Tool's No Quarter- best rock cover ever? (1 Viewer)

[Mike Broadman]

I usually have a problem with covers of rock songs. Not the idea of it, but because I almost never like the way they're done, for two reasons:

1. They completely lose sight of the original, making it a farce.

2. They replicate it exactly, adding nothing to the work. While it can be fun live, they're no reason to buy it.

There are, of course, exceptions. Stevie Ray Vaughan's Voode Chile comes to mind.

I just picked up Tool's odd release Salival, with the DVD and CD. Now I'm listening to the last track on the CD, which is the automated phone thing. I like it, and I don't know why.

Anyway, I am very impressed by their cover of Led Zeppelin's No Quarter. Easily my favorite thing on this CD. It starts off very true to the original, with Keenan using subdued distorted vocals. Later into the song, they embrace it as their own, and it feels like a Tool song- rising tensions, juicing up the bass and drums. Yet they keep the feeling of the song in check, and it all flows smoothly.

Now that's how to do a cover.

By the way, what the hell is with the DVD menu? It's absurd! I found the 4 videos, as well as a thing with them wearing the Explicit Lyrics signs. Is there anything I'm missing?

 

[Andy Anderson]

Yeah, I know what you mean about the DVD menu--it's really abstract. I figured out that one of the selections is audio, 2 channel PCM or 5.1. That's what's up with the funky circles.

 

[StevenW]

In regards to the best cover every, for me it is. In fact that song is so awesome its one of my favorite Tool songs period....and im a HUGE Tool nut

 

[Ash Williams]

Tool's No Quarter is awesome, in fact the whole CD is awesome. As for the best cover ever, well, I'm kind of torn between that and Metallica's Turn The Page. The DVD has the weirdest menu design I've ever seen, but it's Tool so it has to be expected.

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

I don't think Metallica's "Turn The Page" is all that good. I like Metallica but I think the performance was a little too straightforward.

Nominees for best rock cover ever would have to include Hendrix's version of Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" and Santana's version of "Black Magic Woman" originally by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Two covers that are so strongly associated with the cover artist that few realize they are covers.

For recent covers, I nominate Les Claypool's Frog Brigade for "Live Frogs Set 2", their live performance of the entire Pink Floyd "Animals" album. In my opinion it is the perfect blend of staying faithful to the original and yet playing it their own way. That should mean a lot coming from someone like me who is a big fan of the original and would be the first to complain if they had butchered it.

I'll go through my collection and pick out a few more...

 

[Bill Leber]

Mike, make sure you go to the very end of the last song. After all the automated message weirdness is another song, "Maynard's Dick." No, this is not a joke, but it is a funny song.

No Quarter is great. I've always enjoyed Sublime's cover of the Grateful Dead's "Scarlet Begonias." It's another example of a band keeping the original feeling of a song while making it their own. It's on Sublime's highly underrated album 40 oz. to Freedom. I also enjoy Johnny Cash's covers of Soundgarden, Beck, and Dean Martin. Rumor has it that Cash will be covering nine inch nails' "Hurt" on his upcoming album. That should be interesting.

 

[Brian Perry]

Though not really a "rock" rong, I thought Queensryche's cover of Simon and Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair kicked butt!
I agree that most covers add little to the original. I was listening to Neil Young's verison of Lennon's Imagine on the radio, and asked myself what was the point of that cover?

 

[Mike Broadman]

Mike, make sure you go to the very end of the last song. After all the automated message weirdness is another song, "Maynard's Dick." No, this is not a joke, but it is a funny song.

Yep, heard it. Very cute. I love Tool's humor.

I heard that Tool was hired to play at some event that they didn't realise was for a Scientology gathering. When Maynard found out, he stepped up to the mike and yelled, "Bah! Bah!" Don't know if it's true, but a nice little story.

The kind of covers that really bother me are punk covers of songs. All they do is hammer out the power chords, completely removing any personality the songs originally had. What's the point?

For an amusing set of covers, check out Megadeth's Hidden Treasures. Fun covers of Sabbath and Alice Cooper. Megadeth's cover of "Boots" on their debut album is one of the funniest I've ever heard.

Pantera did a fantastic job with Black Sabbath's Planet Caravan, and Primus w/ Ozzy did a killer N.I.B. that got some heavy radio play.

NP: Miles Davis, Jazz At the Plaza, CD

 

[StevenW]

Pantera did a fantastic job with Black Sabbath's Planet Caravan

Good call , I love that song. Also I dont know if you know this or not but the song "You Lied" on the Salival album is also a cover which completely blows the original out of the water. Every song that Tool has covered has been amazing IMO....some other covers you might wanna check out from Tool:
Spasm - Peach
Stranglehold - Ted Nugent
Demon Cleaner - Kyuss
Also A Perfect Circle did a combo cover called Diary of a Love Song which combined Ozzys Diary of a Madman & The Cure's Love Song....awesome awesome awesome.

 

[Charles Gurganus]

The Beatles and the Hollies made a living off of covers early in their careers.
Some good covers that come to mind....
Wichita Lineman- Freedy Johnston version is a rocker compared to the Glen Campbell version.
Sorry Suzanne-Jon Brion's version of this Hollies song is the highlight of the "Hollies in Reverse" tribute CD.
Revolution #9- The Shazam's version of this Beatles noise feast is interesting, to say the least.
Now who is that female singer who does "Ventura Highway", the America song, with different words????????