Better Than The Original?

[rcarlberg]

I just heard on the radio a whole set of Beatles tunes done by jazz musicians. While pleasant and in places creative, the originals are so perfectly realized it's awfully hard to top the Beatles versions. Maybe Sergio's Mendez's version of "Blackbird" or Gryphon's version of "Mother Nature's Son" come close.

That's not always true. Santana's version of "Oye Como Va" became THE standard. Santana's version of "Black Magic Woman" blows Fleetwood Mac's original out of the water too.

What other cover versions are better than the original?

[progeezer]

At the top of the list imo is "All Along The Watchtower" by Hendrix

[enpdllp]

At the top of the list imo is "All Along The Watchtower" by Hendrix

That was the first one that came into mind followed by Yes cover of America.

Diamonds And Rust & The Green Manalishi versions from Judas Priest's Unleashed In The East.
Turn To Stone and Down By the River from Roy Buchanan's You Are Not Alone album
We All Right from Santana's Inner Secrets
Pantera's cover of Planet Caravan

[meimjustalawnmower]

Well All Right from Santana's Inner Secrets

Just for the record, there are absolutely NO Buddy Holly covers that beat the originals. None. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

[progeezer]

Just for the record, there are absolutely NO Buddy Holly covers that beat the originals. None. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

YUP! (Only "Words Of Love" by the early Moptops even comes close)

[ronmac]

Just for the record, there are absolutely NO Buddy Holly covers that beat the originals. None. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

+1

[davis]

At the top of the list imo is "All Along The Watchtower" by Hendrix

Bob's too, it appears. ""I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've being doing it that way.... Strange though how when I sing it I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

Um, Chuck Berry & The Isley Bros are both much better imo, but then again, you don't have my ears, Ron.

I only recently (my first time) heard the Isley Bros original 'Twist and Shout" cause my son asked me about the Beatles' version. I was blown away. The Beatles did the ideal cover, but I don't think the original can be topped.

[Brian Griffin]

Yes - America

BG

[80s were ok]

Yes - America

BG

1st thing that popped into my mind too.

[Vic2012]

Yup! America by YES is awesome.

Here's a couple others:

You Really Got Me - Van Halen
Where Have All The Good Times Gone? - Van Halen

[progeezer]

You Really Got Me - Van Halen

I left the emoticon there because that IS so bad it's laughable, Vic. Not only is the Kinks original worlds ahead imo, but Mott the Hoople's instrumental version kicks VH's ass as well.

IMO of course.

BTW, yeah it's Yiddish.

[NogbadTheBad]

You Really Got Me - Van Halen

801 - You Really Got Me

801 is the definitive version for me, followed by The Kinks with VH a distant distant third.

And Quiet Riots version of Cum On Feel The Noize sucks donkey balls compared to the Slade original

[mozo-pg]

Yup! America by YES is awesome.

Here's a couple others:

You Really Got Me - Van Halen
Where Have All The Good Times Gone? - Van Halen

Van Halen better than the Kinks - not in this universe. I much prefer the Kink's version instead of the special effects.

[rcarlberg]

The Nice - My Back Pages?

Also lots of Zep (that's a given)

[meimjustalawnmower]

Santana's version of "Black Magic Woman" blows Fleetwood Mac's original out of the water too.

We're gonna have to disagree on this one.

[Vic2012]

Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - Led Zep (I actually don't know if I've ever heard the original by Joan Baez but Zep's version is better. I just know it).

Another vote here for Black Magic Women - Santana .

[ronmac]

A lot of what Joe Cocker did.

The Byrds playing Dylan.

Many others doing Dylan

Hendrix playing the Star Spangled Banner. Okay,maybe that doesn't count.

The Beatles' own covers, like "Rock and Roll Music" (greatest R&R vocal ever) and "Twist and Shout."

[progeezer]

A lot of what Joe Cocker did.

The Byrds playing Dylan.

Many others doing Dylan

Hendrix playing the Star Spangled Banner. Okay,maybe that doesn't count.

The Beatles' own covers, like "Rock and Roll Music" (greatest R&R vocal ever) and "Twist and Shout."

Um, Chuck Berry & The Isley Bros are both much better imo, but then again, you don't have my ears, Ron.

[ronmac]

Um, Chuck Berry & The Isley Bros are both much better imo, but then again, you don't have my ears, Ron.

Well, if I had your ears, then you wouldn't know which was better, now, would ya?

[progeezer]

Kicks - Nazz
Sandy - The Hollies
Fortune Teller - The Who
Summertime Blues - " "
Little Darling - The Diamonds
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) - The Tokens

[walt]

I Shall Be Released-The Band....sorry Bob Dylan,but The Band's rendition is the reference standard for this tune.....IMHO.

[progeezer]

I Shall Be Released-The Band....sorry Bob Dylan,but The Band's rendition is the reference standard for this tune.....IMHO.

X2!!

[Vic2012]

Summer Breeze - The Isley Brothers

[walt]

Hallelujah-John Cale.YMMV,but i far prefer Cale's cover of this tune than the original.No slight to Leonard Cohen intended.

[meimjustalawnmower]

Different from the original? OK. More popular than the original? Fair enough. Better than the original? That's really subjective in almost every single case.

What makes the difference to me is when the cover version is so uniquely different as to make one associate the song with the cover artist. A prime example would be Cocker's "With a Little Help...". When I hear VH doing YRGM, I still think Kinks. Actually, the first time I heard it I thought, "Who the fuck is this, butchering the Kinks?".