A while back I did a post about cover versions of songs I liked. Here are five more, including a cover of gone-and-long-forgotten boy band Five.
Foo Fighters: Band on the Run
Radio One are celebrating their fortieth birthday by asking loads of contemporary bands to cover songs from the past forty years. There have been some really good ones and a couple of days ago it was the Foo Fighters covering the Wings classic. And, boy was it good. I'm guessing the BBC will release the tracks on a celebratory album at some point. And I might just have to get a copy.
Terrorvision: Get on Up
I've never heard this on tape, but it was the last song of a brilliant gig Terrorvision did at The Bierkeller in Bristol on the tour promoting what turned out to be their last album. The original is, of course, by Five. I keep hoping Terrorvision's version will turn up on a posthumous release sometime (they've already had three come out!).
Tori Amos: Smells Like Teen Spirit
Take a grunge classic. Transpose it to piano. Hear it sung by Tori Amos. You can imagine how powerful this cover is.
Lily Allen: Oh My God
This is from the Mark Ronson album 'Version'. If you haven't heard it yet find someone who's got a copy and borrow it. What producer Mark Ronson has done is ask a whole bunch of people to cover various songs. I'm not a huge fan of Lily Allen, but I do like the Kaiser Chiefs, and the combination somehow just works. Other tracks I really like on the album include Amy Winehouse singing 'Valerie' by the Zutons, and a cover of the Smiths classic 'Stop Me'.
Hootie and the Blowfish: Please, Please, Please, Let me get what I want
Speaking of Smiths covers, this one from H&tB's collection of unreleased and live tracks is pretty good.
Have to say I can't stand Lily Allen or Kaiser Chiefs but somehow Mark Ronson has made that song listenable..
ReplyDeleteI loved some of the radio 1 covers too...Natasha Bedingfield covering Madonna's Ray of Light was particularly great. The Streets covering Your Song by Elton John however, was not.
Last week Jo Whiley played montages of different bands who'd covered the same songs in live lounge (about 10 different bands have covered The Scientist by Coldplay for example..) makes good listening.
Long comment...sorry..
I'm a sucker for a good (or bizarre) cover version too, and I hope that CD does get released.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, I've got this from the early '90s. Recommended for the cover fans.