Tired of watching some pony tailed oaf (no offense Ciaran) strumming a tuneless acoustic version of "Bittersweet Symphony" on the tube? Well here are some top covers to warm the cockles of yer jaded heart...
The Residents - Satisfaction
Brutal dismemberment of the Stones classic, out dweebs even Devo's version by some way. Reminds us there are many more things to be worried about in the world than if a girl will not make out with you (but not many).
Big Black - The Model
Talking about dweebs, check this out! Kraftwerk's cool dispassionate ode to the unattainable is turned into a nerd's stalker anthem.
Rapemen - Just Got Paid
Charmingly named and the second Steve Albini related cover, ZZ Top this time, what can I say the guy has a knack for great cover versions (still shit with names though). As funky as the original but with an writhing mass of noise where a slide guitar solo should be.
Judas Priest - Diamonds and Rust
Joan Baez folk dirge about what a twat Bob Dylan was is mangled into a storming, none more metal shriek, tailor made for thousands of screaming Japanese people to wave their arms to.
James Chance - Jailhouse Rock
Elvis provides a veritable gold mine of cover versions that out do the originals, check out this racket, worth it just for the intro.
No embedding with this mutha unfortunately:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNry5C4PIrM
John Cale - Heartbreak Hotel
If there was ever a song for a miserable Welshman to sing this is it. Years of bitterness about how Lou Reed wrote all the best songs for the Velvets come to the surface in this suicide note in song.
Annette Peacock - Don't Be Cruel
If you like your dose of The King delivered as a sultry samba the eccentric Ms Peacock is your woman. Just bought her long unavailable album "I'm The One" for £30, signed and everything..
Jimi Hendrix - Come On
Better know for his Dylan cover I like this off the cuff version of an old New Orleans classic because it captures Hendrix at his most exuberant. You can almost hear the strings snapping on the fret board as he wails away, leaving the white boys in the rhythm section for dust.
Dinosaur Jr - Just Like Heaven
As with most of J Mascis' work it's hard to tell if this is a genuine tribute or a piss take, but isn't that the best thing you can get from a song? I hate The Cure but I love this so if it's a tribute it's worked.
Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy
Credited to Muddy but pretty much a straight lift of Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man" this is what most people think of when you say the word "blues". Bo's swaggering original is turned into something monumental, if you are looking for the roots of heavy metal you could do worse than this.
Van Halen - Ice Cream Man
The boys did a blazing version of "You Really Got Me" but I like this one as firstly nobody has heard of the original and secondly it's possibly the first time ever where a white heavy metal cover of an old blues song actually captures the raunch, swing and humor of it all.
peace
Maningrey
"Best ever cover versions!" > read the full post
