song covers

[rone]

I think that we often like a cover version of a song better than the original because we've heard the cover first.  When i think about covers that i like better than the original which i heard after i first heard the original, the only one that comes to mind is Tool's "No Quarter"; i've never been fond of the Led Zeppelin original (although John Paul Jones did a smashing instrumental version when i saw him some years ago), and Tool takes the song a lot farther.

Comments

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Sure; same thing applies to movie and book adaptations too. (Just ask any fan of "The Princess Bride" whether the movie or book was better, then ask them which they saw or read first.)

On the other hand, I've never heard a cover of "No Quarter" and I've never liked the original anyway.

[kodi]

I think most of the time when I like a cover better, it's because I never much liked the original. Tricky's cover of Nirvana's "Something in the Way" definitely meets the "better than the original; heard the original first" criteria, but I never liked the Nirvana version at all.

The only cover that comes to mind for which I like both versions, I heard the original first, and I like the cover better is the Aleister Einstein cover of Radiohead's Creep. It's extremely cheesy, but for some reason it really grabs me.

[palecur.livejournal.com]

Bree Sharp's cover of 'Boys of Summer' is a pretty big improvement over the original, given that she can actually, y'know, sing in that range, so her performance doesn't give the impression that vocal cords are going to snap any freakin' second. It also has a sweeter, more introspective sound.

Smartbomb's cover of 'Breathe' radically transforms the tune from a Revlon-country sapfest to a high-intensity, almost stalkerish urgency. It's a lot more fun than the Faith Hill version.

[vampyrecat.livejournal.com]

Here are some cover songs I like better than the original:
Devo's cover of "Satisfaction"
The Gourds' cover of "Gin and Juice"
Fountains of Wayne's cover of "Hit Me Baby One More Time"

[louiseroho.livejournal.com]

Subterranean Homesick Blues - Heard the Dave Stewart's version first.

Most Bob Dylan songs are better as covers than their originals.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Richard Thompson's cover of "Oops, I Did It Again" was... interesting.

[opadit.livejournal.com]

Bryan Ferry has a new album out of Dylan covers. I heard an excerpt of "Make You Feel My Love" the other day and went weak-kneed.

[benchilada.livejournal.com]

The Cowboy Junkies cover of "Powderfinger" is about 37 times better than Neil Young's original.

[glaucon.livejournal.com]

the CJ's cover of absolutely anything is about 37 times better the original

need I say more?

[glaucon.livejournal.com]

Breeders. Happiness Is a Warm Gun.

Covers I like better where I had heard the original first

[schwa242.livejournal.com]

Ministry - "Lay Lady Lay"
BiGod 20 - "Like a Prayer"
Petra Haden - "God Only Knows"
Cyndi Lauper - "Unchained Melody"

And for the kids...

Siouxsie and the Banshees - "Trust in Me" (originally sung by Sterling Halloway as Kaa in "The Jungle Book")
Shonen Knife - "Do the Bartman"

[sandollar17.livejournal.com]

Hm . . . I got nothin'. I can't think of anything specific, but there are quite a few songs from the 80's of which I prefer cover versions --- I just don't really like 80's instrumental arrangements.

Beatles covers PISS me off. Generally speaking. There are some that don't elicit a curse word from my mouth. I don't even actively listen to The Beatles that much anymore, but I still take them very seriously.

And I don't like it when people think "I've Gotta Woman" is a Jamie Foxx (!!!) song.

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

I have two covers of "Tomorrow Never Knows" by Michael Hedges and Living Colour, and i prefer them to the original, but i never liked the original anyway.

[sandollar17.livejournal.com]

I don't know those covers, but yeah, I never really liked that one either. A little too 'out there' for my general taste.

[xlerb.livejournal.com]

The book of The Princess Bride was better, but I saw the movie first. OTOH, I don't consider myself a “fan” of either.