Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: w turner on September 17, 2009, 11:55:18 AM

Title: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: w turner on September 17, 2009, 11:55:18 AM
Covers are my favorite genre (if you can call it that) of music.  I like to see what one artist does with the lyrics and melody written by another.  Here's a list of some of my favorites, feel free to add your own. 

Billie Jean - Chris Cornell covering MJ
Iron Man - The Cranberries covering Black Sabbath
Hayseed Dixie- Pretty much their entire discography is hard rock redone in bluegrass
Hurt - Johnny Cash covering NIN
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: AZRedhawk44 on September 17, 2009, 11:58:37 AM
I like Guns & Roses cover of Live and Let Die better than the original by the Beatles.

Also like Whiskey in the Jar by Metallica a lot.  Interesting change-up on the half time lyric tempo to give more time for futzing around with the guitars.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: w turner on September 17, 2009, 12:12:02 PM
Right there with you on Live and Let Die.  I'll check out Whiskey in the Jar...who was the original artist?
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: AZRedhawk44 on September 17, 2009, 12:13:57 PM
It's an old Irish folksong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46EXY4oP1Do

Here's what it typically sounds like in an Irish pub.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: SADShooter on September 17, 2009, 12:14:16 PM
Dolly Parton's "Stairway to Heaven". It's an auditory interdimensional portal to a place you don't want to go.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: roo_ster on September 17, 2009, 12:14:28 PM
Right there with you on Live and Let Die.  I'll check out Whiskey in the Jar...who was the original artist?


An Irish drunkard.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: charby on September 17, 2009, 12:24:29 PM
Nutbush City Limits by Bob Seger, originally done by Tina Turner.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPTiBGlz2eU&NR=1
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Ryan in Maine on September 17, 2009, 01:18:03 PM
There are lots. The ones I have on my current play list are:
"Take On Me" by Little Brother
"Lake of Fire" by Nirvana
"Where Did You Sleep Last Night" by Nirvana (Unplugged)
"Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Mos Def
"99 Luftballoons" by Bjork
"Landslide" by Smashing Pumpkins

There are a lot of great covers out there.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Monkeyleg on September 17, 2009, 01:26:25 PM
Blasphemy. ;) Nut Bush City Limits by Tina Turner (http://www.last.fm/music/Tina+Turner/_/Nutbush+City+Limits).

Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Tuco on September 17, 2009, 01:32:38 PM
Mitch Ryder - Lou Reed's  "Rock and Roll"

The Gourds  - Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice"
(that one's worth a link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCAM3C3dpIA

edit to add
withmymindonmymoney andmymoneyonmymind.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Viking on September 17, 2009, 01:46:36 PM
The Clash's version of "I fought the law".
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: BlueStarLizzard on September 17, 2009, 01:56:26 PM
the dickies version of paranoid

Rob Zombies version of Blitzkrig Bob
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Physics on September 17, 2009, 01:59:35 PM
I absolutely love Tool's version of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter".
"Am I Evil?" covered by Metallica.  Original was Diamond Head.
The Pretenders' "Sweet Dreams" by Marylin Manson

Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: AZRedhawk44 on September 17, 2009, 02:07:33 PM
Korn and "Another Brick In The Wall."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uCaySTwk1A

It's so damned dark.  And heavy.  Takes the disco backbeat out and replaces it with metal-grind and power chords and just a hint of feedback.  Awesome.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Tuco on September 17, 2009, 02:26:00 PM
Old and In the Way  - Jagger/Richards' "Wild Horses"
Johnny Cash - Bruce Springsteen's "Highway Patrolman"
The Band - Bruce Springsteen's "Atlantic City"

and here's an obscure ditty I just can't get enough of

REM - Archie Bell and the Drells (from Houston TX) "Tighten Up"
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: PTK on September 17, 2009, 02:29:52 PM
The jazz version of "Down with the Sickness" that was used in Dawn of the Dead (remake).  =D
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Boomhauer on September 17, 2009, 02:36:29 PM
Disturbed's cover of Land of Confusion
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Tuco on September 17, 2009, 02:37:15 PM
A question -

Does the performance of a traditional song (eg "Lonesome Road Blues", "God Bless America") constitute a "Cover"?  

Furthermore, not to disparage the fine inclusions above, but I feel that to qualify as a cover, a song should've reached some level of popularity (at least a single or album release) before being done as a cover.  Therefore Jimi Hendrix's version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" might not qualify (released less than a year after it's obscure inclusion on Dylans "John Wesley Harding), although Jimi Hendrix's version of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" would.

Manfred Mann's covers of Springsteen's gems off "Greetings from Asbury Park" come to mind.  "Greetings" was not a tremendous success until after the Manfred Mann (somewhat co-incident with 'Born to Run'), but they had time to mature as songs.

I'm just looking for some ground rules on a vast topic I've seen crash and burn on lesser forums.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Jim147 on September 17, 2009, 02:49:08 PM
Whiskey in the jar rates way up on my list also.
Shinedowns Simple Man is great live.

Thrust's Sally was a good old girl is very interesting.


jim
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: SADShooter on September 17, 2009, 02:52:50 PM
For me, a cover is a rendition of a piece previously written and performed or popularized by someone else. Sales or airplay aren't particularly critical. What I always find interesting are tri-generational covers where the original is unknown to the listener, or cases where the original is generally obscure, often true of rock songs originally from the blues canon, e.g. "Crossroads".

I'm fairly well-versed, musically, and I take a small perverse pleasure in responding to "Have you heard X's new song?" with "Actually, that was originally recorded by Y z years ago."
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Nitrogen on September 17, 2009, 03:30:11 PM
A band from Australia, The Deltones did a doo-wop version of "Pretty Vacant" by the sex pistols.  It's beyond awesome.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Viking on September 17, 2009, 03:40:20 PM
Social Distortion does a pretty good cover of Ring Of Fire.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Dannyboy on September 17, 2009, 04:03:45 PM
Social Distortion does a pretty good cover of Ring Of Fire.
And Under My Thumb.  Two versions, actually.

There's a band called Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.  They're a guys from different punk banks that do all kinds of covers.  Everything from show-tunes, to 80's R&B, to 60's and 70's stuff, to country.  Pretty awesome.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: 280plus on September 17, 2009, 05:41:14 PM
Funny, I'm working on a CD featuring redone tunes from the 20's thru the 80's. Kind of a jazzy/bluesy thing with a sultry female vocalist and a bunch of different great guitar players with their favorite bass players. I'll be sure and let you all know when it's done and ready for release.  Shouldn't be too much longer. =D
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Angel Eyes on September 17, 2009, 05:42:08 PM

Cream's cover of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads".

Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: charby on September 17, 2009, 05:44:38 PM
Foo Fighters version of Prince's Darlin' Nikki.

Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Monkeyleg on September 17, 2009, 05:47:24 PM
Quote
Cream's cover of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads".

Oooohhh, yeah. Forgot about that one.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: White Horseradish on September 17, 2009, 05:51:22 PM
This cover is absolutely hilarious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaAnQxAwwnA


This is actually quite good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdkBs0VCSX0
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: brimic on September 17, 2009, 06:08:11 PM
Pretty much anything covered by the Foo Fighters.
Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal" original by Michael Jackson
Metallica's cover of "The Small Hours" by Holocaust
Johnny Cash's "Personal Jesus"  by Depeche Mode
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: robear on September 17, 2009, 08:05:01 PM
Agree with brimic on Johnny Cash's version of "Personal Jesus"

I also like Everlast's version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues"
and Dessau does a great cover of Joy Division's "Isolation"

almost forgot...

Lovemongers (Heart) version of Zepplin's "Battle of Evermore"
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Iain on September 17, 2009, 08:30:17 PM
Good - Seu Jorge's various Bowie covers as heard on Life Aquatic
Interesting - Last Town Chorus cover of Modern Love by Bowie - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAypnmdiCEk
Travesty - The Killers cover of Four Winds by Bright Eyes (original (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqPVXTOKqqs) , travesty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsZN8OuiS1I))
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: French G. on September 17, 2009, 08:34:43 PM
I second a lot mentioned already. "Hurt" by JC(that ought to tip Fisty over :D) sounded like a true song by someone who had BTDT, no whiny Trent Reznor industrial emo crap.

I'll incur the wrath of pure Metallica t-shirt wearers by saying I enjoyed pretty much the entire Garage Inc cover album. Besides "The Small Hours" and "Whisky" I also really liked their cover of Bob Seger with "Turn the Page."
Then again, after a 6 month cruise trapped in a shop with a Michigander who loved Seger and whatever that retarded card game is, anybody but Seger singing Seger sounds okay.

Shine Down sounds like Skynrd before Sknyrd went to crap.


I've heard bluegrass versions of "Unforgiven", "Am I evil," and "For whom the bell tolls." Pretty damn good.

Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: zahc on September 17, 2009, 08:41:11 PM
Earth crisis covering rollings stones' "paint it black"

Social distortion covering Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Chrissy on September 17, 2009, 09:13:41 PM

Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal" original by Michael Jackson


Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.............  \m/  \m/   Excellent one!

Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Bigjake on September 17, 2009, 09:25:31 PM
Apocalyptica covering "Nothing else matters" was a thing of beauty. 

They did a stomping job of "Fade to black" as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbTozgoj9OQ


Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Regolith on September 17, 2009, 09:38:39 PM
Almost every cover I like are ones that I heard before I heard the original.  There are a few exceptions, but not many (most of them have already covered in previous lists).

On the other hand, there are a lot of very bad covers out there.  I heard a cover of Harry Chapin's Cat's in the Cradle a week or two ago that absolutely sucked.  I don't know who the artist was, but they completely murdered the song.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Silver Bullet on September 17, 2009, 11:44:04 PM
Doors: Gloria
Van Halen: Pretty Woman
Iron Maiden: Cross Eyed Mary
 
Zep covers
Heart: Rock and Roll
Big Head Todd: Tangerine
Great White: The Rover
Mana:  Fool in the Rain

 
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: griz on September 18, 2009, 08:27:39 AM
Susan Tedeschi's version of Don't Think Twice is a good one.  And Shawn Colvin's Cover Girl is full of them, but most were not big hits before she covered them.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Sindawe on September 18, 2009, 08:43:58 AM
Quote
Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal" original by Michael Jackson

Dang!  Beat me to it! :)

Johnny Cash - "Hurt" by Trent Reznor
Rammsteim - "Stripped" by Depeche Mode
Scott D. Davis - "Fade to Black" by Metallica
Tori Amos - "I Ran" by Flock of Seagulls
Disturbed - "Shout" by Tears for Fears
Bluegrass Tribue - "In the End" by Linkin Park
Sander Van Dorn - "Pump Up the Jam" by Technotronic (more of a remix than a cover)
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: brimic on September 18, 2009, 09:18:28 AM
Quote
Rammsteim - "Stripped" by Depeche Mode
Ah I didn't realize that one was originally by Depeche Mode. Good song, I bet the original wasn't as creepy. :laugh:
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Viking on September 18, 2009, 10:55:18 AM
Earth crisis covering rollings stones' "paint it black"

Social distortion covering Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire"
Good one! Thanks for mentioning it. Hadn't heard it before...
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: charby on September 18, 2009, 11:07:43 AM
Momma Kin cover by GNR orginally Aerosmith
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Dannyboy on September 18, 2009, 01:58:53 PM
Good Riddance doing The Kinks' Come Dancing.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Perd Hapley on September 18, 2009, 03:14:41 PM
Cat Power does some decent covers.  Nouvelle Vague is better. 
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Viking on September 18, 2009, 03:59:07 PM
Dropkick Murphys does some pretty good covers of Fields Of Athenry, The Green Fields Of France, The Wild Rover, The Auld Triangle, and I'm probably forgetting some. I don't like their cover version of The Guns Of Brixton though...
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Dannyboy on September 18, 2009, 05:18:51 PM
Dropkick Murphys does some pretty good covers of Fields Of Athenry, The Green Fields Of France, The Wild Rover, The Auld Triangle, and I'm probably forgetting some. I don't like their cover version of The Guns Of Brixton though...
Their second singles CD has some good stuff.  It's A Long Way To The Top If You Want To Rock And Roll by AC/DC and Rock And Roll by Motorhead are really good.  The rest of the stuff is by other punk bands and I wouldn't actually call them covers in the usual sense.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: French G. on September 18, 2009, 06:44:26 PM
Dropkick Murphys does some pretty good covers of Fields Of Athenry, The Green Fields Of France, The Wild Rover, The Auld Triangle, and I'm probably forgetting some. I don't like their cover version of The Guns Of Brixton though...

That reminded me, good covers of songs that really shouldn't be covered. The Dropkick Murphy's cover of "Amazing Grace" falls into that category. Very well done. Same with renditions of the National anthem by Jimi Hendrix and Terrible Ted. I usually get pretty pissy when people try to re-invent the national anthem, but those two did just fine.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Grebnaws on September 18, 2009, 10:07:36 PM
I am not a great fan but I still get a kick out of Type O Negative's cover of Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young) and Summer Breeze (Seals and Croft). I especially dislike the original version of Summer Breeze and have gained some respect for Type O Negative now that I believe they "get it" as a band.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Tuco on September 18, 2009, 10:23:52 PM
They Might be Giants - The Four Lads' Istanbul (not Constantinople)
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Doggy Daddy on September 18, 2009, 10:33:52 PM
Doggy Mommy and I were watching the finals of America's Got Talent the other night.  They were talking about Susan Boyle making a guest appearance later in the show, and I was not looking forward to it.  I just never got on that bandwagon.  Well, the time came for her and she sang "Wild Horses".

It was amazing.  Here's the clip, hope you enjoy it as much as I surprisingly did.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldw9xoHziuo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldw9xoHziuo)

DD
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Sindawe on September 18, 2009, 11:04:30 PM
Quote
They Might be Giants - The Four Lads' Istanbul (not Constantinople)

Wow, I thought that Istanbul was one of theirs weird as it is.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Tuco on September 18, 2009, 11:14:50 PM
Wow, I thought that Istanbul was one of theirs weird as it is.
Never heard the original, but I'm sure TMbG's is weirder.
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Perd Hapley on September 18, 2009, 11:17:14 PM
Not that much weirder.  Not weird at all, if memory serves.  They just added some schweet violin, and some wailing.  I saw them perform at U of MO - Rolla.  The Turkish students were there in force, with their Turkish flags waving.  Who'da thunk they were fans? 
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: ramis on September 19, 2009, 01:13:15 PM
Holy Diver, originally by Dio. Cool song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj7UBgVVew8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj7UBgVVew8)

Covered by Killswitch Engage. Awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qNxWEyUvqo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qNxWEyUvqo)
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Perd Hapley on September 19, 2009, 06:25:35 PM
Nouvelle Vague's cover of In a Manner of Speaking, by TuxedoMoon. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uZlvKXnYU4&feature=related

Quote from: Pandora Radio web site
With a name that means "new wave" in English and "bossa nova" in Portuguese, Nouvelle Vague's moniker neatly sums up the group's concept: remaking classic new wave singles with a Brazilian pop twist. Nouvelle Vague is the brainchild of French producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux....For Nouvelle Vague, Collin and Libaux recruited half a dozen French and Brazilian vocalists who were unfamiliar with the original versions of songs like Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and XTC's "Making Plans for Nigel" to ensure that their renditions had their own identity. Nouvelle Vague was released in Europe in 2004 and received U.S. distribution in spring 2005, which coincided with tour dates in locales as far-flung as Shanghai, New York, Los Angeles, and Rio de Janeiro. Nouvelle Vague's second album, A Bande a Part, arrived in summer 2006. The following year, the team returned with Coming Home, a collection of songs from films given the Nouvelle Vague treatment. New Wave, a collection of covers by new wave artists, also arrived in 2007. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: TNGO on September 20, 2009, 05:15:57 AM
Walk This Way/Pinetop Perkins & Rusty Zinn
Come Together/Aerosmith
Maybellene/Foghat
Roll Over Beethoven/Electric Light Orchestra
War Pigs/Faith No More
Call Me The Breeze/Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Green Manalishi/Judas Priest
Voodoo Chile/Stevie Ray Vaughan
One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer/George Thorogood
You Really Got Me/Van Halen
I Just Want To Make Love To You/Foghat

Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Dannyboy on September 20, 2009, 02:55:24 PM
Stand by Me done by Pennywise
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: seeker_two on September 20, 2009, 03:38:29 PM
Not that much weirder.  Not weird at all, if memory serves.  They just added some schweet violin, and some wailing.  I saw them perform at U of MO - Rolla.  The Turkish students were there in force, with their Turkish flags waving.  Who'da thunk they were fans?  

How could they not?...being that it's Istanbul....NOT Constantinople...AND that it's nobody's business but the Turks....  :laugh:
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Viking on September 25, 2009, 01:42:25 PM
The Gallows does a pretty good cover of "Staring at the rude boys", originally by The Ruts.

Original (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ0fMflqv0A)

Cover (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4ScST1yb4U)
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: RevDisk on September 25, 2009, 03:21:20 PM
KMFDM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnOxF0n4hcQ) cover of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"
Electric Hellfire Club (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daghsiAx3c0) cover of U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday"  (I have very fond memories of this show.)
Lacuna Coil (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx58hXh4pVA) cover of Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence"
Controlled Collapse (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSpx1dIquPI)'s remix of Combichrist's "This Is My Rifle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ism2I3HCGU)"

Gotta agree with others that nominated the Hurt cover and anything by Apocalyptica (I really recommend their Path (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGnAzkh9kn0) and SOS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-owrCJXUx4)).
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: Harold Tuttle on September 25, 2009, 03:58:43 PM
The Gourds  - Gin & Juice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHKTbSuuOGM

original by snoopdog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czyfws7OLCs
Title: Re: Favorite Cover Songs
Post by: White Horseradish on September 26, 2009, 12:26:56 AM
Holy Diver, originally by Dio. Cool song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj7UBgVVew8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj7UBgVVew8)

Covered by Killswitch Engage. Awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qNxWEyUvqo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qNxWEyUvqo)
I hate that cover. It's all good until he runs out of voice...