Cover > Original? Buh?

[GG Crono 4]

Have any of you ever heard cover songs that you liked better than the original versions?

For me, it's two Helloween songs, I Want Out and I'm Alive.

I heard the covers (By Sonata Arctica and Luca Turilli, respectively) before I knew they were covers, so of course, when I found out I had to seek out the originals. But I must say, I was dissapointed. They just didn't measure up to the covers. In my oppinion, they were quite bland in compairison.

Though, credit where credit's due, both songs have great lyrics.

[Johnny C]

Johnny Cash's "Hurt" > NIN's "Hurt."

[Empty Friend]

Vehemently disagree.

[Psiogen]

Usually, whichever version of a song I hear first becomes my favorite...except in those happy cases where I like the cover and the original equally for different reasons.

[GG Crono 4]

Vehemently disagree.

Mind elaborating on that a bit more?

I'm not going to argue with you, I'm just interested.

[a pack of wolves]

Pretty much anything from Dynamite With A Laserbeam. It's a load of 31G-related bands doing Queen covers, about half of which are unrecognisable. Melt-Banana's annihilation of We Will Rock You and The Oath battering We Are The Champions into submission are particular highlights.

[kilconey]

i've always been partial to oasis's version of "i am the walrus" versus the original.  i just like louder guitars.

[Empty Friend]

While I have to give it up to Johnny for having more actual feeling in his version than the Rez (angst-tastic), I guess I just don't like the feel as much.  I guess I lean more towards the industrial sound on this one because the music itself on Rez's version seems to convey the real feeling where his lyrics don't completely cover.  Slightly detuned guitar, creepy white noise... the imagery I get when listening to it just seems so much more hopeless, kinda like silent hill in "evil nighttime mode" type scenery.  For Cash, it feels like a cowboy on his horse walking into a dark sunset after he didnt save the day. (which is appropriate for what he was goin for.)

But like I said, it's preference.  If you want raw feeling and the simple rhythm then I completely understand going with Cash, but NIN's version seems more well rounded and in the right key for what I got out of the song.

Didn't mean to sound like a prick with the short answer before.

[Empty Friend]

the Replicants' version of Silly Love Songs is awesome.

[BrittanyMarie]

Lou Barlow covering Round N' Round is WAY better than the RATT original.
Jimi Hendrix covering All Along the Watchtower is better than Bob Dylan's original.
The Decemberists covering Bridges and Balloons is SLIGHTLY better than Joanna Newsom's original... but that one's pretty close.
Yo La Tengo's cover of Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? is better than the original by Rod Stewart.

[Empty Friend]

You know the cover is better when the original artist starts playing it the way it was covered.  |mL  is for Hendrix

[siobhan]

gary jules version of 'mad world' is infinately better than the tears for fears version

[LightThievesAll]

Sheer Terror's "Boys Don't Cry" eviscerates the Cure's.

[Burninated Peasant]

Yo La Tengo's cover of Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? is better than the original by Rod Stewart.

The Revolting Cocks' version is the best of all.

[Empty Friend]

gary jules version of 'mad world' is infinately better than the tears for fears version

Seconded.  And thirded too for emphasis.

[emopants]

cake - i will survive
johnny cash - hurt

[Johnny C]

Damn right.

[El Opium]

Big Black covering Heartbeat by Wire. Their cover of The Model by Kraftwerk is darn close to being as good as the original but does not surpass it.

[KharBevNor]

Cradle of Filth-For Those Who Died (Not a strict cover, as it involves a duet between Dani Filth and Martin Walkyier, Sabbat's original vocalist, but damn is it awesome.)
Similiarly, though it amounts to heresy, Cradle of Filth-Hallowed Be Thy Name . Screaming works better as a vocal style for the song, and the production on the original hasn't aged well: CoF make it rock as hard as it should.
Entombed-The Ballad of Hollis Brown. Very few Dylan covers work. None as well as this.
Dimmu Borgir-Burn in Hell This cover is just cheeky and brilliant. You can tell everyone was having a shitload of fun doing it, and the way Shagrath clears his throat politely before screaming 'YOUR GONNA BURN IN HELL!' is simply inspired.
Johnny Cash-Hurt I simply don't like subdued music. The NIN version sounds like it's got a duvet over half of it. I no likey.

Due to my musical tastes, pretty much every decent metal cover of a soft rock or pop song will be liked by me more than the original. This includes Amorphis-Light My Fire, Graveworm-Losing My Religion and Overlord-Sound of the Underground, but disregards both Turisas' and Star One's attempts to cover 'Space Oddity'. Both are good, but neither tries to be different enough to be better.

[LightThievesAll]

Similiarly, though it amounts to heresy, Cradle of Filth-Hallowed Be Thy Name . Screaming works better as a vocal style for the song, and the production on the original hasn't aged well: CoF make it rock as hard as it should.

Yeah, I'd call that fucking heresy.  "Hallowed Be Thy Name" is my favorite Iron Maiden song, hands down.

[Amsterdarn]

I'm frankly amazed that this thread has gotten this far without any nods to Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah.  Depending on my mood, I might or might not prefer Iron & Wine's Such Great Heights.  And screw my avatar, I can't not mention Guns 'n Roses' Live and Let Die.

[KharBevNor]

Yeah, I'd call that fucking heresy.  "Hallowed Be Thy Name" is my favorite Iron Maiden song, hands down.

Never seen it myself...of course, I heard Cradles version before Maiden's, so that's probably got something to do with it. Maiden's version seemed to lack punch afterwards. Tbh, I often find I like Maiden covers with growly vocals as much or more than the original: Aces High remains immune despite competent assaults from Arch Enemy and Children of Bodom, but I'll come out and admit that I probably prefer Dark Tranquillity's version of 22. Acacia Avenue. Again I gotta say though, production's a huge part of this: live, Maiden's versions must kick ass.

[Guy Smiley]

I'm frankly amazed that this thread has gotten this far without any nods to Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah.

Despite the fact that he omits my favorite verse, I'm inclined to agree.  I'll also add Bruce Springsteen's cover of "Jersey Girl" to the list.  And I'm tempted to state the obvious Dylan covers - The Byrds' "Mr. Tamborine Man" and Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" - no matter how much I love the originals.

[maxusy3k]

Iron Maiden + Nightwish - Phantom of the Opera and The Clash - I Fought The Law get my vote as covers I like more than the original. Also very much like Me First & The Gimme Gimmes version of Nothing Compares To You, since I learned to hate that song while with one of my old girlfriends who used to listen to it. All. The. Time.

[rynne]

Aretha Franklin's cover of "Respect" >> Otis Redding's original.  That is an undeniable fact.

Yo La Tengo's cover of Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? is better than the original by Rod Stewart.

The Revolting Cocks' version is the best of all.

*agrees*  Rod Stewart even likes the RevCo version.

[ucfgeek]

Most of the songs on the Tori Amos album "Strange Little Girls".
Especially the cover of "97' Bonnie & Clyde" - orig. by Emenem

[KharBevNor]

Iron Maiden + Nightwish - Phantom of the Opera

Umm, the Iron Maiden track 'Phantom of the Opera' is a totally different song, you know that right?

The best version of PotO is by Lacrimosa anyway

[siobhan]

i occasionally enjoy the shins cover of 'we will become silhouettes' better than the original. depends entirely on the mood im in though...

[maxusy3k]

Iron Maiden + Nightwish - Phantom of the Opera

Umm, the Iron Maiden track 'Phantom of the Opera' is a totally different song, you know that right?

The best version of PotO is by Lacrimosa anyway

No... didn't know that... but there is a Nightwish / Iron Maiden PotO in existence.

[Mnementh]

I've never found the Phantom of the Opera Nightwish on an album or on their site, but I do have the track and it sounds a lot like Tarja.  Must be a B-side.

Oh to covers, it isn't greater than the original, but it's damn close to being on par.  Back in 2001 at the y100 FEZtival in Camden, NJ the band Ours performed a cover of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.  Johnny Neico is one of the few people who do Freddie Mercury justice.

Earlier that same day Pete Yorn did a decent cover of Springsteen's Atlantic City too.  Nothing beats the Boss though.

[maxusy3k]

ON the topic of live ones... when I went to see Velvet Revolver in January they did a cover of Mr. Brownstone... know it's kinda cheating since 3 out of 5 band members are ex GnR anyway, but I thought it sounded way better with Scott Weiland singing.

Even my GnR hating best friend thought it was fantastic.

[nickyandthefuture]

The Red House Painters cover of "Silly Love Songs" beat up the original version by Wings so hard that Paul McCartney still can't pee straight.

[Mnementh]

Well, Wings sucked, so that isn't too hard to do.

[Burninated Peasant]

Most of the songs on the Tori Amos album "Strange Little Girls".
Especially the cover of "97' Bonnie & Clyde" - orig. by Emenem

The Eminem cover is fucking wicked! It's remarkably creepy with her vocals. I've never actually heard the original, but since it's Eminem, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Tori Amos' version is better.

In related news, I was in the music store the other day and saw a Warren Zevon tribute album. I think it was called Enjoy Every Sandwich. Has anybody heard it? I'm curious as to what the quality of the covers are like. The Pixies have a song on there (forget which one), and Adam Sandler does "Werewolves of London" (don't know how to feel about that).

[Mnementh]

Speaking of Warron Zevon.  I like the cover of Raspberry Beret that Hindu Love Gods (Warron Zevon on vocals backed by R.E.M.) better than the Prince version.

[Enyaw]

I like Rufus Wainwright's cover of Across the Universe better than the Beatles' original.

[Guy Smiley]

Wainright's isn't even the best cover of "Across the Universe."  That honor belongs to Ms. Fiona Apple.

[ev0lve]

I swear there was a thread just like this not too long ago. Probably still on the front page even.
Anyway... Nirvana's cover of The Man Who Sold The World. I <3 Bowie, but.. they really do it better. &Though I haven't heard the Meat Puppets song, I bet they do Lake of Fire better, too.
Also, Ari Hest does the best Hallelujah. I don't know wtf you guys are on.
Physical (You're So) by NIN > the original
Pearl Jam's Last Kiss.
Xiu Xiu: Fast Car.

[happybirthdaygelatin]

From what I remember the Meat Puppet covers didn't sound all that different.  I agree with The Man Who Sold the World.  I also like their cover of Here She Comes Now is probably better then the Velvet Underground but I don't really remember.  Didn't they also cover a Devo song?  I can never remember.

[ev0lve]

Hahah that reminds me I have DEVO covering Head Like a Hole and it's fucking hilarious.

[happybirthdaygelatin]

Yeah!  Heh, I actually like it more.

[Johnny C]

Everyone likes Buckley's "Hallelujah." I prefer Leonard Cohen's original to Buckley's, but kd lang has a cover of it on her new album that's fucking splendid.

[Benu]

She don't use jelly  Ben Folds > Flaming lips.

[Moriarty]

Not technically a cover since it's the same band with a different singer, but:
Elton John + Queen - The Show Must Go On >> Queen - The Show Must Go On
A proper cover would be Muse - Feeling Good > Nina Simone - Feeling Good, as would Reel Big Fish - Take On Me > Aha - Take On Me.

[KharBevNor]

I've never found the Phantom of the Opera Nightwish on an album or on their site, but I do have the track and it sounds a lot like Tarja.  Must be a B-side.

Track 9 on Century Child.

[ucfgeek]

and Adam Sandler does "Werewolves of London" (don't know how to feel about that).

I woke up from a dead sleep one night, and Adam Sandler was doing that cover on some later night talk show..... swore I dreamed it till just now. I have to admit that it was a pretty good cover, even though I was expecting him to start making stupid faces the whole time.

[Inlander]

Proof that even a complete fuck-knuckle can't ruin a great song.

[Burninated Peasant]

I almost picked the album up. Perhaps if there had been a cover of "Excitable Boy" by a cool band I would have. I love songs where the lyrics and musical style are at odds with one another; i.e., in "Excitable Boy" the music is upbeat but the story is about a fucked up kid. There was also no cover of "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner." How do you make a tribute to Zevon without including Roland? Sigh.

[festerius]

I prefer Nirvana's Man Who Sold the world over David Bowie's... And Metallica's 'Last Caress/Green Hell' over The Misfits.

[muffy]

Erm....Tatu's How Soon Is Now.
I like it better than the original, which, for a lover of miserable indie music should be a travesty, but it's soooooooo gooooooooooood!