Covers That Are Better Than The Original Songs

[wankerness]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfxScuK3Qy4

Jeez, why does everyone have to keep covering that song? No one's done it as well as Jeff Buckley but they just keep on coming. There are at least three covers of it that constantly come on the bland radio station my coworkers listen to, one being Rufus Wainright and another being Jeff Buckley and the other being even lamer than Wainright's. The Jeff Buckley one is obviously the one regular people all turn their nose up at, and popular opinion seems to be that Rufus Wainright wrote it for Shrek!

 

[yingmin]

Jeez, why does everyone have to keep covering that song? No one's done it as well as Jeff Buckley but they just keep on coming. There are at least three covers of it that constantly come on the bland radio station my coworkers listen to, one being Rufus Wainright and another being Jeff Buckley and the other being even lamer than Wainright's. The Jeff Buckley one is obviously the one regular people all turn their nose up at, and popular opinion seems to be that Rufus Wainright wrote it for Shrek!

Before Rufus Wainright, most people probably just assumed Jeff Buckley wrote it.

For whatever reason, Love Song by the Cure was THE song to cover about ten years ago, and I heard three different versions within the space of a month or two. I don't even think it's a particularly good song to begin with, and none of the covers were terribly impressive.

 

[Chocopuppet]

Baby Got Back- Jonathan Coulton

Baby Got Back - Jonathan Coulton - YouTube

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

Some rather interesting choices here.

I'm torn between the Johnny Cash's cover of NIN's Hurt. The original is so evil and eerie but cash's cover turned it into a depressing ballad, which suit the lyrics well. I love the original and Cash did it some justice... sans that damn clicking in the end, no thanks to Rick Rubin.

I loathe that Homefront covers album. Periphery's cover of One takes away all the broody and dark elements of the original and overproduces it to a point of being too pretty for it's own good. Spencer's vocals don't help it either.

I agree with wankerness about Hallelujah. Jeff Buckley's cover was magnificent (actually, half Grace were good covers). Every other cover of it just pales in comparison.

A lot of the Garage Inc stuff I'll also agree, but then again I grew up with Metallica.

But that's just my opinion. Take it as a grain of salt.

As for my contributions:



This song was tailor made for DLR to cover. He was meant to do it and he did it well.



Now I love Tears for Fears and all, but this just brings the song to life, and it suits the lyrics to a point where it overshadows the original.



It's a cover of an old 80s J-Pop female duet. The song's been covered to death by Japanese girls and pop stars alike, but to have a male to record a female duet on his own, yet somehow capture the "waiting for lost love" theme is pretty impressive. Plus the Parisian arrangement is perfect for it too.



A cover of a PIL song based on the Left Field remix. This version takes the best elements of the Left Field remix and turns it into a political uprising theme with John Lydon's attitude and venom intact. Flynn Gower's voice just makes it angrier, which in this case, it's a plus.

There's plenty more but these leave a lasting impression right now.

 

[samclarke669]

I Want it That Way - Steel Panther (Backstreet Boys Cover)

 

[Albionic]

SEPULTURA 1993 Hunt (unofficial).flv - YouTube

 

[Carrion Rocket]

I can't say the D.A. version is better but I like it just as much as I do the original.

 

[Kaos-G]

Stone Sour - Wicked Game [With Lyrics] [Full HD 1080p] - YouTube

 

[Decapitated666]

(Pain of Salvation - Hallelujah)

(TesseracT - Dream Brother)

 

[Louis Cypher]

Van Halen - You Really Got Me


Hendrix - Wild Thing Live Monterey


Not better but fuck me its a beautiful version....


Sneaky one but no one said you couldn't add tracks where a band covers their own song! And any song with John Sykes on guitar is an instant improvement!!
Whitesnake - Crying in the Rain (1987 with John Sykes)

 

[Louis Cypher]

Sorry to double post but had a flood of covers I love come to mind! LOL!

GnR - Mamma Kin (Love the original but personally I prefer this version)


Aerosmith with Jimmy Page Donnington MoR 1990 - Train Keep a Rolling


Jeff Beck - People Get Ready

 

[Albionic]

Stone Sour - Wicked Game [With Lyrics] [Full HD 1080p] - YouTube

this is better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_Wgx1g-hmE

 

[Louis Cypher]

Awesome song covered amazingly
Not better but certainly bloody close....
Death - Painkiller

 

[JLP2005]

Message in A Bottle by Machine Head, but only the album version. I heard 'em cover it live once and it was nogoods.

 

[ZXIIIT]

Marilyn Manson


DarrenC (fellow SS.org member)


Sybreed (Killing Joke version is pretty awesome too though)


Mushroomhead

 

[GRUNTKOR]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gs2o5T7oN8

how is that Mushroomhead Empty Spaces better? It's almost identical! The production on it isn't better than the original either so it's not like it's one of those 'polished' versions of a crappily recorded old song

 

[stuz719]

Unfortunately this thread is so unresponsive due to the multitudinous YouTube links that I can't check whether someone else has mentioned The Byrds and their Dylan covers.

 

[thrsher]

and i wouldn't necessarily say its better, but they did one hell of a job covering this

 

[ArtDecade]

Unfortunately this thread is so unresponsive due to the multitudinous YouTube links that I can't check whether someone else has mentioned The Byrds and their Dylan covers.

Bob Dylan creates a great canvas that other musicians totally exploit and make their own.

Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
G&R - Knocking On Heaven's Door
Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower
Scaggs - Girl From The North County

Etc and ad infinitum...

 

[UV7BK4LIFE]

The final countdown, improved beyond repair I really think it is better. Note the absence of reverb and delay and how that reveals what's left of the song then.



And this one. The "Oh, Vienna" could come out with more power, but that bassguitar, the crunchy guitars, just awesome. And some modern dance sounds are mixed in, without completely raping the original. Just good taste.



And Manson's darker version of Tainted Love is a much better match with the lyrics.