Sometimes an artist can take a really well known song which is almost considered sacrosanct by fans of the original writer / performer, and somehow make it their own with their radically different style or approach but it can be a risky proposition. What cover versions have made you sit up and take notice? I'm just listening to Dolly Parton's "Stairway To Heaven", done in Bluegrass style, for the first time. I've got to admire her for doing it and it will get some more plays from me!
Devo's cover of the Stones' "Satisfaction." Never cared for it, but they definitely turned it on its head.
Mark E Smith’s The Fall does and owns “Lost in Music” by Sister Sledge. “I quit my 10 to 5”....he sings. I guess Mark couldn’t bring himself to sing about getting up as early as 9am lol. And he really was Lost in Music: his job, his life, his group, unlike any other group from beginning to end. It’s a laugh, but this cover version also had beautiful, even touching vibrations for deep and devoted fans of The Fall..
I’d say the Scissor Sisters excellent, Bee Gees-inspired cover of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb fits the bill here:
I love this entire album (as well as the first volume). Different tunes are done in different styles. I'll post two different examples: Bad Livers - "Dancing Days"
Bruce Springsteen has done some amazing Dylan covers, “I Want You” and “Chimes Of Freedom”. I think he reinvents these songs and they are brilliant
Jose Feliciano - Light My Fire Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On, and their reinvention of "Season of the Witch" is the scariest version on record.
This has always mystified me. Steve Martin knows comedy and he knows music. So he had to know this was horrible all the way around.
This will make you jump out of your shoes. Audacious Jim Nabors doing The Monkees classic Listen To The Band!
