Ozzy "Mississippi Queen"? LOL! No Doubt, "Its my life"? BARF! Marlyn Manson "Personal Jesus"? JOKE! Korn (i think) "The Wall"?!?!?!?!??!?! Sacrilige!! Why do these creative veterans in the biz have to do this ****?! Then these songs ends up on thier "greatest Hits Album"?!?! I'm sick of them all, each and everyone. Cmon people write a new song or somfin. ok....rant over.
Haha. I made this exact post last year (with different songs). Thank god I'm not subjected to the radio at work anymore.
maybe they enjoy those songs? maybe they respect those bands? maybe it's fun for them to take a break and do something they want to do? seriously??? MR.MEOWGi, you should be ashamed: Big Boys-->"hollywood swingin'" Butthole Surfers-->"american woman" c'mon, guy...sometimes it's actually challenging to try and perform something that's already been done really well. lighten-up. or, go start your own band and don't cover anything...
Covers are great, but it all depends. They can become a crutch, like remaking movies. That's what I see happening. Easy $ (but not in all cases).
Covers are fine....in concert. I'd just rather a group record original music. When their 'hit single' is a song made famous by another group..and especially if the version isn't particularly unique....just seems like they're plagiarizing.
Word I can't blame groups for throwing covers in their live set, since they are likely very bored with their own songs after awhile.
there was even a band who covered "Bohemian Rhapsody". man i was pissed. Also i'm a big Lionell Richie fan(Yes i like that kind of music). and Stuck on you was one of my favorite songs. And Then came 3T now i cannot hear that song anymore
ok sure, and then put it on their own "Greatest Hits" album as if they were behind it all, lol! See thats the problem I have with it. No Doubt gettin nominated for a freakin Grammy?! Greatest Hits?! OZZY, Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!? I'm still pissed! btw, who did the remake of Michael Jacksons "Smooth Criminal" hahaaaaaaaaa! another joke of a remake!lol
Groups usually put cover songs on their albums for 2 reasons (both of them economical): 1) Their original material is weak, and the record company, hearing no hit singles, asks them to include a cover of an already popular song so that the album won't tank. 2) The group is releasing a "Greatest Hits" album, and they put one cover song so that the people who already have all the original albums will still buy the greatest hits. (the other trick nowadays is a "remixed" version of one of their originals). Every once in awhile, you'll see an artist do a cover because they really like the song and have come up with a great interpretation of it. But even then, they usually only record it as a B-side or to fill out a compilation.
Lenny Kravitz--->"american woman", lousy remake of an old guess who song, and totally changed the meaning. the song is not about an american, uhh, woman. weirdest cover i ever heard? tiny tim and squirell nut zippers doing "stairway to heaven!"
Anybody hear Scissor Sisters cover of "Comfortably Numb"? They should die. Best covers ever? 7 Seconds cover of "99 Red Balloons" and The Nip Drivers "Have You Never Been Mellow". It seems like I hear the explanation that they play it live and decide to record alot. I've always enjoyed a well-done cover tune.
A lot of musicians do it to try something different or be creative or just for fun. If you make a cover your own, it can be cool. Ask Dylan what he thinks of Hendrix' version of All Along the Watchtower. When done well, covers are as good and interesting as original material.
Springsteen's version sounds like a fire truck with a bad horn. The only cover the boss ever had a problem with was Bowie's version of "it's hard to be a saint in the city". Anyway Manfred Mann's Earth Band's version does have a great guitar solo.
Great point - I was reading about that the other day. He (Bob Dylan) always thinks about Hendrix when he does that song. I read in the notes to "Biograph" that he misses Hendrix, John Lennon, and it seemed like someone else the most that died before their time.
Ben Folds Five does it (or used to do it) live. I don't think they've ever recorded it though. Their version ROCKS.
if you hate covers be glad you didn't live in the 50's and 60's when it was popular and acceptable for bands to cover contemporary songs. It wasn't at all odd to see 3 versions of the same song on the charts in a single year.
