Remakes!

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » August 8, 2003, 11:14 pm

How do you feel about remakes of already good songs. I recently heard Boys of Summer and discovered that it is a remake by the Ataris?!?!?!

My personal opinion on the subject is that there are some songs or bands that you should just not cover and the Eagles are one of them. Can you imagine someone remaking a Led Zepplin tune or ACDC?

Why the hell can't bands create their own music these days? I heard the old Joe Jackson tune, "Is she really going out with him?" song and found that some dick named Sugar Ray covered it. Granted he did an alright job of it but why the hell can't he write his own songs?

I think remakes are alright IF it is in Tribute to the person/band that originally sang it, and only if they don't intend on releasing it.

How do you all feel about it?

Truant · Post by **Truant** » August 8, 2003, 11:44 pm

I'm all about covers/reinterpretations. But I think it is fairly low class to sell one as a single on your album. B side, sure...or maybe an album of B sides. There have been a few bands recently that have broken through with a covered single...I think that reflects poorly on them as creative artists personally.

However, one of my favorite things to do is to take a classic and make it mine...change the groove, whatever it may be...rewrite the harmonies...If I could afford some recording equipment, I would have volumes of reinterpretations heh.

edit, typos

Bubba Grizz · Post by **Bubba Grizz** » August 10, 2003, 3:15 am

I guess I have less of a problem with this than I thought. I was just thinking about Marilyn Manson remaking Sweet Dreams and remembering that I liked it.

The thing that bugged me about the Ataris is that they didn't make it their own and sounded just like the original. Hell, even Alien Ant Farm made Smooth Criminal their own.

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » August 11, 2003, 10:39 am

My favorite remakes

Rage Against The Machine---"Renegades of Funk"

Tool--- "Doctor Love"

System of a Down--- "Snowblind"

I have more, but a tad busy right now at work. I'll post them later.

Post by **Sylvus** » August 11, 2003, 11:46 am

As far as Led Zeppelin covers go, Tool also did a cover of "No Quarter" that I think rivals the original. Of course, I suffer from an admittedly pro-Tool bias, but that's beside the point.

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » August 11, 2003, 11:49 am

Don't forget Rolf Harris's "Stairway To Heaven". It's bonzer!

I don't think anything is off limits when it comes to covering music tracks. There's a skiffle version of "Ace Of Spades" after all, and you haven't lived til you've heard Killdozer doing "American Pie".

PS: Infectious Grooves version of Immigrant Song rawks.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » August 11, 2003, 12:16 pm

I think Janes Addiction's version of "Ripple" is pretty cool.

covers can be cool. but a lot of them suck. like the "Boys of Summer" one by the Ataris.

Post by **Sylvus** » August 11, 2003, 12:30 pm

It's also kind of cool when someone of one genre covers a song in their style. The ones that come to mind are that cover of "Boyz in the Hood" from a few years back and that whole album of covers that Johnny Cash did. The Tom Jones cover of "Kiss" by Prince needs to go though.

miir · Post by **miir** » August 11, 2003, 12:55 pm

There are good covers and there are bad covers.

If a decent artist takes a tune and interprets it in a different style than the original it's cool.

I heard a Warren Zevon cover of Knockin' on Heaven's Door...
Warren Zevon is a great singer/songwriter but his cover added nothing to the song. Even though I detest Guns n Roses, they did a fantastic cover of that same song.

The exception is pop/dance covers which are usually 100% shit.

Syenye Squirrellyelf · August 11, 2003, 2:52 pm

the get up kids have done some great covers: david bowie's "suffragette city," the replacements' "beer for breakfast," and my personal favorite, the cure's "close to me."

i wasn't a huge fan of tori's strange little girls but i did really like her cover of tom waits' "time." also on my list: frente, "bizarre love triangle."

the ataris cover of "boys of summer" just makes me sad and a little embarrassed that i used to listen to them. on a side note, the acoustic version of "my hotel year" is great, even though it's not technically a cover but ripped directly from a book.

Drolgin Steingrinder · August 11, 2003, 6:20 pm

To quote Tom Lehrer:

"I have no moral objections [to other artists doing cover versions of my songs], and I gather that, due to a recent Supreme Court decision, I can have no legal objections either. I have always found it interesting, though, that there are people who regard copyright infringement as a form of flattery. "

Rivera Bladestrike · Post by **Rivera Bladestrike** » August 12, 2003, 2:32 am

I like covers that are different a little. But the new Boys of Summer is EXACTLY like the old one. At least add new sounds or make it distinctly different like Jimi Hendrix's version of "All Along the Watch Tower" or Metallica's "Turn the Page". I heard the Ataris version, and I thought it was Don Henley....

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » August 12, 2003, 3:22 am

Cave In did a cover of Zep's Dazed and Confused which was really good...here are some others:

Propagandhi - Want You to Want Me
NOFX - All of Me
Lagwagon - Bad Moon Rising

many more...punk bands like to cover songs, just faster

Truant · Post by **Truant** » August 12, 2003, 4:19 pm

Listing good covers...

Ben Harper does Sexual Healing live on his live 2disc

The "I am Sam" Soundtrack is nothing but Beatles covers. And the first half or so of the disc is really great. The other half is sadly disappointing...but it's worth it.

I always liked the Smashing Pumpkins' version of Landslide.

SRV had several Hendrix covers that are just spectacular, as well as a fun version of the Beatles' Taxman, and Stevie Wonder's Superstition.

There are tons of good covers out there....and 10x that many bad ones, heh.

Lexien · Post by **Lexien** » August 12, 2003, 4:54 pm

I actually like The Ataris Cover of Don Henley's song.

I also heard about 3 other versions of that song and i think it's the best one i heard. Another band that remade that cover was Sick shift. a metalic/tech/punk band who gave it a faster tempo... There was also a hardcore band wich names eludes me at present time.

More covers? of the top of my head...

Nofx Champs Elysee
Lagwagon Brown eyed girl
Thrice Send me an angel
Sowatt (new crap quebec punk in french) they redid an old french song about violence on kids.. qui a le droit (translated to who has the right)

They been airing it too many times on Musiqueplus...

I like covers, and i also like it when punk bands take a song i liked and ups the tempo a bit and brings in a little more creativity.

Now as for the ataris cover i havent heard the don henley version a lot or maybe never for that matter. I do know, however, that they changed some of the lyrics to fit in more with his memories of his summers spent in astoria.. like the line...

Out on the road today i saw a BLACK FLAG sticker on a cadillac...
I'm not sure, but Don Henley and black flag??

you be the judge anyway this is highly relative..

Ziggin Swigalot · Post by **Ziggin Swigalot** » August 12, 2003, 8:24 pm

i like the ataris version too. they didn't totally change the song, but they added their touch to it. i like how they've been playing it live and saying stuff like nofx sticker and saddle creek sticker on a cadillac.

landertime · Post by **landertime** » November 4, 2005, 3:34 pm

as long as the artist breaks down a song and interprets it in their own personal way, i'm all for covers. of course, this does open the door for the complete pillaging of classics such as william shatners version of lucy in the sky with diamonds, but i would much rather here someone do something different and at least interesting than little pop whores cover classics word for damn word.
for a general masterclass on how to take a great song and completely make it your own, listen to the entire cd 2 of jeff buckley live at sin-e.
god he ruled so hard it wasnt even fair.

redeemed · Post by **redeemed** » November 4, 2005, 5:29 pm

Tori Amos does a cover at every live performance, and she put out an album called "strange little girls" of all cover songs (she even covers an eminem song)
I saw her on my birthday in September and she did a cover of "Raw" (inxs right?) and it was totally badass
any cover she does is great because it has all the qualities you guys are pointing out, mainly that she makes it her own
("raw" is actually "need you tonight" heh)

Momopi · Post by **Momopi** » November 4, 2005, 6:38 pm

the version of blue monday by orgy was pretty good too along with the covers that ub40 did.

Gonzoie - Luclin · Post by **Gonzoie - Luclin** » November 5, 2005, 2:51 am

Nonpoint did a kickass cover of Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight.

check it out.

Tenuvil · Post by **Tenuvil** » November 5, 2005, 5:21 am

When I was in a garage metal band in college we did a cover of "Peaceful Easy Feeling" by The Eagles, thrash style. Think it went 45 seconds from start to finish including 2 solo breaks.

Dream Theater does an amazing job covering other bands songs, and they kinda make it look easy when you see them live. I saw them do their "Big Medley" in concert followed up by Metallica's "Damage Inc" and it was just unreal.

Let's not forget Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt". That song is money.

Jice Virago · Post by **Jice Virago** » November 5, 2005, 5:31 pm

If you guys like excellent covers, check out Styx new albumn Big Bang Theory. It has a lot of great covers, especially Summer in the City and Locamotive Breath.

My top ten list for covers goes like this, though:

1) Stone Temple Pilots- Dancing Days (Led Zeplin)
2) Van Halen- Won't Get Folled Again (The Who)
3) Kevin Gilbert- Kashmire (Led Zeplin)
4) New Found Glory- The Goonies (Cindy Lauper)
5) Fiona Apple- Across the Universe (Beatles)
6) Aerosmith- Come Together (Beatles)
7) Styx- Summer in the City (Can't recal original)

Cheryl Crow- Sweet Child of Mine (GnR)
9) Leibach- Once Vision (Queen)
10) Joe Cocker- With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles)

To me, what makes a cover worth listenting to is when the new artist takes the song in a different direction. If you can listen to the original and then the cover one after the next, its probably a pretty descent cover. Those ten I listed I would rate at least equal to the originals.

landertime · Post by **landertime** » November 6, 2005, 1:57 pm

[/quote]Cheryl Crow- Sweet Child of Mine (GnR)

i scanned this post for sarcasm a couple of times, and it kept coming up clean.

surely you cant be serious about this one.
it was a horrible remake

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » November 7, 2005, 2:36 pm

I agree. The Sheryl Crow version was terrible. She really has a limited range in general. Not that strong of a singer to begin with in my opinion.