There are many people who might hold a song so sacred to them that to have another band attempt to cover it is pure blasphemy. I am not one of these people. A good band will understand that there might be a different direction to be explored in a song, or maybe exactly what is needed to pull it off, rock solid. So here is a list of covers that I've compiled, which I believe stand out in doing this work justice. Some are well-known; others I highly recommend you explore.
Happiness is a Warm Gun - The Breeders (The Beatles)
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix (Bob Dylan)
Ice, Ice Baby - Ben Kweller (Vanilla Ice)
The Man Who Sold the World/Lake of Fire - Nirvana (David Bowie/Meat Puppets)
True Love Will Find You in the End - Richard Walters (Daniel Johnston)
Rockin' in the Free World - Pearl Jam (Neil Young)
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
Velouria - Weezer (The Pixies)
Case of You - Tori Amos (Joni Mitchell)
Born Slippy - A Silent Film (Underworld)
Gin and Juice - The Gourds (Snoop Dogg)
Under the Milkyway/Rebel Yell - Kill Hannah (The Church/Billy Idol)
Hurt - Johnny Cash (Nine Inch Nails)
Close to Me/Alec Eiffel - The Get Up Kids (The Cure/The Pixies)
The Ocean - Marry Me Moses (Led Zeppelin)
Just Like Heaven - Goldfinger (The Cure)
Mrs. Robinson - Lemonheads (Simon & Garfunkel)
Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies (Velvet Underground)
Iron Man - The Cardigans (Black Sabbath)
Now, with some of these covers, I have to admit that I prefer them to their originals (ie: Happiness is a Warm Gun.) Of course, you could say that was an outrage, as who would know the song better than the composing artist? However, some of these bands have done such an amazing job of bringing out what they had found to truly be the vibe of their respective songs. Also, it would be hypocritical to to get all up in arms, as I know that most people hold the Jimi Hendrix version of All Along the Watchtower as a sacred piece of music, whereas I actually prefer the original Bob Dylan. So... suck it.
I'll use three examples to make my point:
The first, I've already stated - Happiness is a Warm Gun. You have the upbeat, poppy original by the Beatles, which I'm sure most people are familiar with, and the much more complex cover by The Breeders. However, when I brought these two versions to my moms attention a few years back, she pointed out that the kind of sultry, dramatic style used by The Breeders to rework the song would probably have been considered taboo in their generation, as the storyline is so dark, in itself. To me, after hearing the cover and feeling the meaning of the story, the Beatles original almost seems like a joke. I ADORE what The Breeders did with it, and think they developed it into a masterpiece, some 30 years after it was written.
Second example: Just Like Heaven. Another sacred band; another sacred song, and here I am suggesting you take a band like Goldfinger into consideration as a worthy successor. Don't get me wrong - I love the Cure, and I love the original - but for me personally, it doesn't have that drive and reckless abandonment of love that is captured by Goldfinger.The Cure portrays more of a dreamy love ballad - which is fine, and I'm sure that's what they were trying to achieve. Goldfinger just allows the passion to thrive. This is one that I'll admit to not immensely preferring over its original; its just always lit a fire in my heart.
The third: True Love Will Find You in the End. Seriously, you don't even need to listen to the whole original. I couldn't get through it. It was like nails on a chalkboard compared to what Richard Walters did with the song. So much better. It suddenly becomes this beautiful, deeply moving lullaby. Probably the same effect a lot of people think covering artists had on original Bob Dylan songs (I love Bob Dylan, you leave him alone!)
The others on the list, well, you just really need to listen. I believe all can be found on youtube, if nothing else.
So, go explore!
