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What is your opinion on covers?
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I agree that if you're going to do a cover of a well-loved song, do it well. Enough said.
Exactly. I was in a store the other day and heard a cover of "I want you to want me" and it soudned like the person singing was suffocating.
I love listening to covers. Love Jason Mraz's cover of Dylan's "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall." Love all the covers of Sting's "Fields of Gold."
I really liked Because the Night Belongs to Lovers from Patti Smith and U2.
I like Natalie Merchant's cover of BTN, too.Oh, Mary J. Blige has a fantastic cover of U2's "One."
Cool. Hmm..... what other covers are there.There's always Michal Angelo Battio's cover album, Hands without Shadows. It's pretty cliche though.
I like Dixie Chicks' "Top of the World" cover.Oh, has anyone heard Dolly Parton's "Stairway to Heaven"? It's pretty good.
I'm not ashamed to say I bought Susan Boyle's "Wild Horses" cover. It's lovely. Heard Mich Jagger liked it. Love the Sundays' version, too.
I'm not a NIN's fan anyway, but it's hard not to think Cash's "Hurt" isn't superior to the original. The video that has shots of his wife before she died makes me teary-eyed.I think Cowboy Junkies' cover of "Sweet Jane" is 100 times better than Lou Reed's.
Man, those two loved each other so much. He died not long after she did, I believe.
I love the Sundays version of "Wild Horses." Cassandra Wilson has a version of U2's "Love is Blindness" that is almost as good as the U2 version.
another interesting Tori Amos cover was her version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
My all time favorite cover is My Generation by Patti Smith, to be honest I'm quite indifferent to the original, it's a great song but the Who's performance of it lacks power and attitude while Patti really rips it up.As far as covers go in general I prefer ones that try to take the song in a new direction or are performed in a different style to the original. (exception for the above obviously)
A few personal favorites-
Candy And A Currant Bun by The Mars Volta
All Along The Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
Highway 61 Revisited by PJ Harvey
Bridge Over Troubled Water by Johnny Cash
Also Frank Zappa put out an album that included various covers including Ring Of Fire, Purple Haze, Sunshine Of Your Love and Stairway To Heaven, which could be described as interesting to say the least, I think they are great but they're definitely not for everybody.
My opinion on covers is that the more of them, the better.There was a trend in the nineties and the early noughties where it became unfashionable among the indie/rock elite to put covers on their albums, and, frankly, I'd rather hear a cover than a mediocre original.
There is no point in having originality for its own sake.
The other trend, and this one was truly horrible, was the Ironic Indie cover, where some three chord guitar-toting smug slackers would decide to massacre a sparkly pop gem for irony's sake, because obviously all a Pop song is good for to a Proper Rock band is being killed for entertainment.
Whichever idiot invented this ought to have been shot.
In tribute to Peter Steele, I'd mention here that Type O Negative usually included a cover on each album. They were quite interesting, with the gothic heavy flavor of Type O coming out with each song.Their covers included: "Paranoid", "Black Sabbath", "Summer Breeze", "Cinnamon Girl", "Day Tripper" and "Hey Joe" (renamed "Hey Pete").
I enjoy Paul Anka covers of Van Halen and Nirvana!
OMG. I heard Anka's version of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" last week and couldn't believe my ears.
Stevie Ray Vaughn's cover of Little Wing is one of my favorite covers. Sting also covered it. I love love love that song.And Rasputina covered Heart's Barracuda, two cellos and a drum, and it sounds amazing.
I can't believe no one has mentioned Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley - that far surpasses the original.Recently the futureheads did a cover of hounds of love which I quite like.
I love "Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley. Good one, Liz."Nature Boy" by David Bowie for Moulin Rouge. Just gorgeous. Also "Roxanne" from the same movie. What an excellent use of that Police song.
Here is the Paul Anka Cover list. Really, you have to listen just once:It's My Life
True
Eye of the Tiger
Everybody Hurts
Wonderwall
Blackhole Sun
It's A Sin
Jump
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Hello
Eyes Without a Face
Lovecats
The Way You Make Me Feel
Tears in Heaven
All done is Swing style!!
Black Hole Sun, folks!!!!
Wow. That's interesting, Dana.
Tressa wrote: "I like Dixie Chicks' "Top of the World" cover.Oh, has anyone heard Dolly Parton's "Stairway to Heaven"? It's pretty good.
I'm not ashamed to say I bought Susan Boyle's "Wild Horses" cover. It's ..."
I've heard Dolly Parton's cover of "Stairway to Heaven" and I thought it was okay. I love Susan Boyle's cover of "Wild Horses".
A cover that I really, really like though is Leona Lewis's cover of "Run", an old Snow Patrol song. I actually like her version better, which is really unusual for me.
Speaking of Bowie, Nirvana had an excellent version of his song "The Man Who Sold the World".
Time the Avenger The PretendersSway (originally Rolling Stones) Patti Rothberg
Eugenia wrote: "I love Annie Lennox's version of Bob Marley's 'Train in Vain' and I mentioning The Carpenters 'Superstar' and I love Luther Vandross' version, I miss Luther."What an incredible voice Mr. Vandross had! WOW!! I love "Here And Now" and of course, "Dance With My Father".
Here's one: "Baker Street" by the Foo Fighters. I was really impressed when I heard this, main reason being that it was the first song I ever heard by the Foo Fighters that didn't trigger my gag reflex....
Mod
I love listening to covers. Love Jason Mraz's cover of Dylan's "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall." Love all the covers of Sting's "Fields of Gold."
T Who did any of Stings songs off Fields Of Gold? Because I was sure he wrote all the songs on that cd. So I looked it up to be sure, and he did. None of those songs are covers, and I haven't heard anyone sing any of his music. Not they couldn't have, just I haven't heard it.
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/m...
Mod
Queensryche -- Cat's In The Cradle -- Harry Chapin
Stevie Ray Vaughn's -- Little Wing -- Jimi Hendrix
Red Hot Chili Peppers -- Higher Ground -- Stevie Wonder
Aerosmith --- Come Together --- Beatles
Aerosmith --- Helter Skelter -- Beatles
Alan Jackson -- My Farewell Party -- Gene Watson
Metallica -- Turn The Page -- Bob Seger
Guns-N-Roses -- Live And Let Die -- Paul McCartney
Guns-N-Roses -- Knockin' On Heaven's Door -- Bob Dylan
Kid Rock -- Fat Bottom Girls -- Queen
Kid Rock -- A Country Boy Can Survive -- Hank Williams Jr
Kid Rock -- Sweet Home Alabama -- Lynyrd Skynyrd
David Lee Roth -- I Ain't Got Nobody -- Louis Armstrong
Mariah Carey -- The Beautiful Ones -- Prince
Mariah Carey -- We Belong Together -- Boyz 2 Men
Mariah Carey -- Against All Odds -- Phil Collins
Mariah Carey -- Open Arms -- Journey
Mariah Carey -- I Want To Know What Love Is -- Foreigner
Mariah Carey -- Ben --------- Michael Jackson
Phil Collins -- Can't Hurry Love -- Diana Ross and the Supremes
Phil Collins -- Groovy Kind Of Love -- The Bee Gees
Pearl Jam -- Last Kiss -- J. Frank Wilson and the Calaliers
Coolio -- Gangsta's Paradise -- Stevie Wonder
I got lost writing these down. My mother-in-law is usually in bed way before now. I was just going to do a few till she yelled bed time. Which she's doing now. Sorry about it being a long list. I've got more, ;)
Queensryche did that song too? Wow. Never heard their version. The version by Ugly Kid Joe is cool though.Stevie Ray also did a great cover of Jimi's "Voodoo Child".
Next assignment!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What would be cool covers for an all girl band to do,even if you have to change some of the words for gender issues?
I was thinking like.........Little Wing Jimi Hendrix
Since You Been Gone Rainbow
Statesboro Blues the Allman Brothers
Misty Mountain Hop Led Zeppelin
School Days The Runaways
Volcano Girls Veruca Salt.
Mod
I'm looking for a hard rock, classic, maybe a little punk soundwise. Eighteen and Life sounds pretty cool. Maybe a little ironic since none of us would be eighteen yet, but who cares about that? I think I might add that to the set of ideas! Thanks lori.
Mod
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fus...
You know they did the song for A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. The song is the same name Dream Warriors. This guy has some awesome stuff on his my space.
ok. no offence ,but dream warriars makes me laugh. I'll definatly put the other two in the hat though
Mod
i would say hands down Les Claypools Pink Floyd covers are off the charts.The Slits ..Heard it Through the Grapevine
Rage Against the Machine.. Maggies Farm.. my absolute favorite
Wyclef Jean... Gambler.. oh Kenny, so sorry
Muse... Feelin' Good.. i love Nina Simone, but their version adds a nice creepy element, and seeing as how i love all things horror, well, enough said
T Who did any of Stings songs off Fields Of Gold? Because I was sure he wrote all the songs on that cd. So I looked it up to be sure, and he did. None of those songs are covers, and I haven't heard anyone sing any of his music. Not they couldn't have, just I haven't heard it. I meant singers covering his song "Fields of Gold." Eva Cassidy and Mary Black have beautiful versions of the song. He wrote all the songs on the album.
Mod
Cyndi Lauper -- What's Going On -- Marvin Gaye
Cyndi Lauper -- Money Changes Everything -- The Brains
Gary Jules -- Mad World -- Tears For Fears
Johnny Cash -- Hurt -- Nine Inch Nails
David Bowie --- China Girl -- Iggy Pop
Paul Young -- Every Time You Go Away -- Hall & Oats
Cher --- I Found Someone -- Laura Branigan
Cher - It's In His Kiss(Shoop Shoop Song)-- Betty Everett
Tina Tuner --- Let's Stay Together -- Al Green
REM -- Love Is All Around -- The Troggs
George Thorogood -- Move It On Over -- Hank Williams
Great White -- Once Bitten Twice Shy -- Ian Hunter
White Lion -- Radar Love -- Golden Earring
Motley Crue -- Smokin In The Boys Room -- Brownsville Station
The Blues Brothers -- Soul Man -- Sam & Dave
Here's some more, till next time :)
Mod
Whitney Houston
This may be in the wrong place but it is a cover. Give it a listen!
Mod
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXQYyK... ** Talk Talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV1OkD... ** This one someone made to see if the two songs would sync.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubvV49... ** No Doubt
I think I like to hear the original artist singing their songs, but if the new artist has the vocal chops for imitating I will give it a listen.
Who can forget the most famous cover of all time - Joe Cocker doing With A Little Help From My Friends at Woodstock! How many people have done covers of Traffic's Feelin' Alright
Okay, Joe Cocker is good, but the original is nice too. Tons of people have done feelin' alright.
I think, if done well, they're ok. A lot of people can't do covers though. It depends on how awesome you do.
Best covers in my opinion:
Moonage Daydream Patti Rothberg
Any of Heart's Zeppelin covers
Whisky in the Jar of Turn the Page from Metallica
Rock and Roll by The Runaways (cover of Lou Reed or Mitch take your pick)
Well, I don't know if I should even get started on Joan Jett 'cause most of her hits are covers. Scratch that, most of her albums are covers.
What do you guys and girls think?
What are the most used covers?
What does it take to do a good one?