kate_nepveu: End-of-Week Time Wasting: Cover Songs Poll

Kate (

kate_nepveu) wrote,
@ 2008-02-07 21:03:00

Entry tags:

music, poll

End-of-Week Time Wasting: Cover Songs Poll

iPod shuffle tossed up the Death Cab for Cutie version of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and the Afghan Whigs version of "Lost in the Supermarket," and I said, "Oooh! Cat-vacuuming!"

This cat being thoroughly vacuumed, behind the cut find:

Note on poll-taking: If you want to come back and answer more questions later, or change your votes, click on the Poll # hyperlink and then choose "Fill Out Poll" at the top.

A cover songs poll. In no particular order:

Poll #1134974
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 18

"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

View Answers

Darlene Love (YouTube)
3 (33.3%)

Death Cab for Cutie (YouTube)
6 (66.7%)

"Thing Called Love"

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Bonnie Raitt (last.fm)
9 (69.2%)

John Hiatt (last.fm)
4 (30.8%)

"I Will Survive"

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Cake (last.fm)
6 (40.0%)

Gloria Gaynor (last.fm)
9 (60.0%)

"Can't Help Falling In Love"

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Elvis Presley (last.fm)
4 (30.8%)

UB40 (last.fm)
9 (69.2%)

"Tangled Up in Blue"

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Bob Dylan (last.fm)
4 (30.8%)

Indigo Girls (last.fm)
9 (69.2%)

"(What's So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding?"

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Elvis Costello (last.fm)
10 (83.3%)

The Holmes Brothers (YouTube [live])
2 (16.7%)

"Crazy"

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Gnarls Barkley (last.fm)
10 (83.3%)

Ray LaMontague (MP3 download at bottom of blog post)
2 (16.7%)

"Mississippi"

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Bob Dylan (last.fm)
6 (50.0%)

Sheryl Crow (last.fm)
6 (50.0%)

"Sweet Jane"

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Cowboy Junkies (YouTube)
8 (61.5%)

Velvet Underground (last.fm)
5 (38.5%)

"Wonderwall"

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Oasis (last.fm)
7 (58.3%)

Ryan Adams (last.fm)
5 (41.7%)

Bonus Afghan Whigs edition:

Poll #1134975
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6

"Lost in the Supermarket"

View Answers

The Afghan Whigs (last.fm)
2 (40.0%)

The Clash (last.fm)
3 (60.0%)

"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe"

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The Afghan Whigs (YouTube)
1 (20.0%)

Barry White (last.fm)
4 (80.0%)

"If I Only Had a Heart"

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The Afghan Whigs (YouTube)
4 (80.0%)

Wizard of Oz (last.fm)
1 (20.0%)

"Having a Party"

View Answers

The Afghan Whigs (direct MP3 download)
1 (16.7%)

Sam Cooke (last.fm)
5 (83.3%)

(78 comments) - (Post a new comment)

	"Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:05 am UTC (link)
	A toss-up; I picked Death Cab by flipping a coin. [Trying something different with the comments, which may help discussion; or ignore it if you don't like it.] (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:22 am UTC (link)
	Also, this is a great song with really uninspired lyrics. I mean, "Pretty lights on the tree / I'm watching them shine / You should be here with me / Baby please come home"? I wish I knew how it managed that. (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

ckd
2008-02-08 03:18 am UTC (link)

I have five versions of this, and none of them are the Darlene Love original.

Those five, from best to worst IMO:
1. U2 (the "original cover"; Darlene Love sings backup vocals)
2. Jon Bon Jovi (live)
3. Death Cab for Cutie
4. KT Tunstall (I really like her in general, but her version of this doesn't work for me. From her Christmas album I prefer either "2000 Miles" or "Fairytale of New York".)
5. Smash Mouth

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

Re: "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 12:39 pm UTC (Expand)

	"Thing Called Love" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:05 am UTC (link)
	I love me some Bonnie Raitt, but I love the additional verse in the original more. Edited at 2008-02-08 02:24 am UTC (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: "Thing Called Love" rachelmanija 2008-02-08 03:02 am UTC (link)
	"I ain't no porcupine; take off your kid gloves." (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Re: "Thing Called Love" ckd 2008-02-08 03:20 am UTC (link)
	Bonnie's voice just has the "flow" for me, so no contest here. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Re: "Thing Called Love" dcisko 2008-02-08 01:42 pm UTC (link)
	A close thing, good stuff from both versions. Tiebreaker? Indianapolis represents for John! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	"I Will Survive" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:05 am UTC (link)
	The Cake version is just wrong, wrong, wrong. (Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	Re: "I Will Survive" orzelc 2008-02-08 02:43 am UTC (link)
	I think it has a certain charm, though it can't really match the kitsch value of the original. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

Re: "I Will Survive" -

rachelmanija, 2008-02-08 03:03 am UTC (Expand)

	Re: "I Will Survive" dcisko 2008-02-08 01:56 pm UTC (link)
	Gaynor's version is just too disco, it loses its edge. I can perfectly understand it as a favorite classic, but since I didn't ever imprint on it the Cake version is the clear winner. The "B Sides and Rarities" holds some amusing Cake covers, from Barry White to Buck Owens to Black Sabbath. (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: "I Will Survive" -

leighdb, 2008-02-08 02:49 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: "I Will Survive" -

skwidly, 2008-02-08 03:33 pm UTC (Expand)

	"Can't Help Falling In Love" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:06 am UTC (link)
	I have never liked Elvis, while I really like the UB40 cover. (Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	Re: "Can't Help Falling In Love" rachelmanija 2008-02-08 02:19 am UTC (link)
	I'm not a big Elvis fan, but I LOVE him on this song. (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: "Can't Help Falling In Love" -

juliansinger, 2008-02-08 02:47 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "Can't Help Falling In Love" -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 02:48 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "Can't Help Falling In Love" -

ckd, 2008-02-08 03:27 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "Can't Help Falling In Love" -

leighdb, 2008-02-08 02:51 pm UTC (Expand)

	"Tangled Up in Blue" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:06 am UTC (link)
	Not only do the Indigo Girls have better voices, but they turn the Montague Street verse into this cool bluesy thing. (Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	Re: "Tangled Up in Blue" orzelc 2008-02-08 02:44 am UTC (link)
	Heresy! I don't like their version of "Romeo and Juliette," either. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

Re: "Tangled Up in Blue" -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 02:50 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "Tangled Up in Blue" -

ckd, 2008-02-08 03:38 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "Tangled Up in Blue" -

dcisko, 2008-02-08 01:41 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: "Tangled Up in Blue" -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 02:49 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: "Tangled Up in Blue" -

leighdb, 2008-02-08 02:53 pm UTC (Expand)

	"(What's So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding?" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:06 am UTC (link)
	This is not a song to do unironically, Holmes Brothers! (Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	Re: "(What's So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding?" orzelc 2008-02-08 02:48 am UTC (link)
	Fun fact: The Costello version is a Nick Lowe cover. (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: "(What's So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding?" -

ckd, 2008-02-08 03:49 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "(What's So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding?" -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 12:45 pm UTC (Expand)

	"Crazy" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:06 am UTC (link)
	The thumping beat of the original is necessary. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: "Crazy" ckd 2008-02-08 03:51 am UTC (link)
	This theremin "vocals" version is incredible. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

Re: "Crazy" -

lbmango, 2008-02-08 04:39 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "Crazy" -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 12:40 pm UTC (Expand)

	"Mississippi" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:06 am UTC (link)
	I heard the Sheryl Crow first (it was recorded first), and I love the way the instrumental rolls. (Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	Re: "Mississippi" orzelc 2008-02-08 02:46 am UTC (link)
	It's too happy to fit the lyrics. The Dylan version works brilliantly, and the "You can always come back, but you can't come back all the way" really resonates given his career trajectory, and when he recorded it. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

Re: "Mississippi" -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 02:50 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "Mississippi" -

ckd, 2008-02-08 04:03 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "Mississippi" -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 11:46 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "Mississippi" -

ckd, 2008-02-08 09:57 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: "Mississippi" -

dcisko, 2008-02-08 01:59 pm UTC (Expand)

	"Sweet Jane" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:06 am UTC (link)
	I see the merits of the original, but I happened to encounter the Cowboy Junkies first. (Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	Re: "Sweet Jane" orzelc 2008-02-08 02:47 am UTC (link)
	The Cowboy Junkies version is aping a live version by the Velvet Underground, which goes to show that you should never go along with any decision made by Lou Reed when he's stoned. (Reply to this) (Parent)

Re: "Sweet Jane" -

dcisko, 2008-02-08 02:01 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: "Sweet Jane" -

leighdb, 2008-02-08 02:55 pm UTC (Expand)

	"Wonderwall" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:06 am UTC (link)
	I liked the stripped-down Ryan Adams version better. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: "Wonderwall" dcisko 2008-02-08 02:03 pm UTC (link)
	Agreed. Adams siphons out the bombast -- probably a worthy goal for any Oasis cover. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	"Lost in the Supermarket" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:07 am UTC (link)
	Y'all know the answer to this one: the Whigs for the slink and groove. (Reply to this)

	"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:07 am UTC (link)
	I think the Whigs could make anything sound sinister. Barry for the win. (Reply to this)

	"If I Only Had a Heart" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:07 am UTC (link)
	Wow, Wizard of Oz in lounge-singer is weird. But it's inspired weird. (Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	Re: "If I Only Had a Heart" rysmiel 2008-02-08 02:13 am UTC (link)
	Have you seen If I Only Were a Goth ? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

Re: "If I Only Had a Heart" -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 02:17 am UTC (Expand)

Re: "If I Only Had a Heart" -

filkerdave, 2008-02-08 05:35 pm UTC (Expand)

Re: "If I Only Had a Heart" -

filkerdave, 2008-02-08 05:38 pm UTC (Expand)

	"We're Having a Party" kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:07 am UTC (link)
	Since shouting-out to your own music is in bad taste, I give the edge to Sam Cooke. (Reply to this)

	filkerdave 2008-02-08 02:07 am UTC (link)
	I actually really prefer the Cat Power version of Wonderwall (although I don't see it online). And there's the Murmurs version of White Rabbit (Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:14 am UTC (link)
	I don't actually know the original of that, so I don't have much of an opinion. Well, except that "droning" is not really my thing. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) -

filkerdave, 2008-02-08 02:39 am UTC (Expand)

(no subject) -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 02:40 am UTC (Expand)

(no subject) -

orzelc, 2008-02-08 02:48 am UTC (Expand)

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2008-02-08 05:20 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) -

filkerdave, 2008-02-08 05:28 pm UTC (Expand)

	rysmiel 2008-02-08 02:15 am UTC (link)
	Do you count Bohemian Polka as a cover version ? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 02:19 am UTC (link)
	I only got through 30 seconds before my brain hid in a corner, but if the words are the same all the way through (which I don't count on in a Weird Al song), then yes, it would be a cover. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)

(no subject) -

ckd, 2008-02-08 06:27 am UTC (Expand)

rysmiel
2008-02-08 02:32 am UTC (link)

Cover versions with moderately serious intent that strike me as better than the original:

Freddie Mercury's The Great Pretender.

Gregorian Nothing Else Matters Not everything works in that style, but this really does. I'm rather fond of their Sound of Silence also.

The Sisters of Mercy live-only version of Comfortably Numb segueing into Some Kind of Stranger.

Lots of Leningrad Cowboys, notably Gimme All Your Lovin' .

Edited at 2008-02-08 02:33 am UTC

(Reply to this) (Thread)(Expand)

	rysmiel 2008-02-08 02:36 am UTC (link)
	Oh, and while the original is kind of forgotten compared to some of the in between covers, I'm kind of fondest of the Spiderbait version of Ghost Riders in the Sky. [ Video contains Nicolas Cage and lots of flaming skeletonage. ] Edited at 2008-02-08 02:37 am UTC (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) -

filkerdave, 2008-02-08 02:44 am UTC (Expand)

(no subject) -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 02:53 am UTC (Expand)

(no subject) -

rysmiel, 2008-02-08 06:47 pm UTC (Expand)

(no subject) -

kate_nepveu, 2008-02-08 06:58 pm UTC (Expand)

	leighdb 2008-02-08 02:56 pm UTC (link)
	Also, I hate that I can't surf the net at home, because I would love to listen to the ones I don't know. I'm really going to have to fix that... (Reply to this) (Thread)

	kate_nepveu 2008-02-08 03:01 pm UTC (link)
	can't surf the net at home !! I just thought this was one of those automatic things, these days, like water or heat. (OTOH I realize it is an expense.) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)(Expand)