“I can’t believe you left out Ronan Keating’s version of Fairytale of New York”
Jim Carroll
In today’s Ticket, as part of a feature on Cat Power’s new covers album “Jukebox”, I rattled off my favourite 20 cover versions of all time. Naturally, I left tons out. Well, that’s what happens when you have only 20 slots to fill. Let me know if I missed one of your favourites.
sunday bloody sunday by sauf williams is a good one, a collaboration by a rapper with NIN that is waaaay better than it sounds
Jose Gonzalez’s version of Heartbeats was a good effort. Final Fantasy’s version of Mariah Carey’s Sweet Fantasy deserves mentioning. And Ada’s cover of Maps by the yeah yeah yeahs is superb.
re orton and adams..there’s a version of them doing (a lovely version of) no expectations in a dressing room pre some show floating about t’interweb…
My favourites:
Fist, All of Dylan’s own covers of his own songs. He is the father and mother of all coverers!
These are my next favourites. many are slower versions than the originals and that’s what makes them for me different and yet enhanced.
IMO, “they don’t make new songs thw way they usewd to. Most of the present stuff is so much crap, designed for the instant short attention span generation.
Phe Cullen…D’Yer Maker( Led Zep)..More original than the original by a mile! And a half.
Phe Cullen…You Can’t Always Get What You Want(Stones)
Cat Power…I Can’t get no Satisfaction (Stones)and House of the Rising Sun
Madeleine Peyroux…Dance Me to the End of Love (Cohen)
Bruce Lash…Psycho Killer(Talking Heads)
Elaise Piper….Witchy Woman (The Eagles)
Carolyn Debern…Famous Blue Raincoat (Cohen)Amazing!!
Alabama3; Max Romeo;Low Strung….Hotel California (The Eagles)
Can You Rock? Whole Lotta Love (Led Zep)
Bossa N Nova Stones..some of these Bossa Nova covers of Rolling Stones tracks are cool and earthy.
Tok Tok Tok…Take a Walk on the Wild Side (Lou R)
Julian Synne…Ain’t no Sunshine (Bill Withers)
Lars Bygden…The Passenger (Iggy Pop)Amazing!!
Paul Schwartz…Dido
Helge Schneider…Take Five
Gina Roche…Use me Withers)
Dave’s True Story; Bryan Ferry….It’s all over now baby blue(Dylan)
Nils Landgren…Dock of the Bay
Jim, On the money with that selection but what about the Bãlãnescu Quartet’s version of ‘Computer Love’ from the same album? That’s the definitive Kraftwerk cover in my book. Bono once said Kraftwerk were/are a great ‘soul-band’. Yet another daft utterance from Killiney dwarf? Not really. Listen to ‘Possessed’ and you’ll realise he was actually right. Schneider TM’s cover is something really special too. Good choices.
Gearoid – bang on with that one. It’s the best track on the new Saul Williams albums
Niall – Much prefer the Scale version of “Heartbeats” that was in the original top 20 list. And FF’s version of “Sweet Fantasy” is indeed top
Quint – That whole Bãlãnescu Quartet album is worth getting. Absolutely beautiful stuff. On a similar tip, check out a really cool version of “Computer Love” from Glass Candy on “After Dark”, a label compilation from Italians Do It Better.
Conor and Jim.
Buckley’s version makes Hallelujah sound ridiculous and I don’t know what all the fuss is about over it. For me Cohen’s live versions are the best, although I haven’t yet heard John Cale’s one. Bob Dylan’s version -live is a mess of noise. Kathryne Williams has a nice soothing toned-down version also.
Brian,
I agree with you:
Susanna and the Magical Orchestra’s Love Will Tear Us Apart is much better than Nouvelle vague’s version.
1. You’ve got to include Llorando (crying) Rebekka Del Rio from Mulholland Drive – play it loud onthe headphones: it’s sublime.
2. kd lang All I need is the air that I breathe is as sexy as you can get.
3. You’re the One That I Want by the Beautiful South.
Great article – Let’s have a poll
Here’s three more while I’m at it:
1. Bridge Over Troubled Water Johnny Cash
2. A Whiter Shade Of Pale Annie Lennox
3. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face George Michael
i forgot to say that there’s are a few gems in the as now numerous pixies tribute albums.
I’d heard the Scale version of “Heartbeats” on Diplo’s pitchfork mix before, but that was the only time I heard it. I enjoyed it, but I do really think there is no beating the original in that particular case. Anyway, Jim, I enjoyed the article and the debate on the blog that followed. Good stuff!
Patti Smiths Twelve is what woke me up to the idea that covers arent just a fun little distraction.
After months of leaving it sitting on my hard drive I finally gave Niggy Tardust a listen today. I concur with Gearoid. The U2 cover is great.
Ryan Adams – Down In A Hole
Ryan Adams – Wonderwall
Van Morrison – A Change Is Gonna Come
Joss Stone – Victim of a Foolish Heart
Jimmy Eat World – Firestarter
Yes – America
Oasis – Cum on Feel the Noize
Kingsmen – Louie Louie
Placebo – Running Up That Hill (actually several good ones on their Covers album)
Aretha Franklin – Respect
Muse – House of the Rising Sun
The Clash – I Fought The Law
The Vines – Ms. Jackson
oh, and Malcolm McLaren – About Her
Ryan Adams ‘Down in a Hole’ is sublime. Good call man.
Country Mike’s “Rapper’s Delight” is another worthy addition to the ever-increasing list…
@ 43 Brian…
The Band’s version of I shall be released isn’t really a cover, it first appeared on Music from Big Pink in 1968 and came out of the Basement Tapes sessions of 1967, so is really as much a Band track as it is Dylan.
Other songs for consideration would be Jeff Buckley’s covers from his Sin é days, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_Sin-%C3%A9_(Legacy_Edition) . The record is packed with gems, but my favourites are Be Your Husband and Drown in My Own Tears. Every song he attempts is re-interpreted from the original and makes for probably his most captivating and engaging recorded work, cause idolised and all as he is I’ve never rated him as that great a song-writer in his own right.
the manics – rock and roll music
Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris – Love Hurts
Seu Jorge – Life on Mars
Johnny Cash – Hurt
I like the Futureheads – Hounds of love too.
Yo La Tengo have done many a couple – at a push I’d have to choose Little Honda. In fact anything of the Little Honda EP.
Galaxie 500 – Don’t let your youth go to waste.
REM were always good for the covers to. They do a mean version of Richard Thompson’s Wall Of Death on the E-bow the Letter cd single. Actually, YLT to a fantastic version of Richard and Linda Thompson’s For shame of Doing Wrong (Slide version.
Sonic Youth’s Superstar is another cracker. They do a mean version of Neil Young’s Computer Age too. Not too keen on their John Cage covers though…
I haven’t heard Zeitkratzer’s cover of Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music, but I believe it is ace!
The Dylan Group (featuring Adam Pierce) did a wonderful version of the Orb’s Towers Of Dub.
Finally, someone already mention John Cale’s cover of All My Friends. It’s brilliant and possibly the song I played the most last year.
“@ 43 Brian…
The Band’s version of I shall be released isn’t really a cover, it first appeared on Music from Big Pink in 1968 and came out of the Basement Tapes sessions of 1967, so is really as much a Band track as it is Dylan.”
Well if we’re getting pedantic here – the song is credited to Dylan who sang the original vocal aswell. They weren’t even called The Band when they first recorded it with him a year before. Tears of Rage is a collaboration with Dylan. I Shall Be Released is a cover.
I reckon Susanna and the Magical Orchestra’s version of ‘Jolene’ is even better than their Joy Division cover, spine-tingling stuff. That woman could sing Boyzone covers and I’d be all over it like a rash. I’d stick my neck out for M. Ward’s version of ‘Let’s Dance’- so good it was the first dance (a very very slow dance in retrospect…) at my wedding! And while I’m at it- ‘Wonderwall’ by Cat Power and ‘This Modern Love’ by Final Fantasy are amazing.
Speaking of Yo La Tengo … they have that AMAZING cover version of Sun Ra’s nuclear war, might be hard to find as it came out on an ep with four different takes. Track two is my favourite with the kids echoing YLT’s frontman — “Nuclear War — yeah-eh! It’s a motherfucker! Don’t you know!” .. over and over.
Class.
I’m very priviliged to be the first poster in this conversation.
I agree with loads of the songs mentioned, but especially Dinosaur Jr’s Just Like Heaven. Fair play flynnduism, can’t believe I forgot about that.
I’d also like to throw in The Black Crowes’ version of Hard To Handle by Otis Redding, Kerbdog’s version of Stiff Little Fingers’ Suspect Device and R.E.M.’s take on Crazy by Pylon.
And on the Smiths theme, Placebo did a great version of Bigmouth Strikes Again.
I’m sure I’ll have thought of a few more soon…
Teddy – one of the versions of Nuclear War is on Prisoner of Love (disc 2) a Yo La Tengo retrospective type thingy.
To hell with the begrudgers Jim, I’m glad you put Jeff Buckley’s version of Hallelujah in your list. It was a defining moment in his all too brief career. Elvis Costello’s song “Shipbuilding” is also a good addition, but what about Elvis himself covering Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”. He removes the mawkish elements of the original and turns it into an emotive plea. Never have such positive lyrics sounded as sad. Also worth a mention is Fiona Apple’s recent cover of “I Want You” by Mr Costello.
Also worth a mention is Fiona Apple’s recent cover of “I Want You” by Mr Costello.
I heard the Elvis Costello version the other day and I have to say it is, without question, the most appalling song I have ever heard in all my life.
There’s an episode of The Simpsons where Homer sings Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl”, thinking it to be a counter-culture protest song. I’d like to add that priceless moment to this list.
Nina Simone – I shall be Released gets my vote too.
The Smiths is better than the Beatles & Rolling Stones put together.
Johnny Marr is a musician who just happens to play the guitar. He is by far a better musician than Clapton, Lennon, Macca. these guys don’t have the dimension that Marr has and eveybody knows it.
Most interesting: José Gonzalez, Heartbeats
Most awful: Rolf Harris, Stairway to Heaven
Most Pointless: Candy Flip, Strawberry Fields