Cover versions you think were better than the originals

[Ballymagash Blue]

Brilliant song, but don’t tell me Dylan is better than Van singing it.
There’s no comparison.

I didn't post this because I thought it was better than Van. More because Bob played it out of the blue a couple of nights ago, and for the first time and probably the only time. And because it's a great song and Bob's performance is beautiful.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Not better than the original, but this guy does covers on songs in the style of other singers and he's brilliant.

Stayin' Alive by Oasis



Heart-Shaped Box if it was a Bond theme.



All the Small Things as an 80s power ballad.

 

[roman totale]

The perfect cover version. Respects the original, yet they make it their own and add a drive the original sorely lacks.

 

[laserblue]

Just posted on the Music Association Thread. This is the best version IMO.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

starting with this

Definitive version.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

I didn't know that. Every day is a school day : )

Totally different song.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

• The Gallows & Lethal B's cover of the Ruts - Staring at the rude boys
• Five Finger Death Punch & Tech Nine cover of LL Cool J's - Mama said knock you out.
• Metallica's Cover of Motorheads Overkill
• Motorheads cover of Enter Sandman
• The Futureheads cover of Hounds of Love
• Marilyn Manson cover of Soft Cells cover of Tainted Love.
• Amy Winehouse's cover of The Zutons - Valerie
• Arctic Monkeys cover of the Beatles - Come together

I may upset a few people on here with this.

 

[Stuuuuuu]

• The Gallows & Lethal B's cover of the Ruts - Staring at the rude boys
• Five Finger Death Punch & Tech Nine cover of LL Cool J's - Mama said knock you out.
• Metallica's Cover of Motorheads Overkill
• Motorheads cover of Enter Sandman
• The Futureheads cover of Hounds of Love
• Marilyn Manson cover of Soft Cells cover of Tainted Love.
• Amy Winehouse's cover of The Zutons - Valerie
• Arctic Monkeys cover of the Beatles - Come together

I may upset a few people on here with this.

Given that you're wrong on every single one, yes you have. Arctic fucking Monkeys? Futureheads. Jesus fucking wept.

 

[Stuuuuuu]

As a general rule, cover versions are virtually always a lot, lot worse than the original.

I'm aware of two exceptions where the artist has improved the original. In both instances, they have had creative input to make significant changes to the song, such that you could almost give them a writing credit.

The first is Jimi Hendrix's cover of Dylan's All Along The Watchtower.

The original is of course a great song but I think it's fair to say that it's more about the bare bones (the chord structure, melody and words) without the decoration - which Hendrix added with aplomb. He also had a great drummer in Mitch Mitchell.






The second one is Lost In Music.

The original by Chic / Sister Sledge has some incredible musicianship from Bernard Edwards of course, but it also has some of the worst lyrics that I've ever heard, such that it's hard to listen without cringing.

The Fall took the best bits of the song, took out the awful verses and added a lot of their own: Mark E Smith rewrote the majority of the lyrics; the band added some fantastic keyboard and guitar parts and generally gave the song a different feel.

 

[M16 citeh]