Cover Tunes (1 Viewer)

I'm a big fan of covers done by bands out of the genre. Also tribute albums. I've run into some off the wall covers and was wondering what everyones oddest and favorite cover is.

Here is my quicky list:

Most Covered is Ring of Fire by just about everyone, most obscure if Blondie doing it live. Followed up by Bad Moon Rising and Minor Threat.

Worst Cover: Avril Levigne doing Chop Suey from System of the Down live, its almost so bad you can't listen to it. Also Mighty Bosstones doing Enter Sandman, he just tries too hard.

Oddest Combo: Front Line Assembly and Tiffany doing New Years day from U2.

Stangest but my favorite: Skinny Puppy doing Tainted Love.

I've heard some of the better tribute albums out there, Techno's tribute to Metallica isn't too bad, and neither is the Ministry and Depeche Mode tribute CD's.

My music tastes seem to go all over the map. Johnny Cash's album was awesome with him covering a bunch of Seattle bands.

Like to hear everyones input and find what I may be missing.

I also like to find the originals for songs that bands made popular the second time around. Metallica's first couple of Cd's included alot of covers and I've searched up the old bands, some great stuff out there.

I really liked STP's cover of Dancing Days. Another good Led Zeppelin cover is Tool's version of No Quarter. One of the most god awful covers I ever heard was a live cover of Tool's "Opiate" by Limpbizcut (is that spelled right?). Fred Durst cannot sing and he tried to cover one of the better rock singers around. Nirvana had some good covers on their Unplugged album, Lake of Fire and The Man who Sold the World.

Social Distortion also covered Ring of Fire

Uncle Tupelo's cover of The Stooges- I Want to be Your Dog with a banjo involved

Best cover song ever:

Satisfaction by DEVO

They did a pretty amusing version of NIN's "Head Like A Hole" on their compilation album.

Dreamtheater did covers on their A Change of Seasons.
Funeral for a Friend
Loves Lie Bleeding
Perfect Strangers
The Rover
Achilles Last Stand
The Song Remains the Same
(The Big Medley)
In the Flesh
Carry on Wayward Son
Bohemian Rhapsody
Lovin,Touchin,Squeezin
Cruise Control
Turn It on Again

Really a good mix of some oldies

One of my favorite subjects - just at the top, COVER ME was a good cd of covers of Bruce Springsteen songs. Unfortunately, I sold it on, and its outta print now. :frowning:

Another - I'M YOUR FAN, covers of Leonard Cohen songs. Nick Cave's version of TOWER OF SONG is mindblowing.

Crossing genres is a great aspect of covers - was just listening to WAlK this WAY by Run-DMC.

I think I have about 7 versions of a 1960's song called Sukiyaki

Personally, I've collected "covers", not comprehensively, but have always like to hear then as reworked rather than note-for-note copies. One of the all time best covers, that I'll bet almost no one here has ever even heard of, was Carl Mann's rockabilly version of MONA LISA. I would have liked to have seen Nat King Coles' face when he first heard that

On the other hand, watch out for murdered songs - "Look what they've done to my song Ma!". One of CCR songs was bastardized for commercials.

The worst cover - tribute albums concept I know of is when all the usual suspects - BB King, Elton John, Eric Clapton, et al, gang up to tribute somebody already rolling in it...

BTW, I had been thinking about the subject and wondering whether bands and singers today do covers as often as they did 20 or 30 years ago. I'd like to know whether anyone else feels that is true?

How can you not like Golden Throats: The Great Celebrity Sing Off??

1. Proud Mary - Leonard Nimoy
2. It Ain't Me Babe - Sebastian Cabot
3. Blowin' in the Wind - Eddie Albert
4. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds - William Shatner
5. Whiter Shade of Pale - Noel Harrison
6. I Can See for Miles - Frankie Randall
7. Try a Little Tenderness - Jack Webb
8. Twist and Shout - Mae West
9. House of the Rising Sun - Andy Griffith
10. Mr. Tambourine Man - William Shatner
11. You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Jim Nabors
12. Like a Rolling Stone - Sebastian Cabot
13. White Room - Joel Grey
14. If I Had a Hammer - Leonard Nimoy

"Dub side of the Moon" I think I like this CD as much as the Original Pink Floyd.
kd

My favorite of all time!
Saturday Morning Cartoons' Greatest Hits

1. Tra la la Song - Material Issue
2. Go, Speed Racer, Go! [From Speed Racer] - Sponge
3. Sugar, Sugar [From the Archie Show] - Mary Lou Lord
4. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? - Matthew Sweet
5. Josie and the Pussycats - Tanya Donelly
6. Bugaloos - Collective Soul
7. Underdog - Butthole Surfers
8. Gigantor - Helmet
9. Spiderman - The Ramones
10. Johnny Quest/Stop That Pigeon - The Reverend Horton Heat 11. Open Up Your Heart And Let The Sun Shine In - Frente!
12. Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah (Means I Love You) - Violent Femmes 13. Fat Albert Theme - Dig
14. I'm Popeye The Sailor Man - Face To Face
15. Friends/Sigmund And The Seamonsters - Tripping Daisy
16. Goolie Get-Together - Toadies
17. Hong Kong Phooey - Sublime
18. H.R. Pufnstuf - The Murmurs
19. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy - Wax

I also like cover songs that can put a twist on the original without insulting it.

The Descendents did a punk version of the Beach Boy's "Wendy".
I think so many bands did cover versions of "Too Much to Dream last Night" that I forget who orginally did it. These include the Dead Boys, and The Damned, which is called Naz Nomad on this release.

Metalica did songs from The Anti-Nowhere League and The Misfits. The originals are definitely worth checking out.

If you are in the mood, The Dickies do very whimsical Punk covers of several songs including "The Banana Splits", "Eve of Destruction", and "Nights in White Satin".

My favorite cover would have to be the one which is was my wedding song. Joey Ramone and Holly Beth Vincent singing Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe". The second runner up would be The Callamities doing "The Kids are All Right" by the Who.

Matt

Tori Amos - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Big Head Todd & The Monsters(2): Boom Boom, and Tangerine(Led Zep)

Led Zepelin's Cover are great too. That's how I got into the blues. Another thing to thank them for. The Covers:
I Can't Quit You Baby, You Shook ME and I'm sure there are a few more(memory failure).

Robert Plant's cover of - If You Were a Carpenter is great. Sounds a great deal like the original though.

I picked up a Led Zep tribute album that mostly featured Great White singing Led Zep covers live. I can honestly say they did an excellent job. For the rest of the covers on that CD.....well that's a whole other story.:frowning:

Dave Mathews Band: All Along The Watchtower(didn't even like the song that much until he did it) - the BEST cover I think I have ever heard. It's almost a completely different song the way he plays it. Starts very slow and dark, almost evil sounding. Then picks up speed until it's a frenzy. My hair is standing on end just writing about it.

Also on Dave's new CD - Live In Central Park he covers Cortez The Killer. All I can say is WOW!!! I'd recommend this to anyone, even non-DMB fans as it is roughly $15 for 3 CDs worth of live Dave. Ask any other DMB and they will tell you to start here as it clearly represents the TRUE DMB in all their glory......i.e. jamming like there is no tomorrow. And they also have the All Along The Watchtower Cover on the set also.

I'll post more later when I can actually see my collection.

Worst cover, no contest! The Carpenters version of Klaatu's CALLING OCCUPENTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT. Give me a vomit bag before you put it on!

...that I like alot:

Webb Wilders I HAD TOO MUCH TO DREAM LAST NIGHT
TUPELO HONEY by Cassandra Wilson

How 'bout side one of Todd Rundgren's FAITHFUL album! HAPPENINGS TEN YEARS TIME AGO (Yardbirds) RAIN & STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER (The insects) GOOD VIBRATIONS (B-Boys) IF SIX WAS NINE (Hendrix) MOST LIKELY YOU GO YOUR WAY AND I'LL GO MINE (Dill-in)

Bowie's album, I'm forgetting the name, of covers is very, very good IMHO. I like Joan Jett's album of covers too.

How about the original of the song that nobody thinks is a cover like Gloria Jone's Tainted Love.
Or check out Willie Dixon's records like "You shook me Baby"
It's where Lead Zepplin stole most of their 1st album

Grant,
On the Saturday Morning CD, isn't that Liz Phair doing the vocals with Material Issue? I also heard a cover that she and Material Issue did of Turning Japanese and I think it would've been a great cover if Liz had been doing all of the singing rather than alternating with the Material Issue guy.

i love pearl jam covering the high numbers (the who) performing 'leaving here'. interestingly enough, that was a cover too, done by eddie holland.

CJ

Queen Killer - TRAVIS
have a listen at www.travisography.com

My favorite 2 all time covers are Lovers in a Dangerous Time by Barenaked ladies (Bruce Cockburn) and Time After Time by the Gandharvas (Cyndi Lauper).

Some of my faves.

Tom Jones doing "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads
Deftones doing "This is no Ordinary Love" by Sade
Anthrax doing "Got the Time" by Joe Jackson