Wapsi Square Forum

On another forum someone did a post about cover versions that got me thinking about cover versions and just how different from the original they can be/should be to be good.

Okay here's an original track from a highly-distinctive and influential band.

And here are four different cover versions:

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

Version 4

Any of them you like? Dislike?

Consider an abomination?

===========================

And, while i'm at it, what about a Completely Different version of Dylan?

Or Dylan in [something resembling] French by a British band.

Fairportfan wrote:Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

Not bad; they all seem pretty faithful to the source. Even though # 2 appears to be sung in German, and # 3 is completely instrumental.

Fairportfan wrote:Version 4

This was...very surreal. The genre doesn't match the lyrics at all; the arrangement was almost hypnotizing.

Generally speaking, I do enjoy it when a band covers a song & puts their own spin on it; it makes for some interesting listening. Prime example: Futuristic space-punks Powerman 5000 covering new-wave classics such as Whip It, One Thing Leads To Another, Should I Stay Or Should I Go, and (perhaps appropriately) Space Oddity.

MerchManDan wrote:

Fairportfan wrote:Version 4

This was...very surreal. The genre doesn't match the lyrics at all; the arrangement was almost hypnotizing.

Had the same sort of reaction... there's a disconnect between the topic and the presentation.

Angry tragedy, but with a romantic Quualude delivery.

Heh. That one's off an entire album of bossa nova Ramones covers...

The German one is more an "adaptation" than a translation - i like the way it substitutes "GSG9" for "FBI"...

MerchManDan wrote:Generally speaking, I do enjoy it when a band covers a song & puts their own spin on it; it makes for some interesting listening. Prime example: Futuristic space-punks Powerman 5000 covering new-wave classics such as Whip It, One Thing Leads To Another, Should I Stay Or Should I Go, and (perhaps appropriately) Space Oddity.

Haven't checked the links yet ... but the songs you listed made me think of Big Daddy:

Track 1.

Track 2.

...and they're looking for funding on Kickstarter to release an album of showtunes.

I haven't taken the time to carefully listen to your examples above, but for what it's worth my favourite covers would either be most of Easy Star All-Stars' output, which would be really well done reggae covers of Dark Side of the Moon, OK Computer, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and Thriller...

And of course there's also the latin american Kraftwerk covers on El Baile Alemán by Señor Coconut...

np: Brian Eno - LUX 3 (LUX)

Big Daddy did the whole "Sgt Pepper" album in Fifties/Sixties style - "Lucy in the Sky" as The Killer might have done it, "Within You/Without You" as a Beat poetry reading (with abstract bongos, flute and bell tree accompaniment) - which makes it pretty listenable, actually - and "A Day in the Life" as a Buddy Holly number.

Oh - and "Track 1" above is Big Daddy deconstructing an Eagles song, in the style of Del Shannon.

Fairportfan wrote:Track 2.

COOL!!! This is perfect; I love it!

So, one of my Christmastime favourites is "Silver & Gold" by Burl Ives. I'd always considered it an underrated, near-forgotten classic...until I found all these covers of it.

Faith & Disease (hey, that's what they call themselves)

Califone

Elvis Before Noon

Multer & Multer (bonus lyrics by Steve Multer)

Not to mention the dozen-or-so home-recorded versions, mostly on acoustic guitar or piano.

Considering The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails was a major part of the soundtrack of my youth, I can't help but think of how Johnny Cash covered the song "Hurt" shortly before his death.
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