Which cover versions improve on the original?

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Tom is right on about "Watchtower." The only Dylan covers I like nearly as much as the originals are by the Byrds, but really I find it hard to call those songs 'covers' - I mean, the Byrds could sing the ingredients list of a cereal box and I'd probably still find it lovely.

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:32 (twenty-one years ago) link

Fair do's. I wasn't really talking about substance....I suppose I'm saying that some artists (eg Hendrix, Whitney too probably) have such a unique and strong style that they shouldn't do/have done covers, cos they just overwhelm the material and make it sound like a novelty record.

Actually Justyn is right in that the Byrds also did this, and I love them because they make everything sound so flat and pretty. So my point sort of falls apart.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

ehh, i don't even remember the last time i cared to listen to hendrix anyway :)

― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:58 (twenty-one years ago) link

flaming lips: "after the gold rush"

chocolate watchband: "baby blue"

shellac: "jailbreak"

the swamp rats: "louie louie"

hendrix's "like a rolling stone" at monterey is better than his other dylan covers. it's also a proven scientific fact that loadsa dylan songs are done better by other people. i think d. zarakov will back me on this...

― cameron, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

re: proven scientific fact that loadsa Dylan songs done 'better' by other people. Can I just say 'good' yes, 'interesting' yes, 'accoplished' yes, but 'better' nooooo siree.

― Roger Fascist (Roger Fascist), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:37 (twenty-one years ago) link

i forgot the lips version of knives out which is rather wonderful. suddenly the song becomes a strange thing in between guitar feedback and epic western soundtrack, maybe not better than the original but an interesting take on it

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

The Heptones' version of "I Shall Be Released" is a heap better than Dylan's.

― Tim (Tim), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 11:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

Suede's cover of Elvis Costello's Shipbuilding off the Help album is the best Suede song, and the best Elvis Costello song.

Ditto the Pixies, Leonard Cohen, I Can't Forget, I'm Your Fan

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 12:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm sorry but you're all wrong. The three best are Neil Young covering "Oh Lonesome Me", Jeff Buckley covering "Lost Highway", and The White Stripes covering Jolene.

End of discussion.

― John Barlow, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 12:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

also, i prefer dolly parton's "boulder to birmingham" to emmy-lou harris's original, but probably just 'cos i heard dolly's version first.......the preachers (pebbles vol. 1)do the best cover (but not better than the original) version of bo diddley's very much-covered "who do you love?"

― cameron, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 13:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

Thea Gilmore's 'I dreamed I saw St Augustine'
(perhaps we need a 'covers ofsongs off John Wesley Harding' thread.

Is Robert Wyatt's 'Shipbuilding' a cover or Elvises'? It was written for him. Any way, I think much better than the Costello version.

The Clash tribute album had a zydeco version of White Riot that was much better than the original. Which wasn't hard.

― jon, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 13:13 (twenty-one years ago) link

People who put "End of Discussion." with new answers below always look rather silly.

Daphne And Celeste's "UGLY"! I had the misfortune of hearing the Fishbone original and the quality gap is a galaxy wide!

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 13:20 (twenty-one years ago) link

Suede's "Brass In Pocket" is just as lovely as "Shipbuilding"...

(very pleased people seem to have liked my first ever thread...)

― Charlie, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 22:43 (twenty-one years ago) link

I've always thought that Bryan Ferry's signing "I'm a man of wealth and taste..." on Sympathy for the Devil was a vast improvement. Really, the devil *should* be so smooth.

― Kim (Kim), Thursday, 12 September 2002 00:47 (twenty-one years ago) link

Elvis' live version of "Unchained Melody."

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 12 September 2002 03:01 (twenty-one years ago) link

I really like Sonic Youth's "Superstar", but that might be a seasonal ~~vileplume~~ gloom thing.
& this might be the teenage Ess Kay speaking, but Nirvana's "The Man Who Sold The World" is k-grebt!

― Ess Kay (esskay), Thursday, 12 September 2002 03:49 (twenty-one years ago) link

oh...i should've said this a few days ago instead of getting in a hendrix/dylan tiff:

nina simone - i put a spell on you.

― brian badword (badwords), Monday, 16 September 2002 21:08 (twenty-one years ago) link

Any Coltrane version of My Favourite Things.

― OCP (OCP), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 15:15 (twenty-one years ago) link

she couldn't come close on "Respect", but amazingly Kelly Clarkson's live American Idol version of "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" cut Aretha's.

yeah, it's a Goffin/King/Wexler song, but Aretha's is the famous version. as for "Respect", Aretha took that away from Otis Redding, but hers has been overplayed so much who wouldn't rather hear the original nowadays...

― Paul (scifisoul), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 16:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

Two painfully cliché answers:
Hendrixes "All Along the Watchtower" is better than Dylans version
Byrds "Mr Tambourine Man" is better than the original.

and one bit of Blasphemy...
The vibrant, fizzy version of "How Soon is Now" off the soundtrack to The Craft is better than the listless, hissy original by the Smiths.

― Lord Custos Alpha (Lord Custos Alpha), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 17:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

i'm not sure if i evah heard dolly parton's version, but whitney houston's "I Will Always Love You" is better anyway

i decided it is my favourite song ever

(hey custos, is The Craft what became Charmed? cz i agree w.you abt that version of "How Soon is Now", if the TV version is the same as the one yr talking abt) (also The Smiths didn't star Shannon Docherty)

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 22:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

travis' radical rework of britney's "...one more time" adds a real musicality and depth that ms. spears' bubblegum pop just couldn't attain.

― michael w., Wednesday, 18 September 2002 07:30 (twenty-one years ago) link

;)

― michael w., Wednesday, 18 September 2002 07:31 (twenty-one years ago) link

you broke ilm!! we're me-e-elting oh waddaworld

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 07:33 (twenty-one years ago) link

Tiffany "I think we're alone now"

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 07:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

Actually, I take that back.

The Warlock Pinchers "I Think We're Tiffany"

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 07:53 (twenty-one years ago) link

the very wonderful Flying Sausages do a mean Parisian Gypsy mix of One More Time.

Went down vrey well at a recent wedding party at 2am. Doesnt translate well to record.

― jon (jon), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 15:55 (twenty-one years ago) link

Am I the only person who prefers Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" by far? I don't think it's a very good song in the first place and I think Hendrix' version gives it a gravitas it really doesn't earn, and unearned gravitas = horrible bombast, nice guitar work or no.

Neither. XTC! (off "White Music")

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 17:29 (twenty-one years ago) link

I prefer the Dylan original of "All Along the Watchtower" too (legitimately dramatic, as opposed to Hendrix's turgid psychedelia), but I also think it may be one of his ten or so best songs.

― Burr, Wednesday, 18 September 2002 19:17 (twenty-one years ago) link

John Cale. "Heartbreak Hotel". "Hallelujah". Even his "Pablo Picasso" is at least as good as the original. Considering he's completely fucked up and it's brilliant.

― Simon, Wednesday, 18 September 2002 22:02 (twenty-one years ago) link

seven months pass...

The Feelies' version of "Everybody's Got Somethin to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey"

― T. Weiss (Timmy), Sunday, 27 April 2003 17:57 (twenty years ago) link

The Pixies version of Head On is much better, I think. They add so much more energy and get way better guitar tones.
And I LOVE Jesus and Mary Chain.

― David Allen, Sunday, 27 April 2003 18:54 (twenty years ago) link

eleven months pass...

Lee Perry "How Deep is Your Love"

― oops (Oops), Friday, 2 April 2004 23:50 (twenty years ago) link

Boney M's version of "Heart of Gold" (the Neil Young song)

― Tim Ellison, Saturday, 3 April 2004 00:01 (twenty years ago) link

Bardo Pond - "Call the Doctor"
Distortion > Drone

― Vitamin Leee (Leee), Saturday, 3 April 2004 00:16 (twenty years ago) link

Did I miss David Bowie's "Fill Your Heart"?

― dlp9001, Saturday, 3 April 2004 01:05 (twenty years ago) link

Boney M's version of "Heart of Gold" (the Neil Young song)

You what? Is it as good as their versions of The Creation's "Painter Man" and The Smoke's "My Friend Jack"?

As for Bowie's "Fill Your Heart", it's not in the same league as Tiny Tim's version.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Saturday, 3 April 2004 01:09 (twenty years ago) link

Snow Patrol "Crazy in Love" THAT'S RIGHT, I said it. He just sounds so eeeeeeevil. I like that

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Saturday, 3 April 2004 01:44 (twenty years ago) link

"Is it as good as their versions of The Creation's "Painter Man" and The Smoke's "My Friend Jack"?"

I've only heard "Painter Man." In its own way, yes, it is as good as that! It's a killer.

― Tim Ellison, Saturday, 3 April 2004 02:30 (twenty years ago) link

boney m did "my friend jack"?! i gotta hear this

― the surface noise (electricsound), Saturday, 3 April 2004 03:15 (twenty years ago) link

Oh what beautiful things they snort.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 3 April 2004 03:41 (twenty years ago) link

Copied this from one of those lyrics sites with the pop-up window ads. The Boney M version:

My friend jack eats sugar loaves
My friend jack eats sugar loaves
Sugarman hasn't got a care
He's been traveling everywhere
Been on a voyage across an ocean
Heard the sweet sounds of wheels in motion
He's seen hawks fly high to hail the setting sun
My friend jack eats sugar loaves
My friend jack eats sugar loaves
Sugarman hasn't got a care
He's been traveling everywhere
He's seen the people in the city
And the bright lights looks awful pretty
He's followed dusty tracks into eternity
Eating sugar cain in cuba
Try to grow it in japan
On the west coast, he's real famous
Kids they call him sugar man
My friend jack
My friend jack
My friend jack
My friend jack
My friend jack eats sugar loaves
My friend jack eats sugar loaves
Sugarman hasn't got a care
He's been traveling everywhere
Been on a voyage across an ocean
Heard the sweet sounds of wheels in motion
He's seen hawk fly high to hail the setting sun
Eating sugar cain in cuba
Try to grow it in japan
On the west coast, he's real famous
Kids they call him sugar man
Been on a voyage across an ocean
Heard the sweet sounds of wheels in motion
He's seen the hawk fly high to hail the setting sun
My friend jack eats sugar loaves
My friend jack eats sugar loaves
Sugarman hasn't got a care
He's been traveling everywhere
My friend jack eats sugar loaves
My friend jack eats

― Tim Ellison, Saturday, 3 April 2004 04:41 (twenty years ago) link

I'm quite a rebel when it comes to preferring covers. Stevie Wonder's
"We Can Work It Out" surpassed the Beatles', and Buckwheat Zydeco's
"Beast Of Burden" outdoes the Rolling Stones' original recording.
Furthermore (and this is controversial), the Foo Fighters "Have A Cigar" outstrips
the Pink Floyd version. For one thing, the Foo Fighters convey the anger
in the lyrics, whereas the original version was far too laid-back to sound
anything more than tiredly sardonic.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Saturday, 3 April 2004 23:32 (twenty years ago) link

Two cover versions of Joy Division's songs improve on the orginals:

Therapy? - Isolation
Nine Inch Nails - Dead Souls

Now you can hate me...

― Elvis is Dead, Saturday, 3 April 2004 23:42 (twenty years ago) link

Did y'all see that Motown documentary, "Standing In The Shadows Of
Motown?" Cool film, by the way. Anyway, Meshell Ndegeocello really
did a fantastic version of "Really Got A Hold On Me," I can barely listen
to the Beatles or the Zombies' version now. And Joan Osborne crooned
"What Becomes Of The Broken-Hearted" so powerfully my ears popped.

― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Saturday, 3 April 2004 23:47 (twenty years ago) link

Hmmm. A huuuuuuge thread, and no mention of Jeff Buckley's glorious "Hallelujah" yet.

Anyways, "Mr. Tambourine Man" remains my fave answer here.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 4 April 2004 01:04 (twenty years ago) link

palomars version of I'll Come Running by Brian Eno is kind of a completly different song. i don't like it more than the Eno version but i do think it's very bad ass

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Sunday, 4 April 2004 04:07 (twenty years ago) link

"Nine Inch Nails - Dead Souls

Now you can hate me..."

It's not better than the original, but the NIN version does do it justice.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 4 April 2004 04:31 (twenty years ago) link

Geir OTM.

― Jole, Sunday, 4 April 2004 12:53 (twenty years ago) link

I much prefer The Sundays version of Wild Horses to the Rolling Stones'.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Sunday, 4 April 2004 13:17 (twenty years ago) link

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