Top 5 Cover Versions

To me a good cover version should stand alone as a song.  I have never understood why someone would release a version of a song that sounds just like the original.  If you can’t tell which version you are listening to then what is the point?  This does not mean that I am a fan of the X Factor treatment of songs where they add over the top orchestration to kill the atmosphere of your favourite songs and add a pointless key change three quarters of the way through.  I mean actually making changes to the song.  To use an example I am going back to the Pop idol version of “Light my fire” by the doors, this was a unique rendition and one that I actually approved of but it doesn’t make the top 5.

I have decided not to include any of the cover versions that the Beatles did in the early part of their career as well as they were just rehashing R&B classics.

So, here they are in no particular order.  My top 5 cover versions.

Smells like Teen Spirit – Tori Amos

Tori has done loads of cover versions on B sides of her singles, she has introduced me to some amazing versions of Led Zeppelin songs, stuff by Joni Mitchell and released a whole album of covers called “Strange Little Girls”.  My favourite is her version of this Nirvana song.  It doesn’t make the lyrics any easier to understand but it does make the hairs on my arms stand on end.

Say hello, wave goodbye – David Grey

This version of the old Soft Cell tune is a great version of a song I never actually liked.  The acoustic guitar, slow paced melody and haunting vocal makes it the perfect ending to the White ladder CD.  It just proves that sometimes taking a song and stripping it down to the basics can work wonders.

In my life – Bette Midler

I am afraid that this one is a bit of a guilty pleasure.  It is not cool and I am not proud of it but I love this version of the Beatles song.  This is from the film “For the boys” and I think it is the scene from the film rather than the actual song that makes me love this as it is quite poignant to hear someone talking about places and people from the past to a bunch of soldiers who have obviously seen their fair share of hardship and loss.  The vocal is well delivered and is not just a carbon copy of the original and the pace of the song never really comes up to the speed of the original.

Handbags and gladrags – Stereophonics

It had to be said that the Stereophonics are one of my favourite bands, this version isn’t massively different to the original but I think the vocal really does lift this song to a different level and the backing of the orchestra gives it the huge sound that it deserves without crushing any of the subtleties of the song itself.

  

Walk away Renee – Billy Bragg

I am not sure if this can actually be classed as a cover version, I am not sure it can even be classed as a song but I can listen to this over and over.  It is Billy Bragg telling the story of meeting a girl, falling in love and being betrayed all in about 3 minutes.  The guitar in the background picks out the melody to the original but without any vocal from this.  The lyrics themselves are very clever and at times quite funny.

Worthy mentions.

Although it didn’t make the cut I think Mr Tambourine man by The Byrds is worth a mention.  This one of those songs that I knew for ages and loved before actually realising that Bob Dylan had actually written it.  I have since heard his version and really do not like it.