Covers That Are Better Than The Originals

[azule]

Aargh, whoops, you're right. What do people think of covers where small changes are made, such as pronoun gender?

[Mighty Jalapeno]

Far and away, the best version. Clearly they had to make a COMPLETELY BRAND NEW ONE for the movie.

[GregorySob]

last week I saw Son Volt do a whipass cover of Waylons "Are you sure Hank done it this way"...

which I liked better than the original, forealdo.

[Adam H]

Some covers are widely acknowledged as better: Johnny Cash's Hurt, for an iconic example.

Oh, I can't let this stand. While it's iconic, it's a bit overrated. JC does not actually exemplify the lyrics that well. He sings them with the heart he's known for and it's heard by the ear and the heart, but it is not real. When done by NIN it has all the emotional impact it was created with.

Note: I do love the cover, but the question was if it was better...

I didn't see this opinion anywhere in the thread so I'll say it: I absolutely hate the cover. He took out everything interesting about the song*, the guitar arrangement is completely amateur, and I can't stand his voice.

And I have no particular love or nostalgic feelings for the original.

*specifically: the dynamics, the vocal range, and that glorious tritone.

[Quercus]

Some covers are widely acknowledged as better: Johnny Cash's Hurt, for an iconic example.

Oh, I can't let this stand. While it's iconic, it's a bit overrated. JC does not actually exemplify the lyrics that well. He sings them with the heart he's known for and it's heard by the ear and the heart, but it is not real. When done by NIN it has all the emotional impact it was created with.

Note: I do love the cover, but the question was if it was better...

I didn't see this opinion anywhere in the thread so I'll say it: I absolutely hate the cover. He took out everything interesting about the song*, the guitar arrangement is completely amateur, and I can't stand his voice.

And I have no particular love or nostalgic feelings for the original.

*specifically: the dynamics, the vocal range, and that glorious tritone.

I just listened to the original for the first time because of this post, and I was ready to post something about how the Johnny Cash version is more emotionally impactful for me (that song has had me weeping), but I can't do it - the NIN original is much more powerful to me, even after one listening. Thanks for inspiring me to listen to it (I still like the Johnny Cash version - but nowhere near as much as the original any more).

[redraw]

This guy Binkbeats does awesome covers, here a great cover of Baths - Lovely Bloodflow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4uiNadzcME

[Ginger]

I like Disturbed's version of Land of Confusion over the original.

[Isaac Hill]

I was listening to the Ramones this afternoon, and they've got a few covers I like better than the originals, like Do You Wanna Dance, I Don't Want to Grow Up, and Spiderman.

The best example I can think of is from around 10 years ago. Oasis was promoting their new album by having buskers cover the songs. One was Dagmar, a duo I was a fan of, doing Shock of the Lightning. The first time I saw Dagmar play it, they told the story of how they got the recording of the Oasis version, learned it by ear, recorded their version, met with Oasis, and were told they should've received sheet music. That was the first time I heard that song. On the drive home from that show, I heard the Oasis version on the radio. I like the Dagmar version better.

I don't know if could say Sid Vicious' My Way is better than the original, but it's the version I listen to.

A few years ago, there was a radio station in NH that was being sold. The was some issue with the FCC about the buyer owning so many stations in the same market. While that was being worked out, the buyers couldn't broadcast what they wanted. But, if the station went off the air for too long, the seller would lose the frequency. So, they played Vitamin String Quartet, who do covers of rock songs, 24-7. I can't say the covers themselves were better than the originals, but I liked listening to that station more than I like listening to stations playing originals.

I got Tom Jones' Are You Gonna Go My Way was on a movie soundtrack I bought for some other song, and ended up liking it much more than Lenny Kravitz' original.

Mike Mess does a pretty good don't Think Twice, It's Alright. I haven't made it through Bob Dylan's version.

Finally, I like Suicidal Tendencies Instiutionalized. I can't really say if the Radioactive Chickenheads version is better, but it deserves an Honorable Mention.

[doogly]

Arethra Franklin's Respect
The Damned's Jet Boy, Jet Girl
Devo's Satisfaction
Bo Diddley's Sixteen Tons
Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower

I gotta get back to this, there are actually a lot.

[Liri]

I am glad that Dylan existed, so Hendrix could create his version.

[doogly]

Oh Dylan did a lot of good work, no shade at all. "Not as good as Hendrix" is a problem everyone has.

All out there embarrassing Clapton with Killing Floor, brother can't keep up. Best not to try.

[Yablo]

Yeah. Who would have thought someone could improve on Dylan by slowing his song down? Hendrix was just amazing. I wish I could play his stuff, but when I play, I like to do it as close to the original as I can, and I don't have monstrously long thumbs to hook over the top of the neck for the bass notes while still leaving the A-string open.

Guns 'n' Roses did decent covers of Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," and McCartney's "Live and Let Die." I usually prefer the originals, but there are days I like the covers more.

Also, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes do some awesome punk covers of non-punk songs, like "Goodbye, Earl" by the Dixie Chicks.

And while I love Steve Goodman, I have to say Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans" is better. And it's awesome live.

[doogly]

Oh man, bongo man byfield
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdwYTibSe-w

[freezeblade]

Also, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes do some awesome punk covers of non-punk songs, like "Goodbye, Earl" by the Dixie Chicks.

Top 5 favorite Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covers (in no order):
Don't Cry for Me Argentina
My Favorite Things
Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)
Oh Girl
Eastbound and Down

[Ginger]

Jazz Mino's version of the song "Crush" by Jennifer Paige is better than the original in my opinion. However, when I was introduced to the original version by J. Paige I liked aspects of them both so... YMMV? :) <3