Favorite covers of other people's music

[J T]

What are some of your favorite cover songs?

Some musician's do straight forward covers, but I like when an artist takes someone else's music and makes it their own.

Tori Amos' cover of Eminem's '97 Bonnie and Clyde
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7YxrYKQBP8

(Eminem's original version)

Tori Amos started Rape Abuse and Incest Nation Network (RAINN) and is an outspoken feminist. You can imagine that Eminem's misogynistic fantasy about a man that murders his wife and runs off with their daughter rubbed Tori the wrong way. But where others have protested and tried to ban Eminem's music, Tori just took it and reappropriated it. Where Eminem's version is tongue in cheek and comical enough that you might roll along with his actions, Tori digs into the disturbed nature of it and makes it clear that this is someone clearly not right in the head. In so doing, her rendition is much more frightening and suggests you might want to think a little deeper about the misogyny and insanity behind the beats that you bob your head to when listening to rap music like Eminem's.


Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' Hurt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ ... ure=fvwrel

(Trent Reznor's original version)

"Hurt" was always one of my favorite NIN songs. It is so intensely personal that I never thought anyone could cover it successfully. But Johnny Cash has something Trent Reznor doesn't: age. When Cash sings this song he brings with it his long and varied life with a somewhat checkered past. The lyrics suddenly take on a new meaning and weight. In my mind these are two different and distinct songs now, each one about a different person. Reznor owns one. Cash owns the other.

Venetian Snares featuring Billie Holiday's cover of Rezső Seress' Gloomy Sunday (aka The Hungarian Suicide Song)Öngyilkos Vasárnap
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAHjsMgq ... re=related

(Rezső Seress' original version)
(Billie Holiday's version)

This is one of the most covered songs in music history due to the legends that surround it. Supposedly the song was banned from the radio after a wave of people committed suicide after hearing its sad melody. There are many wonderful covers of this song, but my favorite is the Venetian Snares remix of the Billie Holiday cover. It just shows how timeless this song is that it was originally released in 1933 and now it has been re-imagined as something with breakbeats, strings, and jazz vocals all at once.

[MrPopo]

Heart really loves to cover Zeppelin in their live shows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8pwfw9LY6o

Evanescence did a really awesome cover of Korn's Thoughtless:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtC744jVWmE&ob=av2n

[Betamax001]

Devo did some really really awesome covers!!!

Satisfaction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jadvt7CbH1o
Secret Agent Man: (early version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utyDw4rvli8 (album version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KljnD_5O9U
Working in a Coal Mine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WRjgv62Ayc
Are You Experienced?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA7RiwMevT8

Those are their best, but they also covered Don't Be Cruel, Morning Dew, Bread and Butter, and Head Like a Hole later on.

[Hobie-wan]

Some that came to mind right this second.

Morrisey - Every Day is Like Sunday? No thanks.
Armageddon Dildos - Everyday Is Like Sunday (MTWTFS Guitar Days Mix). Yes Please. (can't find on Youtube)

NIN - Head like a hole
Devo's cover is fun in a different way.

Popeye theme
Face to Face cover

Gary Numan - Cars
Fear Factory cover done with Gary

U2 - New Years Day - meh not a fan of U2
Front Line Assembly with Tiffany cover - awesome

Method Man - Bring the Pain
Mindless Self Indulgence cover

[fvgazi]

Devo did some really really awesome covers!!!

Satisfaction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jadvt7CbH1o
Secret Agent Man: (early version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utyDw4rvli8 (album version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KljnD_5O9U
Working in a Coal Mine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WRjgv62Ayc
Are You Experienced?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA7RiwMevT8

Those are their best, but they also covered Don't Be Cruel, Morning Dew, Brea d and Butter, and Head Like a Hole later on.

I read the thread title and devo instantly came to mind. I also like autoclave's cover of the paperboy theme.

[pepharytheworm]

I am a metal fan so I will list my favorite Metal covers

Death's cover of Judas Priest's Painkiller
I makes me wonder how cool it would be if Chuck sang like that in a more traditional metal band.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quPliK3eAy4

Anacrusis's cover of New Model Army's I love the World
They really made this song their own. They already had a unique sound and this song really fits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxSZXBl7GjM

Vinnie Moore covering the Beatles's As Guitar Gently
Its an intrumental version, but it makes it really sound like the guitar is weeping.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDyxmslFkFc

Prototype covering King Diamond's Welcome Home
This is pretty much a very faithful cover, but hearing some do this good an impression of King Diamond's singing is cool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShTf43VC ... re=related

Metal Church covering Deep Purple's Highway star
Man this is an awesome version of this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QefP5XN2U88

[Betamax001]

Devo did some really really awesome covers!!!

Satisfaction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jadvt7CbH1o
Secret Agent Man: (early version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utyDw4rvli8 (album version) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KljnD_5O9U
Working in a Coal Mine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WRjgv62Ayc
Are You Experienced?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA7RiwMevT8

Those are their best, but they also covered Don't Be Cruel, Morning Dew, Brea d and Butter, and Head Like a Hole later on.

I read the thread title and devo instantly came to mind.

Yeah fellow Devo-tee!
Also while Devo's cover is weird and quirky in a more pleasant way, Around the sametime The Residents came out with their version, which is weirder, and little too assaulting on the ears. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLJLCnk2LtM A better noise rock cover would be Big Black's version of Kraftwerk's The Model. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP3ge9DGsKU

[dunpeal2064]

I really like Tool's cover of No Quarter by Led Zeppelin.

Not that thats surprising

[Croooow!]

Turisas's cover of Boney M's "Rasputin" is one of my favorite songs ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdkBs0VCSX0

I can't find an album version of it online but Todd Rundgren (who just wants to bang the drum all day) does an awesome cover of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".

Also Reckless Kelly has a wonderful cover of "1952 Vincent Black Lightning".

[Lone Wanderer]

Here's a few I enjoy:

Bullet For My Valentine's cover of Creeping Death: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AP-J5LYPfrA

Disturbed's cover of Land of Confusion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV4oYkIeGJc&ob=av2n

Killswitch Engage's cover of Holy Diver: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR7dG_m3MsI&ob=av2e

Disturbed's cover of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT_-dnFtoH0