Thread: Favorite covers?

Do you have any covers you really like done by someone well known or just someone on Youtube?

I was thinking about it, and for a lot of music, I tend to prefer the covers. I guess because as the music ages, it gets adjusted to being more in tune with what I am used to listening to. That... Or I just have awful taste in music LOL

For the most part, I prefer the original versions, but I like the covers as well. In a few cases, I prefer the cover

I like Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal better, but Alien Ant Farm did a damn good job.
The Beatles version of A Little Help From My Friends is a classic and cant be beat, but Joe Cocker does pretty good.
There are COUNTLESS covers of Hallelujah, but Leonard Cohen's is iconic and a masterpiece.

There are two cases where I prefer the cover.
I LOVE Clapton's cover of I Shot the Sherrif. Marley's is great, but I just love everything Clapton.
And I vastly prefer The Counting Crow's version of Big Yellow Taxi. In fact, I honestly hate Joni Mitchell's version. Her voice is just gr as ting and irritating, and she isn't taking a decently serious topic with any seriousness.

Now let's see how many people even know who most of these artists are lol zzz's

Originally Posted by pseudohippie

Now let's see how many people even know who most of these artists are lol zzz's

Lol, I know who most if not all of those artists are, but I've only heard the Alien Ant Farm one. That used to be on my RuneScape playlist when I was 11/12 years old, on Windows Media Player. That cover was really popular on Limewire & WinMX.

I'm burnt out on covers but that's just a result of being from a town where the music scene consists of nothing but cover bands. There are some exceptions though. There's a band called pain that did a pretty good cover of The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby (IMO, it's The Beatles's best song).

Confession time: I'm not a big fan of Ninja Sex Party's original material. One of my team leads at work said it best: the vast majority of the band's subject matter is stuff that I could appreciuate back when I had a higher tolerance for edgy/cringeworthy stuff. Sure there are exceptions to everything, but subjects like that in music are a turn off to me...

...which is a shame because the band's covers are awesome! I constantly listen to NSP's Under the Covers volumes, and the crown jewel for me right now is their cover of Don't Fear the Reaper. Dan Avidan's voice is smooth an silk, and I love their solemn take on the song until the bridge, when they come down to earth to capture the original song's tone. My only complaint: could use a bit more cowbell.

Yeah, NSP certainly Isn't for everyone. Most of their stuff is a bit immature. Though "Cool Patrol" is pretty good. "Danny Don't You Know" is absolutely their best original piece.
But their covers are fantastic. Danny has such a good voice, and it's fantastic in their cover of "Wish You Were Here".


Disturbed has a phenomenal cover of Simon & Garfunkel's Sound of Silence.

Simon and Garfunkel bring beauty and peace with their harmonies.
David Drainman bring utter power and reverence.
And the music video is really good as well.

Originally Posted by pseudohippie

Yeah, NSP certainly Isn't for everyone. Most of their stuff is a bit immature. Though "Cool Patrol" is pretty good. "Danny Don't You Know" is absolutely their best original piece.

Good call on "Danny Don't You Know"! The chorus has a pretty tasty hook from a melodic perspective.

Originally Posted by pseudohippie

Simon and Garfunkel bring beauty and peace with their harmonies.
David Drainman bring utter power and reverence.
And the music video is really good as well.

Shameless plug: if I had to create a band, I'm pretty certain David Draiman's voice on that Sound of Silence is what convinced me to choose him as my favorite all around vocalist.

Currently I'm back on the prog rock train, listening to Yes's Going for the One. Their song "Parallels" keeps reminding me how there's not enough organ in rock music.

Bump: just realized I posted my Yes link in the wrong thread again, sorry about that!

My roommate was playing The Postal Service yesterday - same guys who did Such Great Heights - and it reminded me of one of my ska/reggae groups Streetlight Manifesto. They did a cover of Such Great Heights which, while a bit too high-tempo for most people, is a really unique take on the original material: