@simplersimon I actually like how this one was left of the list and wish the “Alien Ant Farm” one was also. I get the impression people just picked the one version they recognized and didn’t really evaluate the songs.
@hems79 I have to confess, I am not familiar with the Ramones. No clue why, just didn’t happen. I am familiar with a lot of classic punk, like the Exploited, Sex Pistols, Samhain, the Misfits, Dead Kennedys and a lot more, but the Ramones always flew under my radar somehow. Need to catch up someday.
As for genre-bending, my wife mentioned “My Way” by Sid Vicious as soon as the Ministry cover went into full speed.
And give a listen to Ministry’s 2008 cover album, it has a lot of unique takes on classic rock & blues in the non-conformist Jourgensen style.
@serpent I’ve never got into The Ramones either, but their cover is pretty good.
I also listened to the same style punk, Misfits, Samhain, DK, etc. I think mid-late 90’s Michael Graves Misfits was as good as Danzig Misfits. “American Psycho” is such a great horror-punk album. It got a lot of flack because it “tarnished” the Misfits name, but that album is one of my favorite albums.
Being a (way too old by now) ska kid, I had to pick Jimmy Cliff’s version of Ruby Soho. I wouldn’t call it genre-bending with Tim Arnstrong’s background with Op Ivy, and especially his solo album with The Aggrolites. Nevertheless, of course this was my pick.
I’m surprised no ska bands made the list, because EVERY SINGLE DAMN SKA BAND felt the need to make a cover. Just some ska genre-bending covers off the top of my head:
Bosstones - Think Again (Minor Threat)
Bosstones - Sweet Emotion
Bosstones - Enter Sandman - AWFUL COVER however.
Reel Big Fish - Take on Me
Save Ferris - Come on Eileen
Less Than Jake - Brown Eyed Girl
Pilfers - Jerkin’ Back N Forth (Devo)
Streetlight Manifesto - Linoleum (NOFX)
@dannybeans I think this just proves how good the original song is. I don’t normally listen to that type of music, but I could still enjoy your cover a lot.
“Ring of Fire” has been a magnet for genre-bending covers (Blondie, Social Distortion, Eric Burden and the Animals), but I like the “Wall of Voodoo” version the best.
Man, do you guys only give points for obscurity? The truly great artists genre-bend like nobody’s business. What about Hendryx turning Dylan’s folk to psychedelia with “All Around the Watchtower?” I prefer Devo’s new wave take on “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” over the Stones’ original, and there’s really nothing better than Bowie in full-on Ziggy Stardust mode doing the Easybeats’ “Friday On My Mind.” I do agree wholeheartedly with the endorsement of Johnny Cash doing “Hurt.”
No one’s mentioned the catchy-but-offensive Scissor Sisters cover of Comfortably Numb?
Iron and Wine’s cover of The Flaming Lips’ Waitin’ For a Superman is about to lull me to sleep, in a lovely way, like all of their music:
I just recently discovered that Sugar Ray covered Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time when I heard it in a bagel shop. I was outraged, but actually, secretly, ashamedly, the early-00s teen in me enjoys it. Sigh.
YespleaseSturgill
Hurt by Johnny Cash
Admittedly, the obvious answer
@simplersimon The completely obvious answer that wasn’t on the list, wtf?!
@simplersimon I actually like how this one was left of the list and wish the “Alien Ant Farm” one was also. I get the impression people just picked the one version they recognized and didn’t really evaluate the songs.
@DrWorm or we picked it because all of the other songs are terrible.
I like the bulk of the Life Aquatic soundtrack- Seu Jorge’s acoustic Brazilian-Portuguese covers of David Bowie songs.
This “Purple Rain” cover. My. F-ing. G-d. WOW.
“I’m okay.” ~Annie
Ministry - What a Wonderful World
@serpent Surprised The Ramones cover wasn’t listed, but Ministry is a band I’ve completely forgotten about.
@hems79 I have to confess, I am not familiar with the Ramones. No clue why, just didn’t happen. I am familiar with a lot of classic punk, like the Exploited, Sex Pistols, Samhain, the Misfits, Dead Kennedys and a lot more, but the Ramones always flew under my radar somehow. Need to catch up someday.
As for genre-bending, my wife mentioned “My Way” by Sid Vicious as soon as the Ministry cover went into full speed.
And give a listen to Ministry’s 2008 cover album, it has a lot of unique takes on classic rock & blues in the non-conformist Jourgensen style.
@serpent I’ve never got into The Ramones either, but their cover is pretty good.
I also listened to the same style punk, Misfits, Samhain, DK, etc. I think mid-late 90’s Michael Graves Misfits was as good as Danzig Misfits. “American Psycho” is such a great horror-punk album. It got a lot of flack because it “tarnished” the Misfits name, but that album is one of my favorite albums.
I feel like RATM did a good job with Renegades of Funk.
A Perfect Circle - Imagine (John Lennon’s cover)
Not only genre, but also mind-bending.
@serpent ah yes, fantastic cover. That whole album is genre-bending.
Two very acoustic covers of Pink Floyd (?!!!)
Christy Moore, "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
Dar Williams & Ani DiFranco, "Comfortably Numb"
Either will break your heart, in a good way.
Someone is eventually going to post this one…
Sturgill Simpson also does a great cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom”
The Gourds- Gin and Juice
No Dynamite Hack?
@thismyusername That. Was. Fabulous.
Being a (way too old by now) ska kid, I had to pick Jimmy Cliff’s version of Ruby Soho. I wouldn’t call it genre-bending with Tim Arnstrong’s background with Op Ivy, and especially his solo album with The Aggrolites. Nevertheless, of course this was my pick.
I’m surprised no ska bands made the list, because EVERY SINGLE DAMN SKA BAND felt the need to make a cover. Just some ska genre-bending covers off the top of my head:
Bosstones - Think Again (Minor Threat)
Bosstones - Sweet Emotion
Bosstones - Enter Sandman - AWFUL COVER however.
Reel Big Fish - Take on Me
Save Ferris - Come on Eileen
Less Than Jake - Brown Eyed Girl
Pilfers - Jerkin’ Back N Forth (Devo)
Streetlight Manifesto - Linoleum (NOFX)
I’ll stop, I swear.
Just heard Dwight Yoakam - Purple Rain for the first time.
No doubt, 1000x better than Prince.
/giphy Blasphemy
@hems79 BLASPHEMY indeed! Nobody did Prince, better than PRINCE!!!
@hems79 Read and hear the interview today with Dwight Yoakam at NPR.
http://www.npr.org/2016/09/18/494118725/dwight-yoakam-looks-to-the-past-and-prince
Burning Down the House by Tom Jones and Nina Persson
@Subbota Well is’nt that special! Actually not that bad, I could make out the words better on this version than on Talking Heads original.
Alien Ant Farms cover of Smooth Criminal was indescribably delicious.
@RiotDemon
@dannybeans I think this just proves how good the original song is. I don’t normally listen to that type of music, but I could still enjoy your cover a lot.
Hotel California by The Gipsy Kings
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gipsy_Kings
@Pavlov Sounds frantic.
Never listened to Mutemath until I heard this cover of Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’” good stuff
This was previously a bluegrass song
“Ring of Fire” has been a magnet for genre-bending covers (Blondie, Social Distortion, Eric Burden and the Animals), but I like the “Wall of Voodoo” version the best.
Man, do you guys only give points for obscurity? The truly great artists genre-bend like nobody’s business. What about Hendryx turning Dylan’s folk to psychedelia with “All Around the Watchtower?” I prefer Devo’s new wave take on “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” over the Stones’ original, and there’s really nothing better than Bowie in full-on Ziggy Stardust mode doing the Easybeats’ “Friday On My Mind.” I do agree wholeheartedly with the endorsement of Johnny Cash doing “Hurt.”
@curtw4 I’ve heard some good covers of “Friday on my Mind”
So, you folks know about coverville.com, right? Podcast, been around over a decade, thousands of episodes of cover songs?
“Smells Like Teen Spirt” by Tori Amos (sorry, can’t seem to get the video to embed, so you’ll have to click the link).
Smells Like Teen Spirt
@driver8 don’t try to embed it, just copy the link.
@RiotDemon Thanks for the tip!
Here’s a great, mellow cover of the Stones’ “Waiting on a Friend”:
Hands down, the coolest cover of Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane”…
/youtube the vandals my heart will go on
@Ignorant I had to listen, just to see if it was “that damn Titanic song”.
No one’s mentioned the catchy-but-offensive Scissor Sisters cover of Comfortably Numb?
Iron and Wine’s cover of The Flaming Lips’ Waitin’ For a Superman is about to lull me to sleep, in a lovely way, like all of their music:
I just recently discovered that Sugar Ray covered Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time when I heard it in a bagel shop. I was outraged, but actually, secretly, ashamedly, the early-00s teen in me enjoys it. Sigh.
@currawong Sugar Ray also did an interesting spin of Stand and Deliver by Adam & The Ants.
Instrumental funk cover of Wu Tang Clan’s 1st album by El Michels Affair
Enter the 37th Chamber
@bluebeatpete Damn, this was so good. This is too:
All of DEVO’s covers are vastly superior to the originals.
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
Secret Agent Man
Workin’ in a Coal Mine
Are You Experienced?
Don’t Be Cruel (Okay, this might be an exception…)
Morning Dew
/giphy Hey Ya
Probably the best Beatles cover ever is by Richie Havens. He completely owns it.