Pop-Rock covers after too much Xanax

Mad World - Gary Jules

Any other example?

 

Ah, John Lewis Christmas Advert syndrome.



I'll give 'Mad World' a pass, because I heard it first and still haven't heard the original, but this practice is otherwise unforgiveable. Unfortunately, many buskers have discovered it earns them big tips. I saw some earnest young man try a slowed down 'soulful' version of 'Lady Marmalade' at Paddington station the other day. Disgrace.

 

benny and the jets - beastie boys lol

 

I think that the first thing I heard in this genre was Tori Amos's version of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. She's done a lot more of them over the years, including “Livin’ On A Prayer” and even “Dream On”, which isn't even a fast song to begin with!

 

Rita Coolidge's cover of Jackie Wilson's "Higher And Higher" may be the most egregious example.

 

I hate these, without exception. The worst I've heard is one of Bowie's Let's Dance in a bookshop. Unfortunately I don't know who was responsible for it.

 

Ryan Adams’ Brown Sugar. Do not operate machinery while listening.

 

I liked your post for the comment, not the absolutely awful music!

 

This one?

 

I actually prefer this cover-
Frazier Chorus-Anarchy in The UK (Sex Pistols)

 

Hot Rats (two members of Supergrass) - Fight For Your Right (To Party)

 

Cowboy Junkies - "Sweet Jane"

 

Doveman, "Let's Hear It For the Boy"

 

Red House Painters covering Shock Me by Kiss.
This is the "Acoustic Version" with Untitled Instrumental coda.

 

Pod pop. Yikes!

 

Oh, I just remembered, there's actually a band who make a living out of doing these dreary renditions, and mercifully I never have to hear them because they're either so terrible or forgettable.

I imagine they're the sort of people who Google their own name, so ladies and gentlemen, I give you Pomplamoose, the very worst band in the world.

 

Doesn't Ryan Adams pretty much do this with almost all songs he covers?

 

I must be the only person who dislikes this cover, but I’ve hated it since day one. It sounds bloodless to me.

 

Eric Clapton's unplugged cover
of Derek and the Dominos "Layla".
A right snooze-fest, that.

 

Both of my daughters (ages six and twelve) are in dance classes. And let me tell you, at recitals and competitions this sort of thing is an epidemic, lol. The dance companies never met a version of a pop song that was slowed down and played with a solo piano that they didn't like.

I think my least favorite so far was a slowed down, piano version of Girls Just Want to Have Fun. It sounded like the singer was suicidal.

 

Fudge Tunnel-"Sunshine Of Your Love"

 

Mark Kozelek - every cover he's ever done.

Specifically nearly the entire Modest Mouse - Moon and Antarctica album.

 

I first heard the Doveman cover of "Let's Hear It For the Boy" on NPR's "All Things Considered", when it did a (sincerely choking-with-laughter funny) episode back in 2008 called "The '80s: Were They Really That Bad?" (link to NPR here). The contributor who brought it to the show loved it for its straightforwardness and its sincerity:

What's funny now is that this seems like a dated point of view, even though it's only ten years old, given the emergence of poptimism and the more dominant idea now being that we are supposed to approach pop music on its own terms and not try to elevate a more authentic or organic approach.

For what it's worth, I tend to be swayed by these kind of trends. I would have been inclined to agree with Robin Hilton's statement about ten (really, more like five) years ago. But now, the Doveman cover sounds like a dirge, and while I still don't think the original is especially good, at least it has a sense of fun to it.