Covers of songs that better the original

[Ginger Tea]

Every once in a while a band will release a cover song as a b side or single and it will blow the original out of the water

Saul Williams "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is way better than U2's original and I hear it more about Civil Rights than northern Irland and afaik, no words were changed, just the singer.

Honeyroot's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" due to its stripped down arangement 9/10 wins over Joy Divisions, but a song older than 99% of the indie nights attendee's is a guaranteed floor filler even now

Patti Smith's "When Doves Cry" I say is better and one housemate swears that Prince's version of any Prince song is always better (edit: sorry Tom Jones/Art of Noise Kiss WIN)

No Doubt's "It's My Life" although radio play killed it for me at the time, its still way better than talk talk or whomever did it first

I could go on and I havnt even found all of my cover CD's, some of the female vocal Depeche Mode songs are imo better

Also it helps when the arangement is changed and its not damn near a karaoke version

[lordlundar]

I hear ya. A couple of my favorite "remixes".

"Hungry like the wolf" Reel Big Fish's version is a jazz style that I find a lot more preferable to the heavily synthesized version of Duran Duran's.

"Spanish Lullaby" Alizee does a remix called La Ilsa Bonita but it's the same song, though the instrumental aspect is more in line to the region the song is about than Madonna's original version.

[anakhouri]

Oh, Duran Duran's "Watching the Detectives" and "Lay Lady Lay" for sure.

And kd lang's version of "Hallelujah".

[Ginger Tea]

Oh, Duran Duran's "Watching the Detectives" and "Lay Lady Lay" for sure.

aside from a few tracks the whole Thank You album is nothing but covers and apart from "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone" it's the only time I'd willingly listen to them. "Watching..." definatly beats Costellos version

[Stormraven]

Haven't heard the original, and only snippets of the cover, but the general consensus seems to be Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt.

[MadMike]

I think I started a thread like this on CS a few years back.

"Am I Evil?" Originally by Diamond Head, covered by Metallica. The original singer's voice was just too gentle for such a violent song. Hetfield's growling was better suited for these dark lyrics.

"Diamonds and Rust" Originally by Joan Baez, covered by Judas Priest. OK, I'm a metalhead, so I supposed I'm somewhat biased on this one. Funny thing, for the longest time, I thought Priest was the orignal artist, until I heard the original playing in a restaurant somewhere.

That's all I have for now.

[crashhelmet]

I hear ya. A couple of my favorite "remixes".
"Hungry like the wolf" Reel Big Fish's version is a jazz style that I find a lot more preferable to the heavily synthesized version of Duran Duran's.

I'm a firm believer in the the rule that if you're going to cover a song, you MUST make it your own. However, that does not mean you can ruin it.

Staying on the topic of Ska covers:
Save Ferris - Come on Eileen
Letters to Cleo - I Want You to Want Me
Reel Big Fish - New York New York

Punk Covers
Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies - Just about everything they've ever recorded.
Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons
Sex Pistols - Johnny Be Good (Couldn't leave this out)

CH

[Boozy]

Saul Williams "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is way better than U2's original and I hear it more about Civil Rights than northern Irland and afaik, no words were changed, just the singer.

I'm not familiar with that cover, but I am fond of REM's cover of "One" (another U2 song).

I think U2 has written some good tunes, but Bono's voice is like nails on a chlakboard for me. I'm almost guaranteed to like covers of their songs better than the originals.

Haven't heard the original, and only snippets of the cover, but the general consensus seems to be Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt.

I really hate that cover, and its popularity baffles me.

I suspect a large part of it is that Johnny Cash is trendy right now.

[draggar]

"Everlasting Love" covered by U2

Oasis's version of Cum on "Feel the Noize" was FAR better than Quiet Riot's cover (originally done by Slade).

Here's a question - Brian Setzer's Orchestra also did "Rock This Town" which is better than the Stray Cats version but both bands were headed up by Brian Setzer - would it be a cover?

Vince Neil did a good job with "The Bitch is Back"

4-Non Blondes did a good job with "Misty Mountain Top"

Duran Duran did an off-and-on (better and worse) version of "Thank You"

George Michael's live version of "Somebody to Love"

Dwight Yokum (sp?) did a pretty good version of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"

[AdminAssistant]

I really hate that cover, and its popularity baffles me.

I suspect a large part of it is that Johnny Cash is trendy right now.

I think it's the timing - his putting out that particular song so close to his death. I find the video very moving. You can practically hear the pain in Cash's voice - and you don't get that in the NIN version. I think even Trent Reznor said Cash did a better job with it than they did.

[Ginger Tea]

I'm not familiar with that cover, but I am fond of REM's cover of "One" (another U2 song).

Its on his 'Niggy Tardust' myspace not his main one
http://www.myspace.com/riseofniggytardust

I think U2 has written some good tunes, but Bono's voice is like nails on a chlakboard for me. I'm almost guaranteed to like covers of their songs better than the originals.

Ditto

[the_std]

Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons

Gonna have to disagree with you there. Don't get me wrong, I love the Goldfinger cover. I love just about everything Goldfinger has ever done. But the original of that song (both English and German) were fantastic in their own right. It's such an amazing song that it's almost impossible to top.

[anakhouri]

I think the thing about Hurt is that Trent Reznor just sounds whiny when he sings it, while Johnny Cash actually sounds like someone who has hurt other people and regrets it.

Oh, and Seu George's covers of David Bowie- maybe not better, but just as good.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Here are some of my favourite cover versions that I believe were better than the original. ^^

White Wedding - Murderdolls.

I love the original as well, but this one is just brilliant; hard to explain, if you've never heard it, but uses sneering lyrics and screechy guitars and the first time I heard it, it really appealed to me. Puts the song into another context completely. XD

Tainted Love - Marilyn Manson
Sweet Dreams - Marilyn Manson

Manson has done a lot of covers over the years, but these two are my favourites. He always makes the song completely his own, and I always prefer Manson's version to the original. The guy's a genius.

Word Up - Korn
Another Brick In The Wall - Korn

Sorry, Pink Floyd fans; but Korn's version pwns the original. At least, in my honest opinion.

[Greenday]

Manson's version of Tainted Love definitely is a lot better than the original. He makes it bad ass whereas it just sounds lame in the original.

As for Another Brick in The Wall, I feel Pink Floyd is untouchable for it. Damn good job in their version.