Music: Favorite Covers, Part 1

Ok, so most of the time covers of songs are completely pointless and you wonder why the band even bothered.   The original was better!   Leave it alone!   But just occasionally someone comes up with something that's genius.   They either improve the original song, or do something really clever that makes you see the original song in a completely different light.   So without further ado, here are some of my favorite cover songs and the reasons I like them. 


To start us off, I chose William Shatner singing Pulp's Common People.   Mostly because it's hilarious.   But I do also genuinely like his version, even if it's hardly different from the original.   Here it is:

Next, Big Yellow Taxi by Counting Crows.   The original was written by Joni Mitchell, but I like the Counting Crows version better.   It's sadder, with the slower guitar, and I think the song is better suited to a male voice.

Another one I really like is Me First and the Gimme Gimmes version of My Boyfriend's Back.   Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a great cover band.   They do some awesome versions of loads of songs.   My Boyfriend's Back was originally sung by the Angels.   Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a lot faster and less whiny and a lot more rocky.   It's got so much more energy.   Love it!

Speaking of Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, their version of Wild World is also very good.   The original Cat Stevens song has got the same treatment: faster, rockier, less whiny.   Awesome! 

Another good one is Michael Cera and Ellen Page's version of Anyone Else but you.   It's on the Juno soundtrack and featured in the film.   It's hard to pin down what I like about this cover.   Not a lot has really changed.   The guitar is pretty much the same, and it's still a duet.   The song has been shortened and the verses rearranged a bit.   I think it must be the voices that make the change for me, which I suppose isn't too surprising, considering what a simple little song it is.   All it really has after all is the guitar and the voices.  

Next, Kid Harpoon's version of First We Take Manhatten.   This was originally recorded by Jennifer Warnes.   I like Kid Harpoon's version more because there's a lot more guitar and a lot less synthetic stuff.   It's also faster and has more energy.   Apologies for not really being able to find a good video for it though!

Next, the kings of cover artists, Walk Off The Earth.   I've blogged about them before.   I really love their cover of Gotye's Somebody I Used to Know.   Gorgeous song.   I'm sure most people have already seen the video I'm about to post, doing the rounds on Teh Interwebz, but what makes it genius is that it's played by five people on one guitar.   Amazing!   The song doesn't sound all that different really, but it really suits all the band members' voices and the harmonies are gorgeous.

Another great one is Kirsty MacColl's Version of A New England.   Not that I don't like the original Billy Bragg version!   I just like what she's done with it.   With her voice and less of the aggressive guitar it sounds softer and a bit more sophisticated.

And finally, Rufus Wainwright's version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.   I like it because it's a little bit faster and smoother.   And I love Rufus Wainwright's voice.

That's enough to be getting one with for now!   More soon!