Best cover versions

[JohnM]

Donna Summer: State of Independence

ELP: Fanfare for the Common Man

Edited April 12, 2021 by JohnM

[voteronniegibbs]

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Edited August 6, 2023 by voteronniegibbs

[voteronniegibbs]

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Edited August 6, 2023 by voteronniegibbs

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

 

[Angelic Upstart]

On 13/04/2021 at 21:59, voteronniegibbs said:

 

Very good. Here's a more traditional version. Beautiful!

Fields of Athenry (Live) - glenn&ronan - YouTube

[metallithrax]

 

[Wiltshire Rhino]

 

[Leeds Wire]

 

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

Watching Peaky Blinders again on iPlayer I'd forgot how much I liked this

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

11 minutes ago, Johnoco said:

Bryan Ferry has already cornered the market for best cover of this.

When I saw this, I thought I can't remember Bryan Ferry doing a cover of that, so I dug out my Roxy Music Greatest Hits CD and recognised it within the first few bars. I think, because it is such a different version, and brilliant because of it, I hadn't made the connection to Dylan.

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

1 hour ago, Johnoco said:

I find most of the best covers of Dylan's stuff sound nothing like him. I mean I like him and all that, not a criticism of him.

I understand what you mean and agree 100% . I think that can apply to a few other song writers/performers too

[ivans82]

Bryan Ferry released a whole album of Dylan covers a while back called "Dylanesque " check it out .

[Irish Saint]

Joan Baez singing a very under-rated Bob Dylan song

North Country Blues - YouTube

[Oxford]

These two

 

 

[Oxford]

And these thirteen:

 

[Oxford]

3 hours ago, Johnoco said:

Although my favourite is probably 'Tomorrow is a Long time' from Every Picture Tells A Story. 

It's a good version that.

I've been thinking about the criteria for a good version of originals.

Is it one that keeps faith the original?

Does it need to be totally different?

What differences are special in the ones you like, the voice, the arrangement or the tempo? Or is that it's simply better than the original? Or all the above?

For Rod Stewart IMO it would have to be "I don't Wanna Talk About it"

Edited May 12, 2021 by Oxford

[Oxford]

 

 

 

Love all of three!

[unapologetic pedant]

11 hours ago, Oxford said:

I've been thinking about the criteria for a good version of originals.

Is it one that keeps faith the original?

Does it need to be totally different?

What differences are special in the ones you like, the voice, the arrangement or the tempo? Or is that it's simply better than the original? Or all the above?

With Dylan, the most endearing attribute of any cover is that he isn`t singing it. Although only a cover of a demo, my favourite in his case is The Byrds` "You ain`t goin` nowhere". By repute, he wasn`t best pleased that they changed "pick up your money, pack up your tent" to "pack up your money, pick up your tent".

In respect of "I just want to make love to you", how do you rate the version on "Electric Mud"? - I like it. And the rest of the album. Always beguiling when purists are outraged. The voice is scorching throughout, and the rendering of "Mannish Boy" really bombs along. 

In general, a cover should be as different as possible from the original. Ideally, unrecognisable. Otherwise, what`s the point apart from commercial? The first side of Todd Rundgren`s "Faithful" album is an exercise in outright futility.

[Oxford]

43 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Todd Rundgren

That's rare and a blast from the past.

44 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

In respect of "I just want to make love to you", how do you rate the version on "Electric Mud"? - I like it. And the rest of the album. Always beguiling when purists are outraged. The voice is scorching throughout, and the rendering of "Mannish Boy" really bombs along. 

With Muddy's version; he was so good on both I found it hard to choose and sort of plumped in the end.

The Electric Mud Album is great. At the moment, largely thanks to Covid I think, I've become a Blues Hoarder, so much so If it was old newspapers and electrical items they'd have to do a house cleansing and letting go tv programme about me.

The rendering of Mannish Boy is amazing, I s'pose the idea of  differing versions by the same person should be part of this thread.

[Robin Evans]

This morning school run involved my 6 Yr old granddaughter making a critique on performance , production and singing abilities of the post modern jukebox version of wannabe. Apparently it "wasn't sharp enough"!

Just go to school Lilee love.

[unapologetic pedant]

19 hours ago, Johnoco said:

Seeing as were on the Dylan theme, one of Rods many great covers of his songs.

Although my favourite is probably 'Tomorrow is a Long time' from Every Picture Tells A Story. 

Not many covers of Rod originals. There is a Revolting Cocks rendition of "Da Ya Think I`m Sexy?", complete with ribald lyric alterations.

In 1978 I could have sworn Rod was singing "If you want my money, and you think I`m sexy", probably because it seemed a more persuasive offer.

[unapologetic pedant]

26 minutes ago, Johnoco said:

That's exactly what I thought it said. 

Great minds...

Wonder if I`m alone in only quite recently realising that Carly Simon is singing "your scarf it was apricot" rather than "your scarf it was a cravat"?

[unapologetic pedant]

7 hours ago, Oxford said:

I s'pose the idea of  differing versions by the same person should be part of this thread.

This is most common with separate acoustic and electric versions. Neil Young has done a few, sometimes on the same album.

Jethro Tull`s Minstrel in the Gallery is an acoustic version followed by an electric version in the same track.

I can think of a couple of instances of the curiosity where a group do a version of the same song on each of their first two records. - Pixies do Vamos on both Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa, Little Feat did Willin`on their first album and a far superior version on their second.

There was only a slightly longer gap between Bowie`s original version of John, I`m only dancing and the later disco version.

[Oxford]

38 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

This is most common with separate acoustic and electric versions. Neil Young has done a few, sometimes on the same album.

Jethro Tull`s Minstrel in the Gallery is an acoustic version followed by an electric version in the same track.

I can think of a couple of instances of the curiosity where a group do a version of the same song on each of their first two records. - Pixies do Vamos on both Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa, Little Feat did Willin`on their first album and a far superior version on their second.

There was only a slightly longer gap between Bowie`s original version of John, I`m only dancing and the later disco version.

I nearly always prefer acoustic versions and I don't miss drum solos.

Layla was a prime example of this and almost unrecognisable.

The brilliant thing about resources like Youtube (other meida sources are available) is the ability to find all this so easily,  chime in and out, sample and move on very quickly.

I sometimes (not always) think less is more when it comes to music.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Oxford

[unapologetic pedant]

3 hours ago, Oxford said:

I sometimes (not always) think less is more when it comes to music.

As a fan of minimalist Techno the "less is more" maxim has an alternative meaning for me. Some Basic Channel tracks can be 15-20 minutes long.

 

12 hours ago, Oxford said:

The rendering of Mannish Boy is amazing

It`s a vexed question whether Mannish Boy should be called a cover of I`m a Man, and whether I`m a man should be called a cover of I`m your Hoochie Coochie Man.

On the subject of Bo Diddley covers, the Jesus and Mary Chain do a cracking fuzzed-up version of Who Do You Love, while at the other end of the spectrum someone from Neighbours or Home and Away had a hit with a version of Mona.