I'm fairly new around here so this question may have been asked before (though a cursory search didn't turn up anything).
Anyhow, I was listening to the radio the other day when I recognized the opening chords of a song that I liked so I stopped what I was doing to listen. It turned out to be a cover of the song and the artist was really butchering it (IMO), so I quickly changed stations. This got me to thinking, "Are there any covers of songs that I like better than the original versions?"
Let's see. I kind of get a kick out of some of Weird Al Yankovich's stuff; but that's for its comedic value. Oh yeah, Dread Zeppelin's version of "Stairway to Heaven," but that was probably because of this faux reggae group's Elvis impersonator lead singer. Um. Oh yeah, Clapton's version of "I Shot the Sheriff" is better, IMO, than the original Marley. But wait, I heard Clapton's version before I heard Marleys.
I don't know. Maybe it's my borderline obsessive/compulsive personality but it just seems that I always prefer the first version of a song I hear to later versions. Later versions never, to me, sound better, just different.
Does anyone else share this opinion with me or am I just "unusual," as my wife says?
If I'm unique in this regard, what are some covers that, in your opinion, are more to your liking than the originals?
Anyhow, I was listening to the radio the other day when I recognized the opening chords of a song that I liked so I stopped what I was doing to listen. It turned out to be a cover of the song and the artist was really butchering it (IMO), so I quickly changed stations. This got me to thinking, "Are there any covers of songs that I like better than the original versions?"
Let's see. I kind of get a kick out of some of Weird Al Yankovich's stuff; but that's for its comedic value. Oh yeah, Dread Zeppelin's version of "Stairway to Heaven," but that was probably because of this faux reggae group's Elvis impersonator lead singer. Um. Oh yeah, Clapton's version of "I Shot the Sheriff" is better, IMO, than the original Marley. But wait, I heard Clapton's version before I heard Marleys.
I don't know. Maybe it's my borderline obsessive/compulsive personality but it just seems that I always prefer the first version of a song I hear to later versions. Later versions never, to me, sound better, just different.
Does anyone else share this opinion with me or am I just "unusual," as my wife says?
If I'm unique in this regard, what are some covers that, in your opinion, are more to your liking than the originals?