by the Bee Gees but performed first by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton)

Johnny Cash "Hurt" (Nine Inch Nails)

"Immigrant Song" Karen O & Trent Reznor (Led Zep)

 

[FinnGO]

The king of coverversions!!!

 

[Al M.]

The king of coverversions!!!

Yes, that's a good one.

Another suggestion: "Summertime Blues" on Live at Leeds by The Who.

 

[Enoch Root]

[video]https://youtu.be/6EPwRdVg5Ug[/video]

Jackson Five's I Want You Back was pretty cool but Lake Street Dive, with their gorgeous singer, make it their own.

Jazdoc, one of us is confused: CSN and Madness do totally different songs with the same title.
Also, Otis wrote Dock Of The Bay.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I'm afraid I can't agree with the Springsteen/Mumford thing. The original is full of heat and tension. It's "on fire." The Mumford version is barely warm; the arrangement, and particularly the vocal performance, sound disconnected from the message of the song. I will take The Band's cover of Springsteen's Atlantic City, though. It feels even more authentic than the original.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdSkXMnYH9I

Tim

 

[amirm]

Pretty neat transformation of it. Loved the setting on streets of Boston.