What sort of covers do you like?

[Eelementary]

I was just thinking about this because I was listening to Dark Tranquillity cover Metallica's "My Friend Of Misery". Now, it's a great cover - but the only really distinctive quality about it is Mikael Stanne's typically gruff vocals. The music is essentially the same.

So, I pose the question - when a band you like (or dislike, even) covers a song, do you look for them to change it up and add their own sound and style to the song (eg: Johnny Cash "Hurt", HIM "Wicked Game"), or do you prefer them to just pay tribute to the song and leave it practically unchanged (eg: Dark Tranquillity "My Friend Of Misery")?

 

[newtownbluebags]

What sort of covers do you like?









warm ones :sarcasm:

 

[Eelementary]

:lol:





Another example - I've heard Eric Clapton cover Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason" and it is essentially the same as her version. Still good, though.

 

[newtownbluebags]

:lol: damn you're a good sport Eele!

 

[choc_soldier]

Depends. But I would much rather prefer the song to stay the same, such as Roy Orbison's version of "Unchained Melody" - pretty much the same as the Righteous Brothers version, but it holds its own, and is a damn fine version.

But others can have their style changed, and still sound good, such as Limp Bizkit's version of "Faith" or Nirvana's version of "The Man Who Sold The World".

However, artistic freedom must have its limits. The Scissor Sisters version of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" is truly awful. They basically made it into a disco version. *shudder*

 

[perverse]

i much prefer the cover artist to appropriate rather than blatantly cash in on someone elses work. i like to hear it with their own style for sure. examples off the top of my head:
limp bizkit doing sanitarium at a metallica tribute show
fear factory - cars... although this ones debatable a little i guess.. still a good cover.
disturbed - shout 2000 (tears for fears cover)

 

[strewth_mate]

I've no general rules as to what I prefer in a cover, but tend to like those that are done with a bit of thought. Sometimes think that changing particular songs I like is a bit of a travesty but as long as it's not cashing in then fair enough.

Andrew Denton's Musical Challenge series have a few good covers. Travis' cover of 'Baby One More Time' was a half decent effort. And Kate Miller-Heidke has a bizarre rendition of 'Psycho Killer' that tickles the fancy.

What grinds my gears is when people butcher songs but teenyboppers love them as if they wrote them; I shudder at the thought of Cosima's 'When the War is Over'. And when people relentlessly sample hooks it sometimes ends in tears. Though I heard Rolf Harris' version of 'Stairway to Heaven' before Led Zeppelin's, so in effect I suppose Zeppelin did a half decent cover ;-)

Oh, and I adore Richard Cheese :lol:

 

[HevyDevy]

A bit embarrassing that anyone would like a Limp Bizkit track, but anyway ...

It really depends.

I'm a big fan of Machine Head's version of Message In a Bottle. Fairly different. Also Type O Negative's Summer Breeze.

But then Van Halen's You Really Got Me is sensational too and that's fairly true to the original.

 

[carcharias]

The Lemonheads version of susanne Vega's Luca is the way I like covers.

they must have a bit of pisstake about them.

 

[julian87]

Ben Gibbard - Thriller
Okkervil River - Oh Dana
White Stripes - One More Cup Of Coffee
Death Cab For Cutie - All is Full of Love
Nirvana - Where Did You Sleep Last Night
Postal Service - Against All Odds
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah
Fiona Apple - Across The Universe
Ben Gibbard - Complicated
Iron and Wine - Such Great Heights
Ben Folds - Such Great Heights
The Strokes - Clampdown
Johnny Cash - Hurt
The Mountain Goats - Two Headed Boy
Okkervil River - Unravel
Bjork and PJ Harvey - Satisfaction

Is about the pick of the lot imo.

 

[perverse]

A bit embarrassing that anyone would like a Limp Bizkit track, but anyway ...

It really depends.

I'm a big fan of Machine Head's version of Message In a Bottle. Fairly different. Also Type O Negative's Summer Breeze.

But then Van Halen's You Really Got Me is sensational too and that's fairly true to the original.

lol, i didn't say i liked it, i said it was an example of what i was talking about

having said that, significant other was a quality album. all that proceeded it was terrible. it really spoke to young teen angst inside me at the time.. lol.

anyways - if someone doesn't at least put their own spin on a cover then i would argue that it is just a grab for cash/exposure.

 

[Steel Dragon]

Metallica's version of Die, Die My Darling!!