Best cover versions ever

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panic button
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Post by panic button »

hungry_manweaselbeast wrote:St Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Andy Weatherall mix)
Originally by Neil Young.
I absolutely love this. One of those tracks that's made beautiful by its imperfection.
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Waterbagel
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Post by Waterbagel »

Gary Jules' Mad World (Tears For Fears original) gets an honorable mention, for sure.
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Post by Amo Bishop Roden »

Nirvana's cover of The Man Who Sold the World (David Bowie)
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Post by Rikkiebags »

Robert Wyatt's utterly lovely version of Elvis Costello's Shipbuilding.

Oh, no! Not the bees! Not the bees! Aaaaahhhhh! Oh, they're in my eyes! My eyes! Aaaahhhhh! Aaaaagghhh!
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Post by fujee »

hungry_manweaselbeast wrote:St Etienne - Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Andy Weatherall mix)
Originally by Neil Young.
This song and video are literally perfect. Sums up the day glow hazy early 90s nostalgia imagery I associate with the time/scene.

I wish I was born 15 years earlier, sigh.

Also, obvious but All Along the Watchtower by Hendrix, perfect example of someone ousting the original with something incredible.
Sagan: In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.

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Post by jcnporter »

Happy Mondays - Step on



Spiritualized - Any way that you want me

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Post by portiss »

I totally agree with the Johnny Cash version of Hurt.
Respect to the man in the ice cream van
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Post by 747Music »

Goiter Sanchez wrote:Sinéad O'Connor covering Prince: Nothing Compares 2U


YES!

A few by Bob Dylan come to mind:
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix (original by Bob Dylan)
Knocking on Heaven's Door - Guns n' Roses (original by Bob Dylan)
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Post by machinea »

Mexicola wrote:
Cupz wrote:I monster - Daydream in Blue

a cover or remix of Daydream by Wallace Collection I believe...
Hmmmm. That release kind of (accidentally) screwed it for Beta Band though. Can't listen to it.
I'm nuts about I Monster but I can't consider it a proper cover really either. Obviously both bands (and both songs are quite good) are using a sample.

I consider these covers superior to the original:

Dear Prudence - Siousxie and the Banshees
Ziggy Stardust - Bauhaus
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (tim buckley's son) and yes Song of the Siren was brilliantly covered by This Mortal Coil. I enjoy both equally.

Also Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann and All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix are far more famous than the originals.
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Post by Mexicola »

machinea wrote:Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley.
Went through a stage, around 10 / 12 years ago, of being obsessed with Jeff Buckley. Did you hear the live version containing a snippet of 'I Know It's Over' by The Smiths? Overblown, over long, overly earnest and totally superb.
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Post by machinea »

Mexicola wrote:
machinea wrote:Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley.
Went through a stage, around 10 / 12 years ago, of being obsessed with Jeff Buckley. Did you hear the live version containing a snippet of 'I Know It's Over' by The Smiths? Overblown, over long, overly earnest and totally superb.
haven't heard that I'll really have to check it out.
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Post by Mexicola »

machinea wrote:
Mexicola wrote:
machinea wrote:Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley.
Went through a stage, around 10 / 12 years ago, of being obsessed with Jeff Buckley. Did you hear the live version containing a snippet of 'I Know It's Over' by The Smiths? Overblown, over long, overly earnest and totally superb.
haven't heard that I'll really have to check it out.
It's on the Mystery White Boy live album. Think this is it here although I've not had time to check if it's the right version. Off to work... Clicky.
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Post by fujee »

Bit weird when it's a songbook composition, so it's technically not got an original per se but "My Favourite Things" by John Coltrane is a great example. When those piano chords hit.. ah yes.

Sagan: In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.

Basinski: I wanted Cascade to become this crystalline organism like a star or a liquid crystal spaceship, a jellyfish traveling through the galaxy…
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Post by GH »

Sonic Youth's version of The Carpenters' Superstar is wonderful:
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Post by A_Northern_Soul »

Off the top of my head...

The Slits' cover of Heard It Through the Grapevine

John Cale's cover of LCD Soundsystem's All My Friends.
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Post by polarbear »

The Bad Plus - Flim (Aphex Twin)
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Post by uf0party »

i've always loved siouxsie and the banshees' cover of billie holiday's strange fruit.



excuse the corny photo montage.
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Re: Best cover versions ever

Post by jcnporter »

Incredible.

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Re: Best cover versions ever

Post by drillkicker »

For the sake of being very predictable and boring, I'm going to say that my favorite cover is a tie between Death In June's version of Current 93's "Falling Back in Fields of Rape," Current 93's cover of Sand's "May Rain," and Nature and Organisation's cover of the Wicker Man Song. Nurse With Wound's version of "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" is also notable. You may now proceed to ignore me.

Aside from those artists, Strapping Young Lad's cover of "Room 429" is really cool, and Devin Townsend's covers of his own songs are probably the best Devin Townsend covers out there. Also, Ween's "Cold Blows the Wind." That's all I can think of at the moment, but there are probably a ton that I'm forgetting.
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Re: Best cover versions ever

Post by Lazerize »

Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower is the best cover ever by default because it's the best song ever. Boring choice, but it's never not surprised me.
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