What's your "take" on cover versions of songs?

Depends
Dead Kennedy’s cover of “I fought the law”-Good
Cradle of Filth’s cover of “Hallowed be thy name”-shit
I guess what I’m trying to say is that it depends on the musician’s abilities to make a good/shit cover

Redbird does a fantastic version of REM’s “You Are the Everything.”

In general, I think a cover should add something if it is to be done at all. I can’t think of the original off the top of my head, but there’s a relatively recent cover that’s gotten some radio play that is horrible and the original is horrible, too. I mean why waste everyone’s time?

John Lenon’s Imagine by A Perfect Circle is really good, the video is anoying, but I love how they did it in a minor key.

I am not a fan of Bon Jovi at all, but Ateryu does and awesome version of You give love a bad name.

Non Point does Phil Collins – In the air tonight and I used to like the original until I heard Non point do it.

I love Skynyrd, but Shinedown does a fantastic simple man.

I could probably go on all day.

Are you saying old song remakes? is this a cover version? if so, i have learned something new today and thats a good thing. i hate remakes, except maybe one or two songs that are actually better than the original. lets face it, if you put on a pair of headphones, you can hear all the mistakes the artists made back then. some are unbelievable. Angel Baby by Rosie and The Originals is one. where they located the drummer for this song is beyond me. listen closely and you can hear the singer snapping her fingers for him to keep the beat. Barbara Ann is another remake thats 100% better than the original. i have the original of this song. The Beach Boys version is so much better. i am an oldies junkie. i guess you can tell this. i was a disc jockey back in the early 60s and i played the originals when they first appeared. isn’t it amazing that the music of The Beach Boys is as popular today as it was in the 60s? while we are at it, here is a tidbit of info., concerning Chuck Berry. he had a degree in music and was really screwed by Chess/Checker albums. they paid him cash by the each song he recorded for them, rather than a contract for future royalties. this is why so many of his songs are remakes, like The Beatles version of Roll Over Beethoven. i love the oldies and the originals are always the best. john

There’s nothing wrong with a cover, as long as it is done well… Ruining a song is not acceptable.

Here’s a good one—Oasis covering The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” live on Familiar to Millions.

I like some and dislike others. I loved Adam Lambert’s take on “Mad World.”

2nd Answer: if you are strictly talking about album covers, lets talk about The Beatles Butcher Block Album cover. there was such a public outcry of the photo on its cover, that the artists and factory recalled all the albums, except a few. a few remain out there and i have one. its worth $10,000.00 dollars. dead babies on an album cover, did not set well with the public. the music inside was great. instead of starting from scratch on the cover, the photographer made a much more acceptable picture and pasted it right over the butcher block scene. if you can locate one of these albums, you can see The Beatles underneath with the original butcher block photo and the dead babies.

I like covers of songs, sometimes I find them better than the original.

I think it depends upon the collective talent performing the cover… The purpose being to add that unique style and creativity to it and take the song to a different level… better than it’s original manifestation. For example: The Beatles “Twist and Shout” which is a cover, but they have become known for their version because they ADDED to it and made it better than it was originally composed and performed. When one thinks of the song “Twist and Shout”, one thinks of The Beatles…Making a cover your own and marking it with your identity is what makes a great cover song! Just an FYI… Phil Medley and Bert Burns wrote the original and it was produced by Phil Spector and an obscure band called the The Top Notes (Who the hell are they?!?). The Isley Brothers also had a hit with it… but this song is know as a Beatles hit!! Great example of how a cover song should be done…

Some of them suck, and some are great. Let’s not forget, Jimi Hendrix’s All Along The Watchtower was a cover, as was Johnny Cash’s Hurt. Another one of my favorites is Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah.

It depends on how the cover artist handles the song. I love it when musicians cover a song and give it a whole new sound and feeling, like A Perfect Circle’s version of Imagine (like @missyb said), Marilyn Manson’s cover of Sweet Dreams, and Goodnight Nurse’s Milkshake. These versions really turn the original song into something completely different, which makes it really quite interesting.

What doesn’t amuse me is when an artist covers a song just for the sake of covering it, just rehashing the same song with minor changes. Examples of this are Snow Patrol’s version of Connor Oberst’s song You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will Some may not like Oberst’s voice as much as that of Snow Patrol’s singer, but the songs are essentially the same. It just seems boring to me.
Another example of this is anything done by Susan Boyle. She has a pretty voice, yes, but the majority of the songs on her album (which I’ve listened to several times) are just boring versions sung by someone with a decent (albeit untrained) voice. They all sound the same.

I’m not saying artists aren’t allowed to sing songs written by others. Not everyone has the skill to write great songs, and not all great songwriters are very good at performing. I just think that when you put a cover song on an album and market it, you should try to make it new and different. The fans deserve that much, don’t you think?

I love covers when the artist puts a new tasty spin on the song. Leon Redbone is a true master at that. There are some really great redos of marginal originals out there.

It used to be that someone wrote a song, like Gershwin, and 5–10 different singers sang their versions of the tune within a year. I suppose now that artists usually write as well as perform their own songs, some people may feel that the version done by the original artist is the the “truest” version to how the artist wanted it, and fans are “respecting” that.

I read a few years ago how Andy Partridge of XTC happened to be at a show at a club in NYC where Aimee Mann covered (IIRC) “Collideascope” that Andy thought was dreadful. ::shrugs:: Once it’s out there, I think people are free to interpret it at will. Sorry, Andy!

I’m sorry I don’t remember his name, but an Australian folk singer did a superb version of Elton and Bernie’s “Country Comfort” from the “Tumbleweed Connection” album.

I think cover songs are great. Many times the cover is better (or better known) than the original, such as Janis Joplin’s version of Me and Bobby McGee. Encomium, the Led Zeppelin tribute album has some brilliant covers on it. Johnny Cash has done some fantastic covers of later rock songs, including Nine Inch Nails. I think taking the song in a new direction and somehow making it your own is important, but they also have to be, well, good. I want to say that bad covers are the ones that just ignore the original material, that go in too new a direction, but I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. It can be very hard to know in advance which cover is going to be a good one. And it definitely depends on the listener, because @Zen_Again, if you are referring to Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds when you say Elton John has done good Beatles covers, well you’re wrong. Every time I hear Elton’s version I die a little inside and feel the need to purge my mind with the original.

I tend to like them but some scare me. For example, Grace Jones singing “What I Did For Love”. If you haven’t heard it, don’t.

As a musician, I simply can’t stand most remakes. It’s like the record labels forced some of these bands to cover certain material even though they knew the band couldn’t do justice to the original. Those truly bad covers that stand out in my mind are; Guns & Roses’ crappy renditions of ‘Live And Let Die’, ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’ & ‘Sympathy for the Devil’, Korn’s horrid version of ‘Another Brick In The Wall, ‘Dave Matthews Band’s nauseating remix of ‘All Along The Watchtower’, Disturbed’s threck-filled ‘Land Of Confusion’, Run DMC’s asinine version of ‘Walk This Way’ and any of the puke-producing remakes done by Britney Spears. If you aren’t positive your version will be better than the original, leave it the fuck alone!

I agree, a well done cover is definitely worth a listen. I’m no fan of American Idol though… Nor am I in favor of using classic rock songs as a way to make a hip-hop song worth listening to.

Fiona Apple’s cover of The Beatles’ “Across The Universe” is absolutely wonderful.

I almost always prefer the original with few exceptions. The best cover (and some may think I blaspheme) is of John Lennon’s JEALOUS GUY. I definitely prefer Brian Ferry & Roxy Music’s version (it was their only #1 hit in the UK).

Lennon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lLs2dC9NaE

Ferry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbLgJRQ8TDg

Whaddya think? (try to leave nostalgia aside)

I enjoyed dear old Dame Vera Lynns’ take on the erstwhile Pistols classic Friggin in the Riggin.

William Shattner’s cover of “Lucy in the Sky” is worth passing on also.

I really enjoy hearing covers; that’s not to say I like them all, though. A local radio station used to do a program of all covers every weekend. I miss it!

We get so used to earing a particular version of a song that it’s always a bit of a shock to hear someone else do it, even someone we like. A singer I loved, Kenny Rankin, who sadly passed away last year, specialized in doing bluesy and jazzy covers of familiar songs like “On and On,” “Blackbird,” Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gentle Weeps,” and many others. Listening to Rankin is versions is like hearing them for the first time.

@Marina I sooooooo love dam Lambert’s voice, especially Mad World – I liked it better live when he was in the competition – not so much the single.

Thank you all for contributing here.

Lurve.

Edit: @stranger… I loled at the Shatner reference – that was a joke him doing LSD – but he took himself seriously, n’est ce pas? Some people should stick to “acting” – or maybe not even that, in his case – except for Kirk. ;-)

Edit: @holden Very good example with Twist and Shout – and well written – welcome to fluther!

@jfos, U2’s “Helter Skelter” from Rattle and Hum is a good one as well.

@kevbo Good one!

Wow, Helter Skelter has been covered quite a few times! Here’s another version that I enjoy, by the band Thrice.

Maybe that song just kicks ass no matter who covers it.

(Here’s a link—http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helter_Skelter_(song)#Cover_versions to all the published covers.)

@Polly_Math You’d be suprised to hear that I love both versions. I am a huge Lennon fan, and also loved Roxy Music at the time… so I often have both versions one after the other on my playlists and ipods. Good show!

Hahahah! You just can’t do this song wrong.

Aha… Seether’s “Careless Whisper”—what a pile of dog shit.

I love it when ska or pop punk bands do covers they usually turn out pretty fun

Any fans of the oldie I can see clearly now? You might enjoy this haunting and beautiful version by Holly Cole (who I’ve met and is lovely) Here

I typically like them if they are done well or add something to the original. It can make a great song get noticed by a new generation.

I like cover songs if they are taken seriously and done well. Its interesting to see how another person can put someone elses song into their own style. I’m not a huge fan though of artists taking certain segmants of another song just to make it their chorus, such as the Flo Rida song.

I don’t like covers if they’re exactly like the original with a different singer. Some of my favorite covers have been done by a band called Cake, with them covering I Will Survive and Strangers In The Night. They manage to change them enough so you can still pick out the original, but don’t just try and emulate the other band.

I love Hurt by Johnny Cash. great answer @jeffgoldblumsprivatefacilities

Richard Cheese anyone?

@dverhey Cake rules!! lol

New singers practice and develop their skills doing “covers” of major hits.

True musical talents may appreciate an original rendition of a song but render their own interpretation. Some of the best versions of Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Steve Goodman songs have been recorded by other artists.

I’ve heard some people disparage a performance of a song such as “City of New Orleans” because it doesn’t live up to Kenny Rogers “original” version. (Music and Lyrics by Steve Goodman)

If you really care about music, decide what you like about a particular performance on its own merits and don’t be a snob. (Remember that “snob” comes from the French “Sans Noblesse” meaning “lacking nobility.”

Clapton “Unplugged” consists of covers by the original artist!

@Dr_Lawrence Actually, when you wrote Kenny Rogers, it sent me back to his greatest hits album which I played over and over again when it came out. I hadn’t been a huge country fan, but somehow “The Gambler” “Ruby” et al struck a chord.

He didn’t write them.

Yes, he sang them first – so he will be forever associated with those hits – but I have a sub-question; is it a cover version of a song, if the singer didn’t even write it in the first place? Unlike Dylan, Lenno or Cohen, say, those artists, young and old, who sing others songs – could a new version of it really be called a cover version, per se?

Just musing.

For the record, worst cover goes to Whitney Houston for her version of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You. If you haven’t heard Dolly sing it, you haven’t heard it.

Does not agree with @Snarp; got chills when I fist heard it – and I had never heard the original (written by Dolly, btw).

@Zen_Again Clearly we have different taste in music, as you seem to like Elton John’s cover of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. But I exaggerated of course by calling it worst cover. You should seek out and give a listen to the Dolly Parton version though. Talk about getting chills.

A cover version can be only as good as the artist doing the covering. I have heard great covers, and I have heard covers that really suck. Sometimes an artist can take a song written by someone else and improve it immensely, or sometimes just have another take on it. A good example of this (from deep in the past) is Blinded by the Light., by Bruce Springsteen. The popular version was recorded by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band‘s_Earth_Band.

Blind Guardian did a surprisingly good cover of “Barbara Ann”
cba to get a video, get it yourself!

Generally, I don’t like covers of original songs, but there are exceptions.

I like “Hurt” by Johnny Cash better than Nine Inch Nail’s original.
I like “Kiss” by the Art of Noise with Tom Jones on vocals better than the Prince original.
And
I like “Smooth Criminal” by Alien Ant Farm far better than the Michael Jackson original.

There may be others, but I don’t recall what they are, but there aren’t many.

I, too, think it depends. Madonna singing American Pie makes my teeth hurt.

Nina Simone covering Here Comes the Sun brilliant!
KD Lang’s The Joker really improved my sex life!

An artist covering themselves can make things even better: Cyndi Lauper She Bop

@liminal Agreed – except for American Pie. I liked it.

@Zen_Again that makes me smile. You are the one who has introduced me to Holly Cole so I know not to think you have terrible taste :D

@liminal Isn’t she lovely though? I sent her an email once, asking her about a concert, and she replied quickly and nicely. She’s the real deal.

Regarding American Pie – it’s not so much that I liked it as I like old classics to continue to be played and listened to by my kids generation. If it takes a Madonna, Rhianna or Beyonce to cover it, mix it up a bit, or even make it a dance tune – I don’t mind. Inevitably, smart kids will look for the original, too, and perhaps give the original tune (and musician) renewed airplay (or is that webplay?).

:-)

You ain’t lived ‘til you’ve heard Mother’s Finest funky cover of Elvis’ “Burning Love”.

http://www.last.fm/music/Mother's+Finest/_/Burning+Love

I Love covers, as long as the band covering them isn’t trying to sound like the original band. For instance, Rob Zombie’s cover of “Children of the Grave” by Black Sabbath is awesome. Zombie made that song his own…and that is what a cover is supposed to be.