Best musical covers ever. The sincerest form of flattery....

Since someone asked.....

Only one comes to mind just now:

The Cowboy Junkies, "To Lay Me Down", orig. The Grateful Dead, from the 'Deadicated' tribute album

Not only did the CBJs reveal things that never were even hinted at in the original version, not only is this performance better than the complete library (including bootlegs) of those clownish hacks, but it's the single best thing the CBJs have ever put out as well. Jaw-dropping. Stunning. Without peer.

Bonus: the same album has "Friend of the Devil" by Lyle Lovett. Also pretty good.

But I enjoyed Ugly Kid Joe's "Cats in the Cradle." Not as much as the original. But I liked it.

Dynamite Hack does a cover of NWA's "Boyz In The Hood".

Priceless.

and you thought that wasn't possible...



Oh, see the storm is threatening
My very life today
If I don't get some shelter
Yeah, I'm gonna fade away

War, children
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
Repeat
Yeah

Oh, see the fire is sweeping
Down through the streets today
Burning like a bright red carpet
Another fool who lost the way

Rape, murder
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
Repeat
Yeah

Love, sisters
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Love, sisters
It's just a shot away
Shot away shot away

But the first thing that came to mind was Aztec Camera's "True Colors".

The first version I heard was Cyndi Lauper. I like the Aztec Camera version better.

mm

Didn't they do a mellow, acoustic cover of Van Halen's Jump?

Almost as brilliant as the Dynamite Hack cover I mentioned above.

With the staggeringly white accent? If so, yeah, it was something to hear.

mm

Pat Benatar's "Helter Skelter."

Zappa and band do Ring Of Fire (The Best Band You Never Heard).

The Wolfgang Press doing Mama Told Me Not To Come.

Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Neil Young

...cover of Dave Edmunds "I Hear You Knocking (but you can't come in)"...

of The Guess Who's American Woman.:thumbsup:

Sandy Denny takes Dylan's song away from him

as done on the Golden Earring Live album-- this concert version is the most incredible cover ever done of this song. It's guaranteed to get you AT LEAST that high yourself! Intense guitars, fantastic drums, and the most amazing jam sets this 11 minute rendition apart from all the rest.



http://home.planet.nl/~jmdelouw/

http://earring.freeservers.com/earring_live1.htm

Johnny Winter "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Like a Rolling Stone"

Guns and Roses covers of the Stones' "Sympathy for the
Devil" and Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door".

singing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Beautiful.

Honorable mention: R.E.M.'s cover of that obnoxious Suzanne Vega song, "Tom's Diner." (A b-side on the "Near Wild Heaven" single.)

Concrete Blonde - Everybody Knows
Randy Crawford -Rio de Janiero Blues
Kronos Quartet -Purple Haze :D

oops forgot: Sean Colvin - Killing the Blues

She covered Otis Redding's "Respect"



BTW, it's "Shawn" Colvin - and her entire Cover Girl album was wonderful.

"Top of the World" by Shonen Knife

"Ring of Fire" - Social Distortion

"Kashmir" - Bond

"TNT" - Sister Machine gun

"Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" - David Lee Roth(for both a good faithful cover, and one of the best rock videos from the 80s IMO)


Most unintentionally funny cover: Sixpence None The Richer's cover of "There She Goes" by The La's(song is about heroin), SNTR is an overt Christian rock band

Happy Flowers doing Nick Drake's "Know"

Anal Cu** doing MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This"

Sisters of Mercy doing "Gimme Shelter"

Breeders doing "Happiness is a Warm Gun"

Claudia Bruken's version of the Smiths' "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"

Baby Buddha's "All Shook Up"

Marianne Faithful "Working Class Hero"

Sun Yama doing "Subterranean Homesick Blues"

Butthole Surfers doing a version of Black Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" ("retitled to "Sweat Loaf")

Slayer doing GBH's "Sick Boy" or "Inna Gadda Da Vida"

Johnny Cash "Bang the Drum Slowly"

Coil revising Leonard Cohen's "Who by Fire"

Blancmange doing Abba's "The Day Before You Came"

Soft Cell's cover of the original "Tainted Love"

Kronjos Quartet, Television's "Marquee Moon"

Elvis Costello and Brodsky Quartet, Beach Boys' "God Only Knows"

Cradle of Filth doing Venom's "Black Metal" (HARPSICHORD solo!)

The Clash "I Fought the Law"

Abdomen doing Throbbing Gristle's "United" (my fave cover ever)

Anything the Flying Lizards ever covered (particularly James Brown's "Sex Machine")

edit=typo and forgot one

Great White's version of the Angels' (aka Angel City) "Face the Day"

Totally transforms the song, in a totally cool way. And what a hip and unlikely choice.

As done in a real pleasant drone by Yo La Tengo.

Lenny's cover of American Woman is better than the original IMO. Lenny rocks.

My favorite cover is Peggy Lee's cover of "Fever." She made that song her own. No one else ever sang it like Peggy Lee. I get aroused just thinking about hearing her sing that song.

Love Chrissy, and I'm a Kinks fanatic. What a combo.

"Sugar, Sugar" by Mary Lou Lord and Semisonic.
"Let The Sun Shine In" by Frente.
"1,2,3,Red Light" by Joyride.
"Feelin' So Good" by the Lolas.

"Sugar, Sugar" by Mary Lou Lord and Semisonic.
"Let The Sun Shine In" by Frente.
"1,2,3,Red Light" by Joyride.
"Feelin' So Good" by the Lolas.

"Sugar, Sugar" by Mary Lou Lord and Semisonic.
"Let The Sun Shine In" by Frente.
"1,2,3,Red Light" by Joyride.
"Feelin' So Good" by the Lolas.

theweddingpresent doing Julee Cruise/Angelo Badalamenti's "Falling", and the Monkees' "Pleasent Valley Sunday"

The Fall doing "A Day in the Life", and "White Lighnin'"

Dwight Yoakum's version of "Truckin'"
Indigo Girls' version of "Uncle John's Band"
Hindu Love Gods'(Warren Zevon, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Bill Berry) version of "Casey Jones"

"Like a Virgin"

I can do a killer kareoke version of it!!!

a Snoop Dog song, covered by Austin country band The Gourds. Gotta hear gangsta rap type stuff covered in a country flavor. Great live band, too.

I also like Lisa Moscatiello's version of "Innocent When You Dream."

And the Chenille Sisters have done a number of great covers (too many to name here).

are the ones I hear on Deep Tracks Undercover, a regular show on XM Radio. It has fantastic stuff you won't hear elsewhere, like Tom Petty's cover of Psychotic Reaction.

There's a lot of covers that outdo the original. Patsy Cline's version of Willie Nelson's song Crazy is one. Jimi Hendrix' version of Dylan's All Along the Watchtower. Aretha covering Otis Redding's "RESPECT," of course.

covers that outdo the original: Stevie Ray Vaughn covering Hendrix' Little Wing, and Bow Wow Wow covering the Strangeloves' I Want Candy.

Even Dylan was impressed.

And Aretha and Soft Cell are good choices too.

"Beat the Retreat" Could be hard to out do Richard, but I love the Los Lobos version of "Down Where The Drunkards Roll". Bob Mould's version of "Shoot Out The Lights" is stellar as well.

"I shot the Sheriff" was originally by Bob Marley. Just in case there is anyone who didn't know. :)

What can I say, I am a Soft Machine nazi.

cover of the Big Joe Turner song SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL. Elvis Presley`s cover of Big Mama Thontons tune HOUNDOG Andy Gibb`s cover of the Ronnett`s tune BABY I LOVE YOU The Beatle`s cover of Chuck Berry`s ROCK ROLL MUSIC or their cover of the Isley Brother`s TWIST AND SHOUT The Diamond`s cover of the Maurice Williams tune LITTLE DARLING The Byrd`s cover of Dylan`s tune HEY MISTER TAMBORINE MAN Peter Paul and Mary`s cover of Dylan`s tune BLOWIN IN THE WIND just to name a few Oh and how bout Jimi Hendrix`s cover of Dylan`s ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER