Friday, March 11, 2005
Really Good Cover Songs
Patrick asked me for a list of good cover songs yesterday, which immediately made me think of my two all-time favorites: The Flying Lizards' "Money," and Devo's "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." As good as those are, it got me to thinking just how rare a really good cover song really is. It's not that there aren't enough candidates -- rock music is as derivative as any musical genre -- just that so few of them possess even a spark of originality. (How lame: I'm criticizing cover songs for being unoriginal.) I guess what I'm trying to say is that to me, a great cover song strips enough of the original away to leave room for reinterpretation, while leaving just enough of it to pay appropriate homage. In a time when the general public considers both Smashing Pumpkins' and Dixie Chicks' takes on Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" (which to me sound like the original played at varying speeds to alter the pitch slightly) good covers, I think it's important for people to know (by example) what a good cover really is. Herewith, a quickly-compiled list.
Please feel free to amend it (or, heaven forbid, criticize it) in the comments section.
The Bad Plus: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Neo-jazz reworking of the original outshines the BP's other celebrated covers, including "Heart of Glass," "Velouria," and "Iron Man." Sounds different enough from Nirvana's version that it might be unrecognizable to the casual listener until half way through, when a nagging feeling of familiarity begins to creep over you.
Sinead O'Connor: "All Apologies"
Too many people hate Sinead for her (admittedly loopy) politics and refuse to recognize the devastating emotional splendor her voice is capable of carrying. This version darn near brings me to tears every time I hear it, a feat Kurt and co. could never quite pull off.
Cat Power: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
The yin to Devo's yang, Chan Marshall mutates the original by excising the chorus entirely -- the result is a completely different song than the original, with beautifully annunciated lyrics that change the song from a celebration of teenage lust to an exploration of love and loss. It passes the ultimate cover-song litmus test: play it for any classic rock fan and see if the classic rock fan can figure out which extremely popular hit song she's covering. Watch as the blankness spreads across their face.
Nirvana: "The Man Who Fell to Earth"
Personally, I'll take Nirvana's Unplugged version of this one every time over David Bowie's, whom I like just fine but who I also think is jezzed a tad overrated.
Iron and Wine: "Such Great Heights"
Used in "Garden State" recently (which you should see if you haven't already), Sam Beam's lilt-folk cover of The Postal Service's 3-year old synth pop masterpiece qualifies for inclusion on my list for the same reason Cat Power does: if you're going to bother covering a song, for god's sake, make it your own.
TV On the Radio: "Mister Grieves"
A capella version of a Pixies song that was tacked on as a "hidden" bonus cut on TVotR's phenomenal "Young Liars" EP, it soars on its originality and toe-tapping catchiness. When I think of the song, I hear this version in my head -- not the Pixies'.
Schneider TM: "Light 3000"
A strange discovery I found on a promo comp from Mute records, this is an electro glitch update of The Smiths' "There is a Light that Never Goes Out," and it's flat-out gorgeous in its dreamlike simplicity. It's also both a bit spooky and terribly sad.
Please feel free to amend it (or, heaven forbid, criticize it) in the comments section.
The Bad Plus: "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Neo-jazz reworking of the original outshines the BP's other celebrated covers, including "Heart of Glass," "Velouria," and "Iron Man." Sounds different enough from Nirvana's version that it might be unrecognizable to the casual listener until half way through, when a nagging feeling of familiarity begins to creep over you.
Sinead O'Connor: "All Apologies"
Too many people hate Sinead for her (admittedly loopy) politics and refuse to recognize the devastating emotional splendor her voice is capable of carrying. This version darn near brings me to tears every time I hear it, a feat Kurt and co. could never quite pull off.
Cat Power: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
The yin to Devo's yang, Chan Marshall mutates the original by excising the chorus entirely -- the result is a completely different song than the original, with beautifully annunciated lyrics that change the song from a celebration of teenage lust to an exploration of love and loss. It passes the ultimate cover-song litmus test: play it for any classic rock fan and see if the classic rock fan can figure out which extremely popular hit song she's covering. Watch as the blankness spreads across their face.
Nirvana: "The Man Who Fell to Earth"
Personally, I'll take Nirvana's Unplugged version of this one every time over David Bowie's, whom I like just fine but who I also think is jezzed a tad overrated.
Iron and Wine: "Such Great Heights"
Used in "Garden State" recently (which you should see if you haven't already), Sam Beam's lilt-folk cover of The Postal Service's 3-year old synth pop masterpiece qualifies for inclusion on my list for the same reason Cat Power does: if you're going to bother covering a song, for god's sake, make it your own.
TV On the Radio: "Mister Grieves"
A capella version of a Pixies song that was tacked on as a "hidden" bonus cut on TVotR's phenomenal "Young Liars" EP, it soars on its originality and toe-tapping catchiness. When I think of the song, I hear this version in my head -- not the Pixies'.
Schneider TM: "Light 3000"
A strange discovery I found on a promo comp from Mute records, this is an electro glitch update of The Smiths' "There is a Light that Never Goes Out," and it's flat-out gorgeous in its dreamlike simplicity. It's also both a bit spooky and terribly sad.
posted by Bill Purdy, 9:48 AM
4 Buffaloes were bitter enough to post comments:
What? No hair metal bands? Are you sayin you didn't love Great White's version of "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You?" Or Ugly Kid Joe doing "The Cat's in the Cradle?" My GOD - do you know ANYTHING about music? What about all of the classical stuff Scatterbrain has remade?
I haven't heard "Ghost In You" as covered by Mr. Duritz, but I'm chuckling for some reason at the idea of Psychedelic Furs being covered by anyone. It's like covering Kajagogoo or, more recently, Good Charlotte: what's the point? Patrick brought up elsewhere Lovemongers' (basically, Heart) cover of "Battle of Evermore" from the Singles soundtrack, which I wholeheartedly agree with. And as for "Knockin'..." is there a single Bob Dylan song ever that is better in its original version than the cover? Maybe that's a question reserved for a later blog post.
We haven't yet breached the topic of live covers -- cover songs bands only do in concert. Recently, I saw a guy called Final Fantasy (see the Arcade Fire review) cover Joana Newsom's "Peach, Plum, Pear" in a way that was completely devastating to me. The cool thing it that at that point, I hadn't heard the original -- and now that I have, it STILL blows me away. Le Tigre does "I'm So Excited," perfectly, and The Arcade Fire does Talking Heads' "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)," which fits perfectly with their milieu (unfortunately, they didn't perform it the night I saw them, instead waiting until their show a couple nights later in NY to whore it up with David Byrne onstage).
On a slightly different topic, I've had Autolux's "Sugarfee" and Interpol's "Spies" (neither of which are cover songs) stuck in my fucking head for two straight days. I fall asleep singling them in my head, and I wake up singing them. It's starting to really get on my nerves.
I strongly suggest you buy both CDs. Doing so may eventually clear my head.
We haven't yet breached the topic of live covers -- cover songs bands only do in concert. Recently, I saw a guy called Final Fantasy (see the Arcade Fire review) cover Joana Newsom's "Peach, Plum, Pear" in a way that was completely devastating to me. The cool thing it that at that point, I hadn't heard the original -- and now that I have, it STILL blows me away. Le Tigre does "I'm So Excited," perfectly, and The Arcade Fire does Talking Heads' "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)," which fits perfectly with their milieu (unfortunately, they didn't perform it the night I saw them, instead waiting until their show a couple nights later in NY to whore it up with David Byrne onstage).
On a slightly different topic, I've had Autolux's "Sugarfee" and Interpol's "Spies" (neither of which are cover songs) stuck in my fucking head for two straight days. I fall asleep singling them in my head, and I wake up singing them. It's starting to really get on my nerves.
I strongly suggest you buy both CDs. Doing so may eventually clear my head.
Speaking of bands at the pinnacle of their careers... I watched an episode of Buffy this morning -- if you watched the show, it was the Prom episode from Season 3 -- and the song they used at the end of the show to really jack up the emotional ante (big episode here: Angel dumped Buffy that morning and announced he'd be leaving town as soon as the Mayor's ascension was thwarted) was The Sundays' cover of "Wild Horses." While it played, everyone danced with their dates. Even Angel showed up to give Buffy one last twirl before the two-part season finale (which I haven't seen yet, so don't you dare spoil it for me!).
Everything Whedon was trying to accomplish in that episode worked, in large part because that musical selection tied everything together. Jagger's version is fine, but this one really resonates. A song that began as either an ode to drug addiction or being on the road (then again, I'm a terrible lyrical interpreter) becomes a love song, pure and simple.
It brought a tear to my eye, it really did.
Everything Whedon was trying to accomplish in that episode worked, in large part because that musical selection tied everything together. Jagger's version is fine, but this one really resonates. A song that began as either an ode to drug addiction or being on the road (then again, I'm a terrible lyrical interpreter) becomes a love song, pure and simple.
It brought a tear to my eye, it really did.
I have to say, if no one ever does "Heaven's Door" again I will be happy. I can't stand that song when it gets covered. It's almost as annoying as UB40's version of "Red, Red Wine!"
KT mentioned the Goo Goo Dolls version of "Give a Little Bit" by Supertramp, which isn't bad.
Believe it or not, Great White did decent justice to "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" by Zep. However, it's really Jimmy Page's sloppy, flubbing playing on that song that makes it so great. Great White's version was just a little too clean for a great blues ballad.
Red Hot Chili Peppers doing "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder anyone?
KT mentioned the Goo Goo Dolls version of "Give a Little Bit" by Supertramp, which isn't bad.
Believe it or not, Great White did decent justice to "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" by Zep. However, it's really Jimmy Page's sloppy, flubbing playing on that song that makes it so great. Great White's version was just a little too clean for a great blues ballad.
Red Hot Chili Peppers doing "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder anyone?