My brain is fried due to finishing up a series of big projects yesterday, so I’m taking the day off. Because I can, that’s why.
But don’t worry, my friends, I wouldn’t leave you without something to keep you busy. So here’s what I want to know:
What’s your favorite cover song? Of all time, or right now, or just something you heard once and thought it was great. I love hearing unusual takes on familiar songs, so if you have a link you can share, so much the better. (If you have more than two links in your reply it’ll get held for moderation, but don’t worry, I’ll send it through quickly.)
And you know what? Let’s make this more interesting by saying that songs from professional cover bands (e.g., Me First and the Gimme Gimmes) don’t count.
My answer: This definitely isn’t a best-of-all-time thing, but right now I cannot get enough of Obadiah Parker‘s cover of Outkast‘s “Hey Ya” (iTunes | YouTube). It’s everything a great cover should be: Surprising, interesting, and entirely listenable on its own merits.
How about you?
Two faves of mine… Travis singing “Hit Me Baby One More Time” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NwqN-xj9Xs
And Weezer doing MGMT’s “Kids” and Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_8GNaEVCPU
The Gourds cover of Snoop’s “Gin and Juice”
Oh hell yes. Gin & Juice is one of the legendary ones.
CJ, I hadn’t seen either of those. The one from Travis is hysterical.
William Shatner & Joe Jackson – Common People (originally by Pulp)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKbt3wRsZYw
I do enjoy: Johnathan Coulton’s cover of Baby Got Back.
http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/Baby%20Got%20Back
Yeah.
These are probably too mainstream to fit in what’s already been mentioned, but I feel like every discussion of good covers should start with All Along the Watchtower by Hendrix and With a Little Help From My Friends by Joe Cocker, and Aretha Franklin’s Respect was a cover.
Pooka, that will never leave my brain now.
I’ve always like Fiona Apple’s cover of the Beatles’ Across the Universe.
This is one of the most unintentionally hilarious covers I’ve ever been lucky enough to discover:
Queensryche’s version of Simon & Garfunkle’s Scarborough Fair.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcwQlGjNqrs&feature=youtube_gdata
It just gets progressively more and more dramatic and pretentious. Listen to it extra loud for added dramatic effect.
That. Is. Legendary.
I don’t think this one will have quiet the same effect as the cover of Common People, but I wanna add to the mix another one I’ve just remembered…
Nina Gordon – Straight Outta Compton (Original by NWA)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6D5xpCgETk
I’m editing from the future! Plastic Axe is one year old today.
I’m a big fan of Mark Kozelek’s AC/DC covers. He did a couple of albums with them. Samples:
If You Want Blood – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QuoHoAi9TQ
Walk All Over You – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWNw2W_Mnxw
Others:
In Flames does Depeche Mode – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5zL-g-2AUE
Michael Hedges does Hendrix doing Dylan – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs0rKW2jqMU#t=1m50s
Band of Susans does Paint it Black – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACyV64VxHFA
And Richard Thompson has an answer to the Bodom version – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAS4ltt7DzI
Ok – one last one for you…..
If you’ve never heard of them, I’d highly recommend a group called “Apocalyptica” – they’re 4 finnish guys with Cellos who play cover versions of heavy metal, and the sounds they get out of their cellos is truely unbelievable – I was lucky enough to see them in concert a couple of years ago, and they’re one of the greatest live acts I’ve ever seen….
They started out covering Metallica, and their first album is “Metallica for four Cellos”, but they’ve now branched out to start playing other metal acts…
Apocalyptica – One – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JjQGt7WjK0
Apocalyptica – The Unforgiven – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qr9poAYiJw
I saw Gnarls Barkley last summer and they finished their set with “Reckoner” which is a Radiohead cover. It was pretty intense. I hear they do quite a few covers for their live shows and it usually ties in somehow to any coustumes they wear, like when they all dressed as chefs they did a cover of Duran Duran’s
“Hungry Like The Wolf”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUmmsMeHAaE