Cover Better than the original

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  • How 'bout Ben Folds' cover of "Bitches Ain't Shit"?

    Also... Possibly the most offensive quiet piano ballad ever?
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  • capybaraletcapybaralet Posts: 145
    Keller wrote:
    Exactly what the title says...name some songs that bands have covered (in the studio) which you think are better than the original recording.

    I know this is gonna be a topic with alot of arguements but i'll start

    Original:Bob dylan - Knocking on heavens door

    Cover:Guns N Roses - Knocking on heavens door


    Great topic, but That is the shittiest example possible. GnR's cover made me hate them more than anything else associated with them.......

    anyhow:

    Don't be Shy (eddie's solo) is better than the Cat Stevens version....

    and I hate to say it, but Annie Lennox's "Don't Let it Bring You Down" is better than Neil Young's version.....

    Nirvana's "Jesus Don't Want Me for a Sunbeam" is slightly better than the vaselines, mostly becuase of the kickass accordion

    and the meat puppets ones, too, maybe.....
    everything=3


    2-1-0

    4-3-2-1-0
    2---2--3---3--2----1
    ---0
    0
    0

    2-2-2-3-3-3-2-2-0

    M
  • NickyNoochNickyNooch Posts: 629
    Original: Crown Of Thorns by Mother Love Bone
    Cover: Crown Of Thorns by Pearl Jam

    Original: Hard To Handle by Otis Redding
    Cover: Hard To Handle by The Black Crowes


    A complete copy of my post on page 2 haha.

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  • LedZepFanLedZepFan Posts: 1,009
    theres no way in hell that ryan adams' 'wonderwall' is superior to that oasis masterpiece

    Zeppelin's 'When the Levee Breaks' is better than the original

    Jimi hendrix's 'All Along the Watchtower' is better than Dylan's

    Pearl Jam's RITFW and Sonic Reducer and Crazy Mary are better than Neil's and The Dead Boys' and Victoria Williams'

    Black Crowes' 'Hard to Handle' is better than Otis Redding's
    I've faced it, a life wasted, and I'm never going back again.

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  • RITFW is making it's way onto that "most covered song ever" list..

    the best version i've ever heard is when Pearl Jam played it with Neil on the 1993 mtv music awards.

    so i won't call better or worse than the original on that one ;)
    Come on pilgrim you know he loves you..

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    Oh my, they dropped the leash.



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  • brhf9brhf9 Posts: 1,475
    another one that i love:

    Jolene by Dolly Parton
    cover by The White Stripes
    'Go easy, step lightly, stay free!'

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  • brhf9 wrote:
    another one that i love:

    Jolene by Dolly Parton
    cover by The White Stripes
    yes.
    Come on pilgrim you know he loves you..

    http://www.wishlistfoundation.org

    Oh my, they dropped the leash.



    Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!

    "Make our day"
  • "Soul Kitchen" by X is miles better than the Doors version.

    "License To Kill" by Richie Havens beats Bob Dylan

    "I Found A Reason" by Cat Power beats V.U.

    "Oddity" by Pavement beats The Clean

    "Neverending Math Equation" by Sun Kil Moon beats Modest Mouse

    "Song To The Siren" by The Czars beats Tim Buckley

    "Hey-Sa-Lo-Ney" by The Detroit Cobras beats Mickey Lee Lane

    You should check out http://www.retrocrush.com/covers/index.html for this guy's list of his 100 top covers of all time.
  • brhf9brhf9 Posts: 1,475
    You should check out http://www.retrocrush.com/covers/index.html for this guy's list of his 100 top covers of all time.

    that looks good...

    #92 "Redemption Song"
    by Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash
    ORIGINAL ARTIST: Bob Marley
    How can you not love a duet cover of Marley's classic done by two of the coolest guys in music history? What a lucky bastard Rick Rubin was to be there and watch these legends go at it. According to the liner notes, Strummer showed up at Cash's place, as many musicians had, and was a bit nervous, hanging around outside. Once he came in, they played some Bob Marley songs, and Johnny picked "Redemption Song". With both of these icons dying within a year of each other, it's a beautiful tribute to listen to, that still gets me teary.
    'Go easy, step lightly, stay free!'

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  • swedeswede Posts: 558

    Scissor Sisters' comfortably numb: danceable and raveable.

    surely no one truely can think that...
  • rriversrrivers Posts: 3,696
    swede wrote:
    surely no one truely can think that...

    Agreed.
    "We're fixed good, lamp-wise."

  • original-soft cell( i think that is what they were called)-tainted love
    best cover-marilyn manson

    Tainted Love was actually written sang by Gloria Jones in 1964. So Soft Cell's version was actually a cover.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSehtaY6k1U
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  • Sweet Jane
    Original - velvet underground
    Cover - cowboy junkies
    10
  • ZosoZoso Posts: 6,425
    tyrone done by my morning jacket is pretty good.
    I'm just flying around the other side of the world to say I love you

    Sha la la la i'm in love with a jersey girl

    I love you forever and forever :)

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  • restlesssoulrestlesssoul Posts: 6,951
    Ugly Kid Joe does Cats in the Cradle better than Harry Chapin for sure.
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  • red mosred mos Posts: 4,953
    thought of another one: Gary Jules- Mad World (original by Tears for Fears) Although I do like the Tears for Fears version, just like how somber and Haunting Gary Jules made it.

    and not Better, but a Tie:

    The Black Crowes- Oh sweet Nothin, Original by Velvet Underground is great too. Love how different they are.
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  • Local H "Toxic" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Britney Spears
    Motley Crue "Smokin in the Boys Room" >>> Brownsville Station
    Biffy Clyro "Umbrella" >>> Rihanna
    Seether "Careless Whisper" >>> George Michael
  • 1ThoughtKnown1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    Type O Negative - Summer Breeze 

    Seals and Croft …. I mean cmon 
  • GNR > Sir Paul, Live And Let Die.

    The good old days, before Axl sounded like Mickey Mouse with emphysema.
    May your days be long, til kingdom come.

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  • Does equal to the original count? Two totally different songs, but Johnny Cash's Hurt makes me choked up every single damn time.
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  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,417
    True. He sounds like he's about had it with that song. I try not to listen to that cash. Love his other stuff. End of a long rock and roll road.
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,350
    Basically any Metallica cover other than Die Die My Darling.
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,350
    Joe Cocker Little Help From My Friends
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,350
    Oh and any cover Disturbed has done is worse than the original...
  • curmudgeonesscurmudgeoness Posts: 3,988


    "Song To The Siren" by The Czars beats Tim Buckley

    I'd have to go with This Mortal Coil's version, which is amazing.

    Richard Thompson, "Oops I Did It Again"

    All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.
  • curmudgeonesscurmudgeoness Posts: 3,988
    JPS79 wrote:
    10,000 maniacs - Because the night. Original by The Boss.

    just so we can get this right. springsteen had the music and the chorus down when he handed this to patti smith. he thought it would better suit her. she listened to it and despite misgivings of using such a well known artist's work, she wrote the verse words in one night.
    so if you're gonna attribute this song to springsteen please do so to patti smith as well.
    though i love both springsteen and patti smith, to me this will always be patti smith's song.

    In the intervening 17-18(!) years since this post was made, Garbage and the Screaming Females have done a great cover of this.

    Other covers I prefer to the original:

    "Kid" (Pretenders) -- covered by Everything But The Girl.

    "Jealous Guy" (John Lennon) -- covered by Roxy Music.

    While I'm in my own personal wayback machine: in 1991, when we all were young, there was a Leonard Cohen tribute album released, called "I'm Your Fan." There are some great covers on there, including:

    REM, "First We Take Manhattan"
    Pixies, "I Can't Forget"
    All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,948
    edited February 27
    Ryan Adams' cover of the entire album "1989" is better than Taylor Swift's album. I like Taylor Swift, but Ryan Adams improved every single song IMO.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • tempo_n_groovetempo_n_groove Posts: 40,350
    PJ_Soul said:
    Ryan Adam's cover of the entire album "1989" is better than Taylor Swift's album. I like Taylor Swift, but Ryan Adams improved every single song IMO.
    All except Shake it off.  The production for Taylors version is fan-friggin-tastic.
  • Hot Chip - Dancing in the Dark (Springsteen) - cos you can actually dance to it.
  • McGruffMcGruff Posts: 51
    Big Country by moe.

    They also do a live cover of Godzilla from time to time that is superior to the original. 
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