Today I’m going for something light. Recently I was discussing music with a colleague of mine and we got into 80’s music. Luckily we were on the same wavelength about that decade: for a lot of reasons it sucked musically; and, if you listen to all the same old stuff people keep playing on 80’s Hits stations you keep hearing the worst of the decade. Anyway, I brought up New Order’s Love Vigilantes as a great song from a great band that was unfairly typecast. From there I told my friend about Iron & Wine’s new cover version and how I couldn’t decide which was better.
We all know great examples of cover versions that have been deemed better than, or at least equal to, the original song. I’ll jump in to this old argument, hoping that you comment with your picks.
I’m going to say that I vote a tie between New Order’s Love Vigilante and Iron & Wine’s very recent version. They are so different and both work. Laura Cantrell does a great version and others who cover the tune are Oysterband, Poi Dog Pondering, Hungry Lucy, and Jimmy Ryan. Give them a listen and tell me which you like and why.
All Along the Watchtower by Hendrix is a better version than Dylan’s original. Now wait, I wasn’t comparing Hendrix to Dylan, it’s about the song itself. As a rock song, Hendrix’s version is better.
Eva Cassidy’s version of Song Bird exceeds the impact of the Fleetwood original, but only for subtle reasons and in small degrees. And some might give me grief but I’m going with the Fugee’s Killing Me Softly over Roberta Flack’s original. I know “old school” style seems to be always better but I’ve had a wicked crush on Lauryn Hill and part of it is her earnest, smooth and sexy voice.
If you google any variation of “cover version better than original” tons of hits pop up. For example, The Website hearya has a list of 33 (http://www.hearya.com), where I think they hit some right and missed others. Example: No way is The Rolling Stones’ version of Just My Imagination better than the Temptations’ original. Mick and the boys can pull off all sorts of American styles and intonations but I don’t think they can match the smoothness of the Temptations.
But I do agree with hearya that the Foo Fighters version of Baker Street by Jerry Rafferty is much better. The energy is there, simple as that. And The Pogues And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda wins!
Your thoughts? Any song, any genre.
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