This topic was suggested by the Captain, and it's a damn fine one! Pay close attention to the subject at hand this week, especially the second half of the title. We're not just looking for good cover songs here. If you don't think it tops the original version, don't list it! That being said...
Top 5 Cover Songs Better Than the Original Versions
- Say Hello, Wave Goodbye - David Gray. This song can make me weep openly, while the original Soft Cell version is an absolute pile of shite! Thankfully Dave rescued this song from obscurity and we're all better off for it.
- I Shall Be Released - The Band. The Band and Dylan were working very closely together at the time this came out on the masterpiece Music From Big Pink, and Richard Manuel's angelic falsetto weaves it's magic throughout this song. A beautiful song that's just a bit too tender for Bob's nasal delivery.
- Dead Flowers - Townes Van Zandt. I love the Stones, and their version, but if i had to pick between the two it would be this loosey-goosey, whiskey and beer-soaked acoustic version. It also majestically closes out The Big Lebowski.
- Back Door Man - The Doors. This version jumps to raunchy new heights following a climbing intro, slinky organ riff and a blood-curdling Morrison scream (mostly live). One of my fave Doors songs as well. I can picture both Jim and Willie Dixon entering many a back door in their time.
- Hard Luck Woman - Garth Brooks. Paul Stanley has openly hailed this version as the definitive one. Kiss rocks socks off, but this version kills! Ask any of my friends that have recently pilfered several copies of my latest mix cd!
Honourable Mention - Hallelujah - Whittingham/Stevens. The Buckley version gives me shivers, but i have never witnessed that version performed live, as i have with my boys here. A chilling experience not to be missed.
Posted by scotty at October 11, 2005 11:23 AM
todays tuesday WTF wheres the top 5?!?XOXO scAtty must be busy mandolin jammin ;)
Posted by: batman on March 21, 2006 10:37 AMHello Scotty,
I came across your Blog and realized that i had played Bass with Justin while we both were at Western. He played a lot of pretty fun stuff. That Hallelujah is actually a really great cover! Anyrate, I'm in Toronto now, and wondering "what the fuck is up with McFly?" Is he still playing, does he have a website?
Earl
Posted by: Brown, Earl on March 19, 2006 12:40 PMinsite? incite? Oh yeah... LOL!! Guy you kill me! "Girl, don't treat me baaaaad..."
Peas.
Well Vagina...your time is gonna come!
You realize that Mr.Moscow and I are now going to delibertly contribute PJ n Zepp into the mix just to spite you!!
And if your head didnt reflect such bright light you may have seen that I also included such artists as The black crowes and clapton, what was yours..oh yah fucking Oasis of course!If I had known of this blog prior to seeing you @ The Wick last night I may have requested ZEPPELIN all nite!!
Bring it ScAtty...lets show slobbering Vagina!
that's some funny shit, Vagina.
Posted by: The Captain on October 16, 2005 01:53 PMNot only did I contribute, but I encouraged you to write not one but 2 fucking rebutals! As for the 5 PJ, it was all I could think of in the extremely drunkin state I was in.
Posted by: Killerov on October 16, 2005 04:30 AMHey missus Paton, I have an idea for next week's Top 5......name 5 categories that cannot be in any way, shape or form be related to fucking Pearl Jam ( and maybe Led Zep. too for the Justine factor)...let's see if Mr. Moscow or Ms. Sarnia can contribute anything which doesn't relate to licking Eddie Vedder's ball-sack or being the third wheel with Jimmy Page and his 9 year old "girl" friend
Posted by: metal vagina on October 16, 2005 04:23 AMKillerov, seriously dude could you be any more predictable. 5 Pearl Jam songs.....thanks for your contribution, I needed something to wipe my ass with, I might as well print this page!
Ho fucking hum.
V
Posted by: metal vagina on October 16, 2005 04:16 AM1. PJ: Crazy "fucking" Mary! I have a hot story that goes w/this.
2. PJ: RITFW...specifically from live from Zurich in 1992.
3. PJ: Maggot Brain! I saw this in Milwakee...Mike had the rest of the band in awe w/his sweet fucking guitar solos.
4. PJ: Hold your arms around me.
5. PJ: Hide Your Love Away...thanks to a perfect movie placement.
\m/
That's right Matty.......I'll take the Bangles over any of the Shit-hop, or sleep-inducing let's put a wah on the guitar and play the same riff in 83 different songs and call it funk 8 days of the week.
Long live Oasis, Fuck Neil Young, I'm out.
V
P.S it's "incite"
Posted by: metal vagina on October 15, 2005 01:29 PMThe Bangles? The Bang'fuckin'les??? V - you just put these picks up here to see if you could insite violence didn't you? I know you and you have GOOD"ish" taste in music my man. You knew the C.J. Snare - LOL!! Motley Crue Shout at the Devil like no other but they Helter Skelter like overwhelmed school children - LMAO! Oasis??? Cheese??? The honourable mention was the only part of your post that stopped the laughter... My stomach hurts. I'm going to bed :D wait, it's 10 in the morning...
Big Love.
Hmmm.....
1. Bangles- Hazy shade of winter
2. Oasis- Hey hey my my
3. Motley Crue- Helter Skelter
4. Nirvana - Lake of fire
5. Richard Cheese- She hates me
Honourable mention to anything by Me first and the gimme gimmes. And yes, I eagarly await the backlash from the Neil Young and Beatles fans out there (I also love the Beatles, but the Motley version of that song kicks the original's ass)
Gay, is it possible for you to get through a single post without metioning me? Can you say.....Stalker!
Posted by: metal vagina on October 14, 2005 01:52 PMPauls, I'm flattered *blushes knowing that he isn't fit to lick Stevie's boot*. Much love for the sentiment tho. You always was my favorite ;) Captain... Rusty Cage? Love the Cash but - c'mon! Rosa? Higher Ground? The Chillies? Have you even been on a dance floor when Stevie's version hits the speakers? ;) Bri - I almost lost my breakfast when I read the "Watchtower" bit. Thinks we better defer to Dylan hisself on that one. Gay - don't you find it hard to even distinguish between the Slade and the Quiet Riot??? I do but do have to agree wit yas. The QR does hold a special place in my heart since it was introduced to me by a certain prepubescent crush - *blushes yet again*. Man - I don't have a list on account of the level of pop culture knowledge displayed here. Je suis embarrased... I couldn't remember Brownsville Station if you cued me on tha one. Nice job everyone :)
Big Love.
you mean coitus?
Posted by: scotty on October 13, 2005 07:44 AM...don't women have vaginas?
Posted by: The Captain on October 13, 2005 02:46 AMBefore Sherk gets all chirpy about "mon epelant erruer" (from previous peoples posts...ya I realize I didn't spell Vedder correctly. But rumour has it that Sherk now wears a berret and has a new fondness for a new style of woman!!
Posted by: Jay(Gay) on October 12, 2005 10:05 PMCocaine-Eric Clapton (orig-J.J. Cale)
Cum on feel the noize-Quiet Riot (orig-Slade)
Hard to Handle-Black Crowes (orig-Otis Redding)
Smokin in the boys room-Motley Crue (orig-Brownsville Station)
Hide your love away-Eddie Vedar (orig-Beatles)
Posted by: Jay (Gay) on October 12, 2005 09:58 PMmmmmm....the man who sold the world!
Posted by: Rosa on October 12, 2005 08:41 PMvery nice - better version. although i'm fairly certain that the travis lads don't look as hot in schoolgirl uniforms.
Posted by: scotty on October 12, 2005 06:12 PMOk, check this out! Great cover...
Here-
http://media.putfile.com/Travis-HitMeBabyOneMoreTimeBritneySpears
or here
http://www.putfile.com/brianben
Posted by: the bri man on October 12, 2005 04:36 PM1. Travis - Hit Me Baby One More Time
2. The Clash - I Fought The Law
3. Nirvana - Man Who Sold the World
4. The White Sripes - Jolene
5. DMB - All Along The Watchtower
I'm gonna try to post the Travis version of Britney's song somewhere cause I know you be diggin' it the most ............. link to come
ok, got in a discussion about this last night and of course i can't remember most that were listed. the one that is stuck in my head though is fiest - inside and out. i love that song and then yesterday i found out its a cover of a beegees tune.....
Posted by: robyn on October 12, 2005 03:42 PMI forgot my Honourable Mention: This one goes to an entire album of cover tunes...The Fubar Soundtrack. 70's Canadian rock tunes, covered by current Canadian rock bands. This album became the soundtrack for the infamous white trash party, held in my backyard, the summer before I left for the West Coast. Good times, eh Finny?
Posted by: Pauls on October 12, 2005 02:07 PM...god bless you capt. god bless you...
Posted by: westmount on October 12, 2005 01:37 PMRee-hee-healy ScAtty!!Thats interesting!!Since on Zeppelin topic-last night I was chatting bout Zepp and my friend was just recently living in Cali and Vegas and has pitures of one of Jimmys guitar w\whole Zepp gangs signatures and Jimmys is right after he changed his signature...from legible to scribble...another history lesson perhaps!
Honerable Mention:Have you ever seen the rain-Fairmonts..Your time is gonna come-Gentlemen...Angel Dream #2-McFly(just sticking w\the topic at hand so no one pulls a snap show)
P\S Fairmonts should really learn Youngs new 'The Painter'asap.
1. Hurt - Cash, this song is the curtain to his career
2. Harvest Moon - Pearl Jam, i wet myself
3. Higher Ground - Chilli Peppers
4. Little Wing - SRV
5. Dont Think Twice, It's Alright - Fairmonts -my boys do me proud!
don't know if i have time today for a full list, but my #1 for now:
#1: Goldfinger- 99 Red Balloons soooo goood
Posted by: meg on October 12, 2005 09:28 AM1. Getting Better--Gomez
2. Ain't No Sunshine--Eva Cassidy
3. Rusty Cage--Johnny Cash
4. Satisfaction--Cat Power
5. Anything Played by Dave Stevens
Hon Men: I agree with Scotty about Dead Flowers and Say Hello Wave Goodbye, but I will say that I Shall Be Released was best done by Nina Simone--check it out. Also, I DO realise that I'm crossing some major bands here, but if you don't believe me, just check these cover songs out for yourself...and God bless Westmount...
Posted by: The Captain on October 12, 2005 02:53 AMsome music history for you... i also didn't know this until i searched it out.
"Page had heard Joan Baez perform "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" and he knew from the inception of Led Zeppelin that he wanted to rework this song. Initially "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" was credited as "Trad. arr. Page". On recent reissues, this song is now also credited to Anne Bredon. Anne Bredon was a folk singer who wrote "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" while she was a student at UC-Berkeley in the late-1950s."
Posted by: scotty on October 11, 2005 07:23 PMNice one Finny!
1. Take Me Out - Scissor Sister - orinally done by Franz Ferdinand. It's amazing how quickly this cover came out. But, I dig that jazzy spin Scissor Sister puts on one of my favorite tunes.
2. Hallelujah - Whittignham. I heard Justin sing this one of the first time I saw him live. Dude it moved me!
3. Red Door - GOB - The Stones did it originally, but GOB put a fresh new punk spin on it.
4. Superstitious - Strange Bargain - My all time favorite song played just for me. How could it not be in my top 5.
5. Last Kiss - Pearl Jam. I'd have to say one of my favorite PJ songs.
Posted by: Pauls on October 11, 2005 06:52 PMOuch!This one kicks me right in the ballz cuz Im all about the originalz kinda gurl, but I'll stick w\the topic @ hand and see what I can come up with...
#1-Led Zeppelin-Babe Im gonna leave you~Joan Baez originally but Im sorry.
#2-Pearl Jam-Last Kiss~Oringinally performed by Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, PJ brings a more up to date kick to the song.
#3-Eric Clapton-After Midnight~Betch ya thought Clapton was the originator-nope-J.J.Cale
#4-Led Zeppelin-You shook me~Originally by Muddy Waters himself
#5-Black Crowes-Hard 2 Handle~I would of thought it was Chris Robinsons own cut too but Otis Redding brought it out in 68.
There I did it,how do you like them apples!!!!