Fosse, in regard to the Stones and The Beatles, that was the norm at the time. Most young live bands played other people’s music, before recording their own.
Indie, are you referring to “Light My Fire”?

One person who was renowned for covering other people’s songs, better than the originals is Joe Cocker. Not many people can cover one, never mind numerous Beatles songs successfully. Just some of Joe’s early covers include:
A Little Help From My Friends
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Oh Darling and
The Letter (previously recorded by The Box Tops, among others)

Any time a modern pop singer tries to remake a classic rock song it sounds horrible.

Here’s another one that’s not terrible, but still ruined:

Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows

Badness = Uncle Kracker doing "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray
Badness = Two young men I work with not knowing it was a cover.
Goodness = Johnny Cash's remake of SoundGarden's "Rusty Chains"
Badness = Smashing Pumpkins doing "Landslide" Their version wasn't any better than the Dixie Chicks.
Goodness = Jimi Hendrix redoing Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower"
Badness = Sheryl Crow's remake of "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns and Roses

I was the target audience for Ugly Kid Joe when they first came out. And I knew then that Cat in the Cradle was a remake. And I can name quite a few other songs by them. I happen to rather like Run DMC / Aerosmith's version of Walk this Way. I mean, seriously. Like the original only-Aerosmith version was really a masterpiece... I love Aerosmith as much as the next girl but teaching young boys how to make time with young girls is not really the mark of great music. Besides, I really believe that in any remake where the original artists are so involved, things can't help but go fairly well.

Indie, as I said, it wasn’t terrible, but there are some songs that just shouldn’t be covered by anyone. I too like Counting Crows. I haven’t heard Janet Jackson’s version and I don’t ever want to.

It's ok, I was just joking. Janet Jackson's version was horrible, conisder yourself lucky for never having heard it.

IndieQueen said:

Quote:

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I'm not a huge fan of cover songs. I can't stand artists who release entire albums devoted to cover songs (with the exception of Me First and Gimme Gimmes), I tend to think that you should showcase your own talents in writing and recording music not somebody else's.

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I can see your point, but I do also think that sometimes doing an album of covers can say as much about an artist as an almbum of their own creation...the example that comes to mind being Nick Cave & The Bad Seed's "kicking against the pricks" which was entirely devoted to covers...not only did I find the different "styles" of songs interesting...but also liked the way a few old favourites sounded with a Bad Seed's edge to them...

In my old age, I've come to enjoy hearing different artists' takes on some of my old favorite songs. But I will NEVER forgive Guns 'n Roses for doing "Knocking on Heaven's Door".

Tanzen,

I'll have to check that one out. I've recently started listening to Nick Cave.

There are exceptions to my little rant. Johnny Cash's The Man Comes Around is brilliant so are Mike Ness' Under the Influences and The Misfits Project 1950's. Actually, there are a ton of cover CD's by punk bands that are great. It's the stale, lifeless covers that I have huge issues with.

I really recommend it...the Bad Seeds just have a way of making fantastic songs...all the more haunting...and amazing...

(ps - I can't start talking about Nick Cave...over the last couple of months I have been pimping him off to anyone who will listen to me...even though I've been listening to him for years... )

Tanzen, have you heard the Concrete Blonde version of the Ship Song?

I had heard a cover of the Ship Song, but I didn't realise that it was Concrete Blonde

"Kicking Against the Pricks" is a pretty good album. It's named for a Bible passage, by the way. Book of Acts.

Sublime did some good covers. There were three on "40 oz. to Freedom" which included a Dead song... "Scarlet Begonias". I like their cover of "Minor Threat" too.

The Voodoo Glow Skulls have done several covers... I heard "Charlie Brown" is good. I liked their cover of "Stranded in the Jungle" a lot.

Nine Inch Nails version of Black Sabbath's "Supernaut".

Social Distortion does good covers. "Ring of Fire" and "Tainted Love" are my favourites. I like Soft Cell's version too. It's really sleazy.

CCR's cover of "I Put a Spell on You" is pretty good, but I prefer Screamin' Jay's version. I do like CCR's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" better than the original.

The Clash - "I Fought the Law"

Urge Overkill - "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon"

Letters to Cleo is a cheesy band that does a cheesy cover of the super-cheesy Cheap Trick cheesy song "I Want You to Want Me". I guess I like dairy foods because I like it.

There was a compilation CD of cartoon theme songs I'm too lazy to look up... Helmet covered "Gigantor", Everclear did "Speed Racer" and The Ramones did "Spiderman". I can get my stepson and his buddy to bounce off the furniture by playing the last one.

Check this out: http://www.coversproject.com/

I forgot one. Sugar Ray covers Is She Really Going out with Him by Joe Jackson. It's the worst thing I've ever heard.

Sometimes a song is so good that it's hard to screw it up. For
example-Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower. This song has been covered by the following acts-
Jimi Hendrix
Dave Mason
Brewer and Shipley
Frank Marino
U-2
All these versions are good.

This will probably interest the Aussies out there the most. Ette has just informed me that Christine Aguiwhatsy does a version of Khe Sahn. I haven’t heard it and I don’t think I want to!

Ah no! That's just wrong. There is only one person who can sing that song.