I have, far too late in life, started listening to the Stars. You see, if I started listening to music when it actually first became current, then I wouldn't be as lame as I regularly claim to be. Ergo, I need to wait anywhere between 9-18 months after a group becomes famous to start listening to it. In any case, they're as good as everybody says, and you should all listen to them too.
While I'm writing about music, let me just praise my MP3 player - an RCA Lyra player that has 1G of flash memory, a line in, a microphone, and an FM tuner. I believe, that with the right combination of keystrokes, I could get it to make me coffee and a bagel. This would be evidence of it's malevolence, as I drink tea. It is also terrifyingly intelligent. It has analyzed my music, and often seems to be mixing songs on a theme. I can only assume that my MP3 player is ready to pass the Turing test.
In any case, my AAA-powered wonder has discovered my love of covered songs. Yesterday, for 12 songs in a row, it played nothing but assorted covers of various artists. I may not get all the songs the player covered, but in no particular order I present covers that I prefer to the original performers' versions:
Aimee Mann - Coldplay's The Scientist. (Live) Simply fantastic. Mann's voice is a much better fit for the lyrics of this song than what'shisname from Coldplay. Add to the fact that Mann is a much better performer live than on her studio recordings, and you've got a great track.
Tracy Chapman - Bob Dylan's The Times, They Are A-Changin'. (Live) This one is on the Dylan 30th Anniversary Concert CD. Pretty much every track on this double CD has 2 things going for them: 1) They are written by Bob Dylan, but 2) they are not sung by Bob Dylan. Sorry Skippy.
Any version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. See Dylanitis, above. But for a recent excellent version, see k.d. lang. While you're at it, check out lang's version of Helpless, if you've been living in a cave and haven't heard it yet.
The Weakerthans - Phil Och's Ringing of Revolution. Take one Phil Ochs song, which lasts 7 minutes when sung to an acoustic guitar. Replace with electric and speed it up by 50%, and you have a lot more fun with it. Plus, it's all about murdering the last rich bastards on Earth, so you know I'm there.
10,000 Maniacs - Patti Smith's Because the Night. From back when Natalie Merchant was with them. More energy than Smith's original.
Eric Cartman - Asia's Heat of the Moment. From the episode where Kenny dies. Every time Cartman starts singing, I can't stop singing back to him in the role of the various congressmen. Ask Vicki.
Barenaked Ladies - Bruce Cockburn's Lovers in a Dangerous Time. Honestly, it was only a few years ago that I realized this was a Bruce Cockburn song, and having heard the original I basically forgot about it and kept listening to the Ladies. Oh, another song that is indelibly linked to the coverer, not the original artist (for me): Killing Me Softly. Honestly, my head never hears this song except from Lauryn Hill's voice.
Leave your own suggestions in comments. Or tell me I'm insane. I'm expecting hate mail from Skippy for impugning The Dylan anyway, so you won't be alone.
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3 comments:
Talking about Aimee Mann and cover versions that are superior to the originals reminds me of Bettye Lavette's fantastic version of "How am I different". Blows Mann's version out of the water in terms of intensity -- the lyrics become emotionally resonant as opposed to merely acid and clever.
I agree that whatshisname's voice is indeed inferior, even though I do like coldplay songs.
Wow, I never realized Lovers in a Dangerous Time was a cover either.
Have you heard the original, John Denver version of Leaving in a Jet Plane? It's pretty bad... made all the more ironic that he died in a plane crash.
Johnny Cash did a cover of U2's One that is absolutely fantastic. Best version I've heard of that often-covered song.
'Lovers in a Dangerous Time' was a good choice by the BNL. I remember thinking even when the oringinal came out that the song itself was better than the released version of the song, and the BNL did a great job proving that was true.
At the same time, I think it would be very difficult for someone to do a better version of 'If I had a Rocket Launcher', even though it was on the same (original) album. Funny how that works.
Another good cover is Gary Jules' version of 'Mad World'.
And 'The End of the World' by R.E.M. just seems kind of slow after getting used to the Great Big Sea version.
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