As the dick joke nation nurses its hangovers, I figured we could use some lighter fare this morning. To that end, I give you one of DFO’s themed music entries. Previously, we discussed “outlier” songs, from bands you otherwise really liked or really didn’t like. You can find that yourself, if you are enterprising enough and/or give a shit.
For this weekend, the category is covers. But not just any old covers, see. To qualify, you have to believe them to be of equal or even greater quality than the original. So, get those addled, melancholy brains to thinking. What else are you gonna do, there’s no footbaw, and even Premier League footy (Everton, WOO!!!!) doesn’t start until next weekend.
Also, when you post, state whether you claim your version to be greater than or equal to. Without further ado, I give you 90s nerd rock not-quite-greats The Lemonheads, who knocked it out of the park with this much greater than (yeah, I said it, suck it Simon and Garfunkel) version:
EDIT: This is Balls here. I just wanted to give some embedding tips to any of our new/old friends. If you are trying to embed pictures, most jpg, gif, or png files will embed if you simply cut and paste the URL onto the comment box. On some occasions (like if it is a jpeg file), you may need to add the html code: <img src=” URL “/> in order for the picture to appear. If you are trying to embed a YouTube video (as I assume you will in this thread), click on the Share icon in YouTube. That will give you a short URL. Copy and paste that onto the comment box and the video should embed. And now I return you to your regularly-scheduled Saturday frivolities. Also, for some reason, it doesn’t like it when the URL is surrounded by text, so make your comments and hit the return key before entering the URL and don’t have text after the URL.
Like the Stones but I love Townes even more. And the Lebowski video doesn’t hurt.
https://youtu.be/FNlUhW0azKI
I generally dislike covers. No idea why. However, the following cover is better than the original by Depeche Mode. I’ll fight people over this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R64xdfGDW7A
Huzzah! BBR is here!!!!
The Black Keys cover of Junior Kimbrough’s “Meet Me In The City”. I dunno if it’s necessarily better, but it does show that Dan Auerbach can straight up play.
https://youtu.be/XHp5O61Yi-c
The share icon in youtube is what I use (from an iPhone most times), and it doesn’t work. Oh well.
OK, my last one – the only worthy Smiths cover I know of (Dum Dum Girls’ “There is a Light is adequate, but not as good as the original), especially considering Chloe Chaidez was only 16 when she recorded this:
Many people have covered Nina Simone’s beautiful original, but none as hauntingly as the divine, tortured Chan Marshall (this has special, maudlin 2 August meaning for me, but FACK IT, I shall post it anyway):
can we get a definition of “better” because this is pretty bad ass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M1fehewh3A
Ol Porky’s having issues with seeing your youtube embeds here.
Ah well. How about Your Time is Gonna Come by Dread Zeppelin?
http://youtu.be/TZlcnD__ekA
Love it!
Someone dropped a Carpenters cover in here earlier. This is my favorite, although for obvious reasons Bill Parcells would not agree.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ba360Dz1sQ
I can also toss these guys out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR3XY6wfSBw
Joe Strummer’s death was worse, for me, than KSK’s dying. I can’t say enough what The Clash, (and Strummer, IMO, was The Clash), did for me growing up. I was, (and probably am), a total dork, but I knew who Joe Strummer was and you probably didn’t and that, motherfucker, made me cool.
He was one of my singular music spirit guides. Yeah, we WE’RE cooler than the rest.
At least for that week or so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TcKiC2yB0s
Not a cover but a major life influence.
You’re my guitar hero!
A truly underrated cover.
While we’re on the topic of The Clash and cover songs, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Bosstones cover of “Rudie Can’t Fail:”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCqb-pVZ71s
https://youtu.be/kWChhdIgT6Q
I think I recommended this one back on KSK (still with the sadness), but The Band’s cover of Atlantic City is easily my favorite cover of all time and just generally one of my favorite songs. It’s much more lively than Springsteen’s version and Levon Helm’s voice is just perfect for the song.
https://youtu.be/I0eZwpHtcK4
You done good.
The preferred version….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08e9k-c91E8
OK, here’s my controversial TAEK. Even worse, I will put it in the “better than” Stevie Wonder’s original bin, by a significant amount. Mother’s Milk was a good album, damn it!
On a related note: This is a killer cover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1cbsLKXasQ
They’re not the world’s greatest band…they’re the world’s greatest cover band.
https://youtu.be/suQKGBeYQX4?list=PL764355715E1CB6BC
Aaaaand….I just linked the whole freakin’ playlist. I either did a good, or just killed the entire thread.
They’re playing in Boston in the middle of next week; going to try like hell to get up there.
I always loved “Mexican Radio” by Wall of Voodoo. Then my favorite punk band came out with a cover of it, and I lost my damn mind. Authority Zero wins.
https://youtu.be/ZlTvlSIVbVU
Don’t get me wrong, I love the A-ha version of this song, but they were never the house band of the Milwaukee Beers. Enjoy this cover that should remind you of the greatest sports movie ever made.
https://youtu.be/QHpU0ZfXZ_g
That was bananas!*
*’bananas means great
They covered Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like The Wolf” as well. It’s snazzy!!
https://youtu.be/yxNw1bgH4dQ
One of my favorite bands covering one of my older favorite bands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdi9pp2JbqY
Just woke up from a nap, and that was a nice way to re-enter the horrors of society. Very mellow and I really like her vocals.
I really like the Stones version, but Otis Redding was the fucking man
https://youtu.be/yvtbiHYa-LI
There’s a song. It’s a great song. It’s covered by Radiohead. Here’s where I blow your mind. It’s better than New Order’s version but can’t stand up to Joy Division’s take.
/I win all teh Saturdays!
https://youtu.be/mojJSYSjP18
This is indeed quite good. You do win Saturdays.
Willie Nelson even makes Coldplay sound good
https://youtu.be/v525UGbA448
Two Springsteen covers so radically different from the original, you don’t feel like slitting your wrists after listening to them, unlike their original counterparts.
The Clarks The River:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HywBuMilL1E
RATM Ghost of Tom Joad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TatqMFbSWM
Alternatively,
http://youtu.be/yjxbOe7p8C0
Any band of guitar yahoos can cover Sabbath. But to take one of their classics and do a genre shift and have it turn out equal to the original? That’s something.
https://youtu.be/zOd_naCOcK0
I decided that was a superior cover as well within the first fifteen seconds. I love Sabbath, but they had no range outside of electric darkness, despair and demonic punishment. Changes was always unbearable to me and it was the song i pointed to when my best friend tried to pull Sabbath over Zeppelin on me. Whatever you think of Zeppelin, they could switch up the tempo without blinking. Ozzy doing this kind of ballad is cringe worthy, even in his prime.
Blind Melon’s superior version of the Schoolhouse Rock classic “Three Is A Magic Number”. It never fails to brighten my day, and it made me actually like Blind Melon.
https://youtu.be/1aM8JytCkZg
Fitting for our deposed kontributors, for everything they’ve done over the years, and for our new home–for the kommentariat, by the kommentariat.
https://youtu.be/OgpnlLz7WR0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OInieXoW71A
I like this one a lot more than the Pixies version.
https://youtu.be/OInieXoW71A
High school me preferred this cover to Seger’s original. Adult me thinks it’s a toss up.
http://youtu.be/dOibtqWo6z4
Estonian dream-pop band Picnic with their remake of the Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun.” Just as good as the original.
https://youtu.be/dNe6bBNg7w0
OK this time I read the thread so here’s Lucinda Williams. I believe this is actually her song but it’s better known as a Tom Petty song. Petty’s version is also really good, I like Lucinda’s better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip27VUOUqbc
Lucinda is bad ass. I saw her open for Neil Young years ago and I’ve been a huge fan since.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BaksqH2YXQ
Covalent did it ,, smgdh
But hey, great minds thinks alike!!
This is why lockers exist.
This song was just begging for a bossa nova cover:
https://youtu.be/QH2tYf65TRo
I like The Clash version better than any other
https://youtu.be/hiQoq-wqZxg
Without a goddamned doubt!!
I think every band in the planet has covered this song. I like this live version:
https://youtu.be/pHJoMwZ67nM
I like this version. Definitely a different take on it:
https://youtu.be/-E5kglUmi2A
Mmmmm… Cake.
Oops! I tried to embed your link and screwed it up. Sorry! Balls
I re-raise with Cake covering the red-headed stranger (Willie Nelson) in a “different but equal” version:
Their cover of Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps and I will Survive are equally entertaining.
Who originally did “Perhaps?” Never knowed that was a cover.
Its a standard originally in Portuguese Below is Nat King Cole singing it
https://youtu.be/FW0p6vMKnXk
Is this where I flood this thread with Cure covers? FWIW, I like this song so much that any version works for me:
https://youtu.be/M2Pc65XYjJM
How bought a cover of the Cure?
http://youtu.be/2POSebkZ2wc
I heard this version before Dylan’s so I’ve always been partial to it.
http://youtu.be/2tmc8rJgxUI
I love this version. I also love Bob Schneider (dad rock!)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NYHRjO3Le74
I read that as Rob Schneider and was very confused.
Rob Schniders semi estranged daughter is actually pretty good
I like it!
https://youtu.be/0uLI6BnVh6w
http://youtube.com/watch?v=aEDqzk6awJQ
One more that you will all hate.
https://youtu.be/kWP1BwFOEOw
LMAO, I have no attachment to the original. I have my own STRONG TAEK selection, but I am saving it for later in the day.
Look, I love Cash, but Cash’s version never got me to sing along until Mike Ness graveled it out there for me…
EXCELLENT pick. Whenever this comes on Lithium, I turn the volume up at least 4 notches. Great driving song, especially with the windows down.
Guess I should have read the whole thread. Also Covalent Blonde and I are now internet-married.
let me know where to send teh china
Awww yissssssss, hubby!! I finally have an internet running partner!
http://i.imgur.com/l8QDHHy.gif
I’ve always liked this better than the original, although you may disagree.
https://youtu.be/YuIzurUfZoE
I would agree with you. The bongos are a nice touch.
But when WCS comes to, he gon be mad.
That fucking song. Starts off great but the ending “woo-woo” that go on and on just kill it for me.
It’s a Dylan tune. Ppl forget that IMO.
https://youtu.be/TLV4_xaYynY
Nirvana’s version of the The Man Who Sold the World is definitively better than Bowie’s, and the original is fucking awesome.
http://youtu.be/HjKcCGaCiu0
Of his many gifts, Kurt could really dig to the soul center of a cover. A poet’s soul, mixed with high levels of self-awareness and empathy, sadly, was not a recipe for a happy life.
The cover of Leadbelly’s Where Did You Sleep Last Night is just fucking amazing.