@aaron_king: What are your favorite cover songs?
A “cover song” or “cover version” is music industry lingo for performing a song originally released by another artist. The source of the word “cover,” when referring to a remake, is unclear. The term probably comes from when upcoming artists would perform a new version of a popular song in an effort to “cover up” the original wherever the song appeared in sheet music stores or in record bins.
Personally, I like cover versions. A cover song allows a band to showoff its influences, to comment on or reinterpret a popular song, and/or to reach a wider audience. While rare, sometimes a cover song improves upon the original version to the point where even the original artist acknowledges the improvement.
What follows is a list of my favorite cover songs.
“Enjoy the Silence” by Failure
I saw Failure a few times on the Fantastic Planet tour. One show was at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. In the encore, Failure played a completely reimagined version of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence.” This version would go on to be featured on the For the Masses Depeche Mode tribute album. This is one of the few recordings I recall listening to well over a hundred times in a row. To me, it’s that good. There is also an “Enjoy the Silence 2020” version that sounds like, at least, a remix or possibly a re-tracking of the original recording that was released on For the Masses. Both are excellent.
“Wild Horses” by The Sundays
If you went to high school in the early 90s and hung out with the alternative crowd, you couldn’t avoid hearing the first album by The Sundays, a band from England that had a few hits on college radio. On the very end of their second album, The Sundays delivered one of the most original and captivating cover versions I have ever heard. Harriet Wheeler and company perform a haunting version of “Wild Horses” originally performed by the Rolling Stones. Wheeler’s voice has an earnestness that crushes me completely.
“All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix
About a year after Bob Dylan released “All Along the Watchtower” on John Wesley Harding, Jimi Hendrix released his cover version on Electric Ladyland. The Hendrix double album is his most creative and expressive record. His interpretation of Dylan’s original is so good that even Dylan felt that Hendrix improved upon “Watchtower.”
“Radar Love” by White Lion
Growing up, White Lion was one of my favorite bands. Personally, I think Pride is one of the best albums ever recorded. Near the end of side two of their third album, Big Game, White Lion covered Golden Earring’s “Radar Love.” The band fires on all cylinders with this true to form cover. Bonus: it also features one of Vito Bratta’s best guitar solos. D’Angelo’s drum break is pretty hot, too.
“Rock On” by Def Leppard
Def Leppard will always be one of my favorite bands. The opening riff of “Photograph” sealed that deal along time ago. In 2006, Def Leppard released an album of covers. One song was “Rock On” by David Essex. They captured something cool and creative in their recording, so much so that I have a hard time not listening to it on repeat once I put it on.
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