TOP 5 COVERS
When I first started playing in bands, we would cover songs with the one goal of sounding as much like the original as possible while trying to ignore the infamously pissed jock in the crowd who kept yelling, "Play 'Freebird'! " It wasn't till much later that I realized that all art is interpretation and cover songs are no exception. It is a true art form. For the musician, not only is covering a song a form of tribute to his/her idols but also a way of presenting a small fragment of the world through entirely different eyes. The subtle and sometimes not so subtle way a band leaves their mark on an original song is inspirational in the fact that we all get a chance to add something to this place. So I've taken the liberty of listing my Top 5 all time favorite covers:
5) Reel Big Fish "Take on Me" Original by a-ha - Its a pre- requisite for every high school prom and 80's club DJ even today, decades after its conception. Talk about a new twist to an old song. I bet the boys in a-ha never would have guessed that years later a ska band would come along and replace their legendary synth line with horns. Growing up in Orange County and playing in numerous ska bands myself during the mid/late 90's, Reel Big Fish was always one of my favorite 3rd Wave bands to play with. Just when you thought the song couldn't get any more addicting, the boys in RBF gave you yet another guilty pleasure. There's a dash of humor and satire in this version which adds to it's fun factor and every time the original plays on my shuffle, I always find myself reaching for the scroll button immediately afterwards to play RBF's cover.
4) John Mayer "S.O.S. (Message in a Bottle)" Original by The Police- Let me just say that I don't get John Mayer's music and he is responsible for over half of the arguments I have with my girlfriend when it comes to stating musical preferences. His music intoxicates me with confusion and I am convinced that inserts hidden messages in his songs audible only to the female gender that causes them to continue buying his records. I put this song in the number 4 spot because The Police are musical geniuses and this song is (without causing too much debate) one of the greatest songs ever written. With all that said, I can respect John Mayer for a job well done on this cover. It's done with a single acoustic guitar, slowed down 100 BPMs and vocals that are a eight octaves lower than Sting that seem to add to the isolated mood found in the songs lyrics.
3) 311 "Lovesong" Original by The Cure- The song was so appropriately titled. Its been said that Robert Smith wrote it as a wedding present for his fiancee, Mary. For me, what separates cover songs from good/great cover songs is the seamless way the band builds a bridge between musical genres. There have been many reggae renditions of classic songs, many of which were done well, but 311's version seemed to always stay with me. Maybe because it never changed the soothing mood of the music nor the honesty of its lyrics, but merely enhanced both.
2) The Talking Heads "Satisfaction" Original by The Rolling Stones- The Talking Heads were true innovators. Mick Jagger himself even said this is his favorite cover of the song. Such a beautifully twisted interpretation of its original. It gave me a whole new meaning to the art of covering songs. The song shouldn't even be categorized as a cover because it became an entirely whole new beast when it was recorded. It almost makes you wonder if The Talking Heads were even listening to the same Rolling Stones song as the rest of us. When I first heard the song it took me awhile to comprehend what was going on. An amazing example of interpretation, it was pretty much like seeing what the world would look like with green skies and blue grass.
1) Jimi Hendrix "All Along The Watchtower" Original by Bob Dylan - One of my all time favorite songs. I can remember sneaking into my father's vinyl collection as a kid and playing it Electric Ladyland over and over. Even Bob Dylan was so impressed with the song that for years he played Jimi's heavier version instead of his own original which was recorded with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica. It isn't often when a cover surpasses it's original both in quality and popularity. Today, when you hear the song almost everyone immediately associates it with Jimi even though it's been covered by many artists. Lastly, it's just an amazing KICK ASS tune.
~Alan
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