Remakes/Covers (Music)

[lesliepear]

Last night I was in the car listening to the radio. The currently popular remake of Big Yellow Taxi (I have no idea who sings this...I've never heard it ID'ed - I'd love to know) by Joni Mitchell came on. I don't like it. So I turned to the next button on the radio - on came a remake of Don Henly's the Boys of Summer by a group called "Atari" something. Yuck, they trashed it to - turning into a punk song.

I generally don't like remakes. There is one exception, You Better Run by Pat Benator. I don't think I knew it was a cover of a Rascals song when it came out. And I've heard the original - it's kind of weak. I also have the Bee Gees version of "Will you love me tommorrow" on a Carol King Tribute - they get the high notes in the song perfectly.

What do you think of remakes and cover versions?

Comments

[raisin.livejournal.com]

I think that is Counting Crows on that remake.

[shanin.livejournal.com]

I have been hearing that remake of the Don Henley song and absolutely hated it but the more I hear it the more its growing on me.

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

I find it amusing that band with a name that matches the 80's "The Ataris" covered an 80's song. I wonder if that was intentional.

[shanin.livejournal.com]

I didn't even think of that but yeah that is amusing.

[christilyn.livejournal.com]

I think it's the Counting Crows that does Big Yellow Taxi.

I've heard the Boys of Summer remake...they changed the "dead head sticker" line to some gay band I've never heard of. Come on...I'm not a Grateful Dead fan...but they don't really think this gay band (maybe it's them?) will have a following after 30 years like the Dead, do they?

[lemur-man.livejournal.com]

Apparently (I haven't heard it), they changed it to Black Flag (http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=CASS70309091243&sql=Bf95s8qmtbtn4), who have about the same stature among punks that the Dead did among hippies. I think it might be a joke, just as Don Henley intended, but in a different context.

[adagiopassion.livejournal.com]

Typically, I don't care for covers. Though when someone really brings a new element to a song, it can be cool- for example Johnny Cash recently did a cover of the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt. I don't care for NIN or Johnny Cash typically, but I had heard the song quite a few times by NIN. Cash added this old man voice to this song and gave it much new feel. This song send chills up my spine.

[allye.livejournal.com]

I personally dislike most remakes...but I do love the remake of "Can't Help Falling in love"- by Elvis Presley. I love his original, then Corey Hart's remake, then Darren Hayes remake :)

I think Can't Help Falling In Love is probably the most remade song in the history of man...

[preternatural.livejournal.com]

What about the other thousand-odd remakes of it? : ) I kinda like the cover on the Lilo and Stitch soundtrack...

[kanga2roos.livejournal.com]

I love that Don Henley song.. Guess it's a good thing I don't listen to pop stations.. I'd be cringing!

As for covers, it really depends. When Metallica did an album of all covers several years ago, I thought that was really a big cop out. I was listening to a CSN album from 1994 yesterday and they did a cover of The Beatles' In My Life, which was a good remake. And a lot of artist's have covered Bob Dylan songs and done a good job. (That's not too hard though.. Dylan is an aquired taste for sure..) It really depends on whether the artist tried to change the song or just redo it. Talent matters also.. I wasn't impressed with the remake that Celine Dion put out recently of a Cyndi Lauper song..

-kanga

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Most covers of Bob Dylan songs would be easier to understand the words in than the original :)

If you like CSN, you'd probably like a group called "The Thorns". Check them out:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000094VMS/qid=1063123449/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-5230944-2581725

[kanga2roos.livejournal.com]

I saw Dylan in concert about a year and a half ago.. It's even worse in person.. I actually had a hard time figuring out what songs he was singing! I do enjoy his music, though. But I'll take Jimi's version of All Along the Watchtower any day over Dylan's. ;)

-kanga

[lunameow.livejournal.com]

Hee! Your icon looks just like one of my cats! This picture's a little too dark, but you can see the resemblence.

[preternatural.livejournal.com]

I'm not opposed to them. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't, but it's based on how well I think the cover was done; I don't have a bias against something for being a cover, unless it's done by an idiotic bubble-gum band who have no right to be covering other people's material (this would be where I turn into a High Fidelity-type snob). I'm very fond of Erasure's Abba-esque, I do like most of For The Masses (the Depeche Mode cover album), etc. Oh, and I love Spahn Ranch's remix of Gary Numan's Cars and Bigod 20's remix of Like A Virgin. Also the 1000 Homo DJs cover of Supernaut.

[msmichelle.livejournal.com]

I like Joni's version better. I don't really care for the Counting Crowes though. I usually prefer the originals as well.
However, interestingly, I heard on the radio this a.m. that it is Otis Redding's b-day. Also, he wrote and performed the original "Respect" which was later done by Aretha Franklin who made the song famous. Otis actually said he preferred Aretha's version over his! They then played his version and I agree with Otis, Aretha is hard to beat. How's that for a little remake trivia?