Great Cover Album!

What would TPers consider to be the most surreal covers they've heard? Not necessarily "bad" covers or even "so bad they're good", just ones where the band/artist is so "off" in terms of understanding the song that it ends up being an (unintentional) piece of (anti-)art.

Paul Young's version of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (which inspired this particular thread) would be a good example.

I always thought that Sixpence None the Richer's cover of the Las' "There She Goes" was really strange, on any level one decided to look at it - if it's about a girl, then it's bizarre that a polite Christian band with a girl singer would cover it and give it an odd lesbian undertone. If it's about heroin, then it's odd that a polite Christian band would cover it at all. So I've always scratched my head about that one.

I think the Jesus Lizard's version of "Breakin' Up Is Hard To Do" is pretty hilarious, tho it kinda stretches the term "cover". It's of course completely unrecognizable and may be more a joke than anything.

Who can forget the Circle Jerks' "Golden Shower of Hits" - a medley of really bad 70s pop tunes. My personal fave in the mix is C&T's "Love will keep us together".

here are a few.
springsteen- jersey girl-tom waits. trapped-jimmy cliff
clash= police n theives-junior marvin. pressure drop-toots n the maytals
police on my back-eddy grant
santana-black magic woman-fleetwood mac
elvis costello-whats so funny bout peace love n understanding-nick lowe

I've always preferred Rainy Day's version of "I'll Keep It with Mine." With Dylan's original a close second.

I've always wondered why Mark Kozelek and Red House Painters would cover Yes' "Long Distance Runaround" and the Cars' "All Mixed Up," only to change them so much as to be unrecognizable. Why not just write new songs?

Agreed about Kozelek, but that's his thing. He went on to extensively cover Bon Scott era AC/DC songs...again rendering them unrecognizable.

Not to defend Paul Young, but I think he was trying to pay his respects with the cover.

Age of Chance covering "Kiss" (Prince) about 6 months after it came out, switching out lyrics to advance their muddled agenda (yet still keeping "You don't have to watch 'Dynasty' to have an attitude")...seems like they were barking up the wrong tree.

I've mentioned this one before, but Curtis Stigers covering "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding," on The Bodyguard soundtrack...?

Bob Geldof re-writing the lyrics to "Under My Thumb" on MONDO BONGO was kind of strange.

And I very much enjoyed William S. Burroughs' bizarro version of REM's "Star Me Kitten" on the X-Files soundtrack, especially the part where he mentions he learned to "sing" from Marlene Dietrich.



Post Edited (05-26-08 20:17)

someone described the cherry blossoms' version of "godzilla" on their s/t album as sounding like a spooky campfire story. since half of that album sounds like ymca campfire singalongs, and the other half sounds like a bunch of snake-handling hillbillies about ready to make ya squeal like a pig, i'm not going to argue that description. probably nice enough people, but i'm more than happy to be listening from afar.



Post Edited (05-26-08 22:42)

Grandpa's Ghost does furiously unrecognizable versions of "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and "DOA" on TUMBLE/LOVE.

everything by Nouvelle Vague. PF Sloan doing "Love Will Tear Us Apart." Or the original "Put the Bone In" by Terry Jacks, which is ten times weirder than the Soul Asylum cover. There's another thread a borning -- songs the wrong people wrote! (All Along the Watchtower, Respect, I Heard It Through the Grapevine...)

We're getting very close to a topic I was considering posting, which was something along the lines of "songs originally written and performed by a songwriter that were done so well by another performer that they are now associated with that performer."

I would of course stipulate that Bob Dylan songs won't get you any points, for obvious reasons.

Why do you think those songs (or any songs) were written by the "wrong" people, Ira?

These Days and I'll Keep it with Mine. Nico owns both of these.

Never, no.

Fairport Convention owns "I'll Keep It With Mine."

I'll back you up on "These Days," though.

Has anyone heard The Wondermints album of covers called "The Wonderful World of the Wondermints"? It's chock full of bizzaro and beautifully interpreted covers. Their version of The Turtles In The City is awesome and it sits right next to Bacharach's Don't Go Breaking My Heart. They even cover themselves!





Post Edited (06-22-08 15:17)

[buddylove.us]

I have that Wondermints album & I'll have to pull it out & play it one of these days. I like their version of "Oooo, Child" by the Five Stairsteps, as well as the ones mentions in the post. I haven't heard if they stopped touring w/Brian Wilson to put out anything new lately.

I think I know @ least one wondermint from my Lake Worth days.

All trilogies include @ least one innocent bystander, anyway, this guy came into my local cassette store and said he owns the Casablanca label.

All the resentment in my heart is now absolved.

Finally, I'm not mad anymore!

i mean when a cover so redefines a song that it seems wrong that it's not the original



Post Edited (05-27-08 22:47)

Woody Herman's version of "America Drinks And Goes Home" by The Mothers. Seriously, we almost talked our band director into playing this arrangement in high school. It leaves out all the lyrics/dialogue and uses the melody to jump off into big band heaven.

Of course, Zappa's version of Stairway to Heaven could be here, as well.

I love Bill Monroe but his version of "Blue moon over Kentucky" doesn't sound anything like the Sparks' on their 'woofer n tweeter' record.

Besides the Freddy & The Dreamers' version of "Run For Your Life", a surreal cover version that I enjoy is the A-Bones' version of "Rock The Boat", which they turn into a Bo Diddley tune.

Devo always did mutated cover versions most famously 'Satisfaction' but I prefer 'Secret Agent Man' with the stuttering percussion

The Dead Kennedy's Cover album had some great interpretations:
Les Thugs wall of sound 'Moon over Marin'
Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy updating 'California Uber Alles' replacing Jerry Brown with Pete Allen - "the baddest govenor to ever grab a mike and go boom!"
Kramer's extremely creepy 'Insight'
Nomeansno doing 'Looking Forward to Death' A cappella

Punk Covers:
Mr. T Experience - I Feel Love
Gray Matter - I Am the Walrus
Minor Threat - Steppin' Stone
Verbal Abuse - Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

The Squirrels' 'What Gives' album is chock full of covers the best being a medley of Wizard of Oz songs and a pretty straight version of Paul Revere's "Let Me' until halfway through when the Sunday School standard 'One in the Spirit' is inserted in. I think those guys must have had a blast making that record.

Finally, I like the Dictators' 'I've Got You, Babe' - Andy and Manitoba cooing to each other but in 'California Sun' when Andy says some dance that has long and convoluted name and the chorus says 'What?' always makes me laugh.

Actually it's safe to say that the Residents own "Satisfaction" at this point (combining both "surreal cover versions" thread and "owned songs" sub-thread)

I love Nico's version of The End more than the original version by The Doors.

Aside from that, it mystifies me why Carlos Santana would appear in a commercial with Mariah Carey, Donald Trump, and Martha Stewart. Well, I guess I have to respect him for not giving a shit.

"Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" by the Wonder Who, AKA Frankie Valli & the 4 Seasons - somewhere between doo-wop and Las Vegas schmaltz (like a lot of the 4 Seasons' work). Very, very weird, but it probably brought Dylan to a whole new audience.

the del rubio triplet gals had some mighty weird covers.