Joe Cocker-With a Little Help From My Friends
Cocker's gravelly voice gives this song a much-needed makeover. The original Beatles song was sung by Ringo Starr and, well, is ho-hum at best. His nasally almost monotonous vocals makes this song easily the weakest on Sgt. Pepper's. To me, it's almost like an after thought. Like John, Paul, and George decided to throw Ringo a bone and have him sing a track. Bleh. Cocker's, on the other hand, lends the tune what it needs: EMOTION. The beginning lyrics is simply vocals and a bass guitar strumming two notes. I mean, his version made The Wonder Years what it was! His rendition allows for the song to build and build as the chorus of female voices is added on and is a welcome complement to the male lead. In all, Cocker makes this song, in a word, epic. And isn't it funny that Cocker is most well-known because of a cover song?
Here's the original by The Beatles:
Johnny Cash-Hurt
Oh man, where to begin with this one? I could just use a bunch of "one word reviews" to talk about this song: Jarring. Tragic. Emotive. Epic. Definitive. Brilliant. Personal. Moving. If you haven't heard this cover, prepare to be blown away. The original is by Nine Inch Nails and it comes across as more or less a creepy, angst-ridden song about depression and attempted suicide. Nice, huh? Well, Rick Rubin (the producer of Cash's final album in 2002) decided this would be a perfect song for The Man in Black to cover, and he was right. This one song introduced Cash and his music to a whole new generation of fans and is considered a defining song of his career. Cash's voice is old, worn, and tattered, the constant piano chord being played louder and louder is like a clock ticking. Cash knew that he was on his way out. This is almost like his epitaph to the world. He transforms this song from what it was (see above) into a bitter rejection of material goods. The "hurt" Cash sings about is not physical self-inflicted pain, but rather an emotional outpouring due to his wife's failing health (she would die in 2003). The music video says it all, really. He is sitting in a large house, surrounded by wealth, all the while having flashbacks to his early years as a singer. "Everyone I know goes away in the end"--his life is almost defined now by his friends essentially dying all around him. Getting old sucks! Everyone you know starts to die! "You could have it all, my empire of dirt"--all this material "stuff" he's gained over the years is ultimately worthless. The video shows a cracked framed record, a room full of "junk," a table full of food. As the song climaxes, he begins to pour out the wine on the table while staring directly at the camera. The song ends and Cash closes the piano and just lowers his head. Fade to black. Ahhh! Talk about shivers running up and down your spine. If you've seen the his biopic, then you know the demons he carried throughout his life, which just adds weight to his performance of the song. You know what? I just made an executive decision that this is the greatest cover of all time. Boo-yah.
Here's the original by Nine Inch Nails:
Pearl Jam-Last Kiss
PJ takes the original, which sounds strangely happy and upbeat for a song about a car accident that kills the "singer's" girlfriend in front of him, and puts at least some emotion into it. Eddie Vedder's voice is intrinsically filled with raw power, so the content of the song matches the anger and sadness with which he sings. When he sings the chorus, asking where his "baby" can be, he is almost yelling it out to the world/heaven/God/whomever is listening. It's similar at the end, which I love, when he starts yelling "oh OHHHHHHH OH oh oh oh, etc." like words aren't enough to describe what he's going through holding his dying (and then dead) girlfriend. Overall, the band might as well have written this song themselves because it has become so tied to them anyway.
Here's the original by Wayne Cochran:
Michael Jackson-Smile
Yeah, I snuck an MJ song onto this list, of course. This song was actually written by none other than Charlie Chaplin. Jackson said that it was his favorite song of all time, and when someone like MJ says that, it means something. Okay, I know what you're thinking. It sounds really corny, and I think I'm putting it on here for the message more so than its arrangement, but the content of the song is pertinent whether it's sung in the 1920s or 2020s. The world is full of shit, but sometimes all it takes to make you feel better is to just smile. What a simple message. I don't know if I would've put this on here if MJ hadn't died a while back, but his death does add to the song I think. Here's a guy that had absolutely zero childhood to speak of, his father was a complete DICK (and still is) who abused him, and when he grew up, he understandably wanted to at least try and regain his lost childhood (i.e. Neverland Ranch, Bubbles, etc.). He surrounded himself with children because he wanted to feel like a kid himself for once. Anyway, let's not get into a big discussion about it. I just think that when MJ sings, he's carrying with him the weight of his troubled past and the lack of times he was able to truly smile in life. Now, this has been covered by a bunch of people, including Steven Tyler. If we want to get technical, the original performance of the song is by Nat King Cole. Therefore, one could say that MJ covered Nat King Cole. But, I'm making another executive decision and saying that everyone else covered Chaplin. He never actually sung it, but he composed the music and wrote the lyrics based on an instrumental bit in one of his movies. So, I'm gonna say that because it was based on a piece of music from the 1930s that Chaplin was the original man. K, cool.
Here's the "first" version by Nat King Cole:
The Beatles-Twist and Shout
Whenever you have a song be such an integral part of one of the best scenes in one of the most iconic pop culture phenomenon's (?) in cinema history, you've got a good thing going for you. The parade in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is such a classic scene and having The Beatles' version of this song playing as the crowd gets bigger and bigger is perfect. The original is by some group called the Top Notes. It almost sounds like a parody of a 1950s song. Anyway, Lennon does INFINITELY better. Apparently, they did a TON of takes of the song because they couldn't get the vocal sounding right. Eventually, they took one of the final recordings, which, by then, Lennon's voice had gone completely hoarse. Either way, the hoarseness was what they were looking for and it definitely gives the song much more charisma and spunk.
Here's the original by The Top Notes:
Hope you enjoyed my list! Obviously, some of the songs are debatable and I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who could substitute one on here for another. But I actually found it very hard to make this list, especially coming up with the last 3 or so covers. Which I guess is an indication that it's very rare to one-up someone else's song. Unless you're really good or the song has become so dated it's ridiculous. Out of all the songs here, only 2 are from after 1980 (Cohen's "Hallelujah from 1984 and NIN's "Hurt" from 1995). So that's probably somewhat telling. Yeah...bye.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Top 10 Cover Songs That Are Better Than the Original
My made up criteria for this list:
1) The cover song is more well-known/memorable than the original,
2) The average music fan thinks that the cover is the original...if that makes sense,
3) The cover is "better" than the original (this is obviously completely subjective, but I'd say generally people would think that the cover is superior),
OR
4) The artist(s) who covers the song are more famous than the original artist(s).
and I guess that's all I can think of for now. Also, I obviously haven't heard EVERY cover song ever, so excuse me if I leave out some that you like. Either way, I feel like a did a good job of including some of the most famous ones. Without further ado and in NO particular order...
Jimi Hendrix-All Along the Watchtower
Hendrix's version of Bob Dylan's song is instantly more recognizable and is infinitely more impactful than the original. While Dylan's has the requisite folky, acoustic, barebones sound coupled with the singer's earthy, droning voice, Hendrix completely reinvents the song with his signature electric guitar solos and noticeable changes in the melody of the lyrics themselves. This is especially apparent when he sings, "Two riders were approaching, and the wind begin to howl," followed by rapid strumming that complements the chaotic tone of the song. Not to mention it's one of the defining songs in "Forrest Gump" during the Vietnam War scenes!
Here is the original version by Bob Dylan (all I could find was a Guitar Hero clip on YouTube...deal with it):
U2-Everlasting Love
U2's rendition strips away the funky bombast of the original by Carl Carlton (1974), down to a mere acoustic guitar and vocals. Perhaps the best way to judge a song is by how it ages or dates itself. In this case, U2 wins in a landslide. Their version (from 1987, and appearing on their Best of 1980-1990 B-Sides Collection), doesn't sound dated at all. In fact, I've heard it a few times on contemporary radio and if you didn't know who it was or when it was written, it sounds totally fresh. U2 are not known as a cover band and the handful of times they've actually tried others' songs, they're usually okay at best (See; Paint it Black, Fortunate Son, et. al). However, this tune (as well as Unchained Melody from the same collection, which, I must say, does a great job in reinventing the song like Hendrix did) excels and is an instant toe-tapper. lol.
Here's the original by Carlton:
U2-Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Hey, it's me, so why not another U2 song? In all honesty and resisting bias, this is a classic case of "better than the original" status. This was put on "A Very Special Christmas" compilation back in 1987 (hey, same time as Everlasting Love and Unchained Melody. Hmm...), which was a bunch of covers by popular artists of the time to benefit the special olympics. Needless to say, U2's song became the most well-known and is a staple on the radio during Christmastime. Once again, the original suffers from sounding extremely dated (although it does have that "old time" charm). To me, though, it just sounds to forced or something...it insists upon itself, as Peter Griffin would say. U2's version is more fun and "whimsical," which is especially apparent when Bono chuckles through almost an entire verse. I wonder what got him laughing in the studio during that one...
Here's the original by Darlene Love:
Jeff Buckley-Hallelujah
This is legit such an awesome cover, I don't even know how to review it. (P.S. Note how I've gone from snobby music reviewer in the first video to regular ol' fanboy in this. Whatever.) First of all, Leonard Cohen (the original performer) has to be given HUGE amounts of props for writing the song in the first place. He is truly one of the best lyricists ever and this song only exemplifies that. That being said, Jeff Buckley is miles ahead in his composition of the song. Cohen accompanied his rendition with a chorus of voices in the background during the "hallelujah" choruses, which to me made it almost too pompous for its own good. He also made the song go...so....slowly. That's only made worse by a single snare drum being hit once every few seconds. On the other hands, Buckley's stripped down version fits the content of the song perfectly. It's such an individual experience that is being "sung" about that the lone voice and simple guitar strings are all that it needs. Also, although I love Cohen's completely unique voice (It's DEEP as anything, if you've never heard him. In one of his songs, "Tower of Song," he sings: "I was born like this, I had no choice/ I was born with the gift of a golden voice"--the way he sings it is great.), Buckley adeptly goes from normal to falsetto, which complements the movement of the guitar as well. Overall, it's a heart-wrenching song that Buckley totally captures with his stripped down, painfully melodic rendition.
Here's the original by Leonard Cohen:
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole-Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World
Yeah, I just went there. Okay, so it might not be more "well-known" than the original(s), but it gives them a breath of fresh air. First of all, Google this guy. He was a MASSIVE Hawaiian dude. Awesome. Anyway, he died a while back, and this was he one big hit (It was the big song in Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt. Solid movie.). He blends these two classics seamlessly. Once again, his version is stripped down from the originals--just his voice and a ukelele. It's such a calming song and his singing and simple strumming really does evoke the message of the songs. Don't know what else to say, I just really like it.
PART TWO COMING SOON...
1) The cover song is more well-known/memorable than the original,
2) The average music fan thinks that the cover is the original...if that makes sense,
3) The cover is "better" than the original (this is obviously completely subjective, but I'd say generally people would think that the cover is superior),
OR
4) The artist(s) who covers the song are more famous than the original artist(s).
and I guess that's all I can think of for now. Also, I obviously haven't heard EVERY cover song ever, so excuse me if I leave out some that you like. Either way, I feel like a did a good job of including some of the most famous ones. Without further ado and in NO particular order...
Jimi Hendrix-All Along the Watchtower
Hendrix's version of Bob Dylan's song is instantly more recognizable and is infinitely more impactful than the original. While Dylan's has the requisite folky, acoustic, barebones sound coupled with the singer's earthy, droning voice, Hendrix completely reinvents the song with his signature electric guitar solos and noticeable changes in the melody of the lyrics themselves. This is especially apparent when he sings, "Two riders were approaching, and the wind begin to howl," followed by rapid strumming that complements the chaotic tone of the song. Not to mention it's one of the defining songs in "Forrest Gump" during the Vietnam War scenes!
Here is the original version by Bob Dylan (all I could find was a Guitar Hero clip on YouTube...deal with it):
U2-Everlasting Love
U2's rendition strips away the funky bombast of the original by Carl Carlton (1974), down to a mere acoustic guitar and vocals. Perhaps the best way to judge a song is by how it ages or dates itself. In this case, U2 wins in a landslide. Their version (from 1987, and appearing on their Best of 1980-1990 B-Sides Collection), doesn't sound dated at all. In fact, I've heard it a few times on contemporary radio and if you didn't know who it was or when it was written, it sounds totally fresh. U2 are not known as a cover band and the handful of times they've actually tried others' songs, they're usually okay at best (See; Paint it Black, Fortunate Son, et. al). However, this tune (as well as Unchained Melody from the same collection, which, I must say, does a great job in reinventing the song like Hendrix did) excels and is an instant toe-tapper. lol.
Here's the original by Carlton:
U2-Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Hey, it's me, so why not another U2 song? In all honesty and resisting bias, this is a classic case of "better than the original" status. This was put on "A Very Special Christmas" compilation back in 1987 (hey, same time as Everlasting Love and Unchained Melody. Hmm...), which was a bunch of covers by popular artists of the time to benefit the special olympics. Needless to say, U2's song became the most well-known and is a staple on the radio during Christmastime. Once again, the original suffers from sounding extremely dated (although it does have that "old time" charm). To me, though, it just sounds to forced or something...it insists upon itself, as Peter Griffin would say. U2's version is more fun and "whimsical," which is especially apparent when Bono chuckles through almost an entire verse. I wonder what got him laughing in the studio during that one...
Here's the original by Darlene Love:
Jeff Buckley-Hallelujah
This is legit such an awesome cover, I don't even know how to review it. (P.S. Note how I've gone from snobby music reviewer in the first video to regular ol' fanboy in this. Whatever.) First of all, Leonard Cohen (the original performer) has to be given HUGE amounts of props for writing the song in the first place. He is truly one of the best lyricists ever and this song only exemplifies that. That being said, Jeff Buckley is miles ahead in his composition of the song. Cohen accompanied his rendition with a chorus of voices in the background during the "hallelujah" choruses, which to me made it almost too pompous for its own good. He also made the song go...so....slowly. That's only made worse by a single snare drum being hit once every few seconds. On the other hands, Buckley's stripped down version fits the content of the song perfectly. It's such an individual experience that is being "sung" about that the lone voice and simple guitar strings are all that it needs. Also, although I love Cohen's completely unique voice (It's DEEP as anything, if you've never heard him. In one of his songs, "Tower of Song," he sings: "I was born like this, I had no choice/ I was born with the gift of a golden voice"--the way he sings it is great.), Buckley adeptly goes from normal to falsetto, which complements the movement of the guitar as well. Overall, it's a heart-wrenching song that Buckley totally captures with his stripped down, painfully melodic rendition.
Here's the original by Leonard Cohen:
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole-Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World
Yeah, I just went there. Okay, so it might not be more "well-known" than the original(s), but it gives them a breath of fresh air. First of all, Google this guy. He was a MASSIVE Hawaiian dude. Awesome. Anyway, he died a while back, and this was he one big hit (It was the big song in Meet Joe Black with Brad Pitt. Solid movie.). He blends these two classics seamlessly. Once again, his version is stripped down from the originals--just his voice and a ukelele. It's such a calming song and his singing and simple strumming really does evoke the message of the songs. Don't know what else to say, I just really like it.
PART TWO COMING SOON...
Sunday, October 10, 2010
U2 Collection Part 3
Here's the final part showing my U2 CD's. I'll have a couple more videos showing my vinyl and DVD/VHS stuff as well.
My U2 Collection-Part 1
Here's Part 1 of my U2 collection. This video focuses on CDs (albums, singles, and promo items) from the period 2000-2010. Enjoy!
Incoming!
Hey everyone! Wow, it has been a while since my last entry here. This is just a quick update for my many, many fans (yeahhhh....). I just recorded a video documenting my U2 collection. Now, I knew I had a lot, but didn't know I had 22 minutes worth! And that was just the CDs and videos. Holy cow. So, I'll probably work a little on it tomorrow editing-wise and break it down maybe by era (1990-now and 1980-1989) something like that. Just so it's watchable and not too boring. I explain why I did it in the beginning of the video so yeah. You'll find out then. I also plan on going through my (less extensive) vinyl collection, so that will be part 3, I suppose.
Until then!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
