You like a cover more than the original

[Adrian]

I could have sworn we had a thread about this, but I couldn't find one when I did a search. Anyway, I got thinking about it when I mentioned "Mad World" in another thread. I much prefer the Gary Jules cover to the Tears for Fears original.

Others ...

Yes - America (originally by Simon & Garfunkel)
The Power Station - Bang a Gong (T. Rex)
Johnny Cash - Rusty Cage (Soundgarden)
Heart - The Battle of Evermore (Led Zep)
Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower (Dylan)
Pink - Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Led Zep)
Sarah McLachlan - Song for a Winter's Night (Gordon Lightfoot)
Dixie Chicks - Landslide (Fleetwood Mac)
The Who - Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran)
Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGeee (Kris Kristofferson; originally recorded by Roger Miller)

[davis]

I did not know that Mad World was a TFF song. The GJ cover is much more depressing and hard to listen to, but I love it.

[Mr.Flower]

I don't think a cover has to necessarily be better than an original (particularly a song you love), but you just have to be happy to live in a world that can accommodate both versions. I always go back to two quite strange, interesting and somewhat brilliant covers that 'add' to the originals, without bettering them.

William Shatner (aided by Ben Folds and Joe Jackson) covering Pulp's Common People ... its not a piss-take, it is truly wonderful

The Divine Comedy covering No-one Knows by Queens of the Stone Age (acoustic/string quartet version).

Both match the originals without surpassing them, by way of being highly inventive interpretations of them and i can quite happily live with both.

[Rune Blackwings]

Emperor-"Gypsy" (original by King Diamond)

[Mr.Flower]

Having had a few hours to think about this, i'd like to add the following covers that match the original:

Wilson Pickett/Duane Allman covering Hey Jude
Creedance Clearwater Revival or The Slits covering Heard it Through the Grapevine
Johnny Winters doing Jumpin' Jack Flash (if you can find it on YouTube, check out him doing this on BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test from the early 70s)

[miamiscot]

XTC - "All Along The Watchtower"

[miamiscot]

XTC - "All Along The Watchtower"

Pixies - "Head On" (The Jesus And Mary Chain)

[Mr.Flower]

Actually, the Pixies version of Neil Young's I've Been Waiting for You, is preferred to the original. For true insanity, their cover of HoneyPie (the Beatle's Sweet Honeypie) is mental, as is their version of The Lady in the Radiator Song from Eraserhead.

[davis]

I just heard Killdozer's version of "Cinnamon Girl." they kind of put it through a wood chipper. I like it a lot.

[jeffo621]

To me, a band doing a cover has to put their own stamp on it, rather than just playing the original version.

Yes doing "America" is a perfect example, as are:

Led Bib: "Heroes" (Bowie), Memories Can't Wait (Talking Heads)
The Cure: "Purple Haze" (Hendrix)
They Might Be Giants: "Jessica" (Allman Bros)
King Crimson: Mars (Holst)

[emperorken]

I cannot think of a better cover than Esperanto's version of Eleanor Rigby.

[Adrian]

I just heard Killdozer's version of "Cinnamon Girl." they kind of put it through a wood chipper. I like it a lot.

Type O Negative also did an ... unusual cover of "Cinnamon Girl."



Didn't quite hit the mark for me, though I did enjoy their funeral dirge-ish cover of "Summer Breeze":

[Mythos]

The Ancients version of the Beatles song "Rain" is pretty awesome

As is the Danse Society's version of 2000 Light Years from Home

and then there is Social Distortion: Ring of Fire

[bob_32_116]

http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...n-the-original

It would be nice if the moderators could somehow merge these two threads.

[Progbear]

I cannot think of a better cover than Esperanto's version of Eleanor Rigby.

As much as I like the original, I really love what they did with it.

[Rogue Mail]

When The Lights Are Out - orig Slade/cover Cheap Trick...not a well known Slade track, but CT are the perfect band to cover this, it bounces along magnificently.

In The Flesh - Pink Floyd/Sweet Billy Pilgrim...love this type of remake because it starts off nothing like the original, and gradually just becomes the song you know, but still very unique and different.

She Said - Beatles/Lone Star...Beatles track given a big, epic 70's prog/metal makeover from short lived UK rock band (If you like this sort of stuff, check out the epic Bells of Berlin from their second album)

SOS - Abba/Manfred Manns Earth Band...I think this was only ever done live, and I have a version of this with the legendary Chris Thompson, in what sounds like a cosy little club somewhere in France, great audience rapport and singalong.

Mama - Genesis/Magellan...Genesis most heavy and sinister song made even heavier, yes the vocals are not that great and there are those electronic drums, but I still like the intensity of this.

Don't Kill The Whale - Yes/Magellan...I love this because I think they manage to mix the old style Yes to the later Yeswest version, and it was the one Yes track I never really liked, so definitely prefer this version.

[Gruno]

http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...n-the-original

It would be nice if the moderators could somehow merge these two threads.

Yeah, I tried searching for that thread yesterday and it never showed up in a search.

[Jay G]

I love covers. A couple of my favorites that I like better than the original:

Zakk Wylde & Randy Coven - Stevie Wonder's I Wish
Black Sabbath - Ansley Dunbars Warning
Whitesnake - Bobby Blue Blands Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City
Montrose - Rolling Stones Connection
Judas Priest - Spooky Tooths Better by You, Better than Me
Dixie Dregs - Frank Zappas Peaches en Regalia
Paul Gilbert - Yes's Roundabout
Aerosmith - Johnny Burnette's Train Kept a Rollin
Chicago - Spencer Davis's I'm A Man
Cream - Robert Johnson's Crossroads

[gryphs also]

The obvious winner is Johnny Cash----Hurt.

[progeezer's ghost]

Nightwish- High Hopes
Kansas- Eleanor Rigby
Queensryche- Scarborough Fair

[Rune Blackwings]

Nightwish- High Hopes
Kansas- Eleanor Rigby
Queensryche- Scarborough Fair

Leaves' Eyes does a cool version of Scarborough Fair

[Frankie]

I prefer this thread to the original, will go with: Royal Trux "Money for Nothing"; Mark Lanegan Band "Clear Spot'; Blue Cheer "Summertime Blues"; The MC5 "I Want You Right Now."

[Rune Blackwings]

Nightwish- High Hopes
Kansas- Eleanor Rigby
Queensryche- Scarborough Fair

I just thought of something: when you say "Scarborough fair", what "original" do you mean? "Scarborough Fair" itself is a medieval song adapted from at least one other song (I have a version called "Whittingham Fair (The Elvin Knight)") and even that is said to be from yet an older song. The version most folks are familiar with is the arrangement by Simon and Garfunkel (who alleged stole that from some other musician) that added an anti-war poem by I think Simon called "The Canticle". But it is not the original.

[bob_32_116]

Leaves' Eyes does a cool version of Scarborough Fair

.. as did Sergio Mendes and Brasill '66.

[Rune Blackwings]

.. as did Sergio Mendes and Brasill '66.

Brasil '66 does a lot of cool covers. I like their "Fool on the Hill" better than the Beatles'