Hatrack River Forum: Truly Awful cover songs

This is topic Truly Awful cover songs in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
http://www.hatrack.com/ubb/main/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=031731

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

the infamous Shatner rendition of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds...

The horrific attempt by Britney Spears to turn "Satisfaction" into a plaintive ballad...

and now, last night, I hear Distrubed absolutely ravage a song I had no real liking for to begin with... has anyone heard their cover of "Shout"? I think it's an abomination and I don't even like Tears for Fears...

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

I LIKE that cover of Shout.

*stab*

Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :

U2's cover of Hendrix's 'Watchtower.'

Awful.

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

I tend to love cover songs. Marilyn Manson has some great ones, as does Korn.

mmmmm. cover.

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

I would have expected more rage from Disturbed... it just sounds like he's grunting to me...

Maybe the jukebox wasn't up loud enough or something...

Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :

A local radio station has been playing an accoustic cover of Closer to death lately. It completely loses the sound and pacing of the original.

I wish I could remember the name of the band that was doing the cover.. (stations here are really bad about saying the name and artist of songs here.)

Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :

Hendrix's cover of Dylan's 'Watchtower.' I know that most people prefer Hendrix's version, including Dylan himself, but not moi.

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

Acoustic "Closer" just sounds wrong to me... but I'll try to reserve judgement till I've actually heard it.

I also heard what sounded like Cake doing "I Will Survive".

That was pretty funny, though I'm not sure I'd call it good...

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

For horrid covers, tune in to American Idol on Tuesday and Wdnesday night!

Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :

I liked the Frente! version of bizaare love triangle...

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

Truly awful cover song?

[ February 10, 2005, 12:28 PM: Message edited by: mackillian ]

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

I like all 3 versions of Watchtower, actually. Each has a different sound while still being the same song.

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

"Hurt, originally by Nine Inch Nails. What the heck was Johnny Cash thinking?"

Really? I loved it. I wept when I saw the video for the first time. It sums up his life so well.

Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :

Hey, I don't think Phil's Can't Hurry Love is that bad. Not great but not awful either.

Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :

quote:
I also heard what sounded like Cake doing "I Will Survive".

I love Cake's cover of "I Will Survive." On the same album they also cover "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" and "Sad Songs and Waltzes." And I think one other, but I can't remember what...

I like covers when they're unexpected. Cake doing Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps is just so different than Doris Day doing it.

[ February 10, 2005, 12:37 PM: Message edited by: ElJay ]

Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :

Speaking of covers by U2, I really like their version of 'Helter Skelter.' Especially the beginning on Rattle and Hum: "This is a song that Charles Manson stole from the Beatles, we're stealing it back."

Another 'awful' cover might be The Flying Lizard's cover of 'Money (That's what I want).' But I like it.

Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :

A truly awful cover song is Madonna doing American Pie.

Hurt done by Johnny Cash is one of the best as is Redemption Song done by Johnny Cash and Joe Strummer.

Posted by Ben (Member # 6117) on :

- Sheryl Crow's Sweet Child O' Mine

- that awful Another Brick in the wall cover from years back.

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

Johnny Cash gets my thumbs up for Hurt and I think the religious imagery of choosing "Crown of Thorns" to replace the original lyric was an improvement.

In case I wasn't clear, I actually kinda liked the Cake cover... or at least was amused by it.

I like DMB's version of Watchtower... particularly on the "Recently" EP, though that one's got a pretty odd sax solo.

I don't understand how the Jimi version got on your "awful" list, though...

Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :

I just don't really care for any of Hendrix's music. Except maybe 'Hey Joe.'

Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :

Sweet Child o Mine by Sheryl Crow... that version actually demands imprisonment and torture.

Also, some dumbass tried to cover Behind Blue Eyes recently. Torture is too good for whoever that fool is.

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

Good call, Paul, I mercifully forgot about that one. They didn't even try to put their own spin on it. It's just the old song over again, but not as good.

Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :

Limp Bizkit covered "Behind Blue Eyes". And, yeah, it sucked.

Cake's "I Will Survive" is great. A far departure from the original, of course, but that's what makes it so good. The same goes for Marylyn Manson's cover of "The KKK Took My Baby Away" and I *think* it was Korn's cover of "Ice Ice Baby". They're SO cool!

[ February 10, 2005, 02:08 PM: Message edited by: Da_Goat ]

Posted by Desdemona (Member # 7100) on :

The first cut is the deepest, covered by Sheryl Crow.

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

I *do*, however, have to give Limp Bizkit props for what they did with the MI theme song...

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

"I know why you wanna hate me!"

It would be a great intro for someone in the WWE.

[ February 10, 2005, 02:31 PM: Message edited by: Dagonee ]

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

My sister was watching something on TV (maybe a commercial) where the background music was what sounded like Gwen Stefani doing "If I Were a Rich Man," from Fiddler on the Roof, only it was "Rich Girl," and they weren't using the subjunctive properly.

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

If you want to see a wide array of covers, try looking up either 'Eleanor Rigby" or the Turtles' "Happy Together" on iTunes.

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

Mack... perhaps I should have added "that people actually spent money on"

That was a pretty .. interesting... rendition of Queen there...

Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :

The whole "tribute" to Led Zeppelin CD was an abomination. Especialy the horrid chick band that did "Battle of Evermore".

Oh, and Eddie Vedder's version of "Hide your love away". [Angst]

Edit: punctuation

[ February 10, 2005, 03:20 PM: Message edited by: dread pirate romany ]

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

That was done by three-year-olds. [Big Grin]

Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :

Celine Dion covering At Last. Why? She sounds teethachingly terrible.
In fact, I HATE 90% OF COVERS. I hate some cover of Peter Gabriel's song In Your Eyes. I hate Smashmouth trying to cover songs, they can't sing, they sound awful.
Tori Amos does a cover of Love Song by the Cure that is just, beautiful. There are two versions and the best one I think is the harcicord version because it's so intense and passionate.
She does good covers in general, but her entire cd of cover songs scares me.
I'll think of more later. They are constantly making me suffer with horrible covers at the supermarket like a cover of Salisbury Hill or whatever that song is called that is terrible and makes me wish the people would just ruin their own songs.

I liked Scott Weilands version of Dancing Days. He sounded cool in it.
I also think that no one can sing Marvin Gaye but Marvin Gaye.

[ February 10, 2005, 03:21 PM: Message edited by: Synesthesia ]

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

I love covers that are not trying to be replicas, but put their own spin on the song.

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

I like most of Tori's cover work, but haven't heard that one.

DPR, by "horrid chick band" do you mean Heart? because I thought their rendition of Battle for Evermore was pretty kick @$$.

Mack, they sounded young, but for three, that's pretty impressive, really.

[ February 10, 2005, 03:41 PM: Message edited by: Jim-Me ]

Posted by narrativium (Member # 3230) on :

quote:
A truly awful cover song is Madonna doing American Pie.

Amen, solo, amen. That was a travesty.

quote:
that awful Another Brick in the wall cover from years back.

Would that be the one by Korn? Because that one hurt me to listen to.

quote:
Limp Bizkit covered "Behind Blue Eyes". And, yeah, it sucked.

That's because Limp Bizkit sucks.

If you want to hear some great covers, pick up any CD by Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. They do punk covers of songs, and each CD has a theme or era (for example, Are a Drag is made up of songs from musicals).

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

I actually love cover albums, when different artists do a buch of songs. They did one of Grateful Dead songs a while back. (OK, heck, probably at least ten years). There are a few others I have enjoyed but cannot think of.

Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :

anything that's been covered for a comericial recently. Like the target comercial with three dog night's "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" using it as a christmas song.

Posted by Lost Ashes (Member # 6745) on :

DMB's "All Along The Watchtower" was pretty good, much better than U2's version, but not as good as Jimi's cover.

But Solo hit the nail on the head: Madonna loused up "American Pie" so badly that I'm not sure Don MacLean would ever want to haul the song out in public again. Please don't ever let her do "Vincent"...

Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :

Speaking of Vincent, NOFX does a pretty cool version of that song.

Fat Mike from NOFX is the bassist for Me First And The Gimme Gimmes who I will also endorse as genius cover artists. They do Rainbow Connection and it was actually used during the credits of "Kermit's Swamp Years". They also do a great version of Science Fiction Double Feature.

[ February 10, 2005, 06:15 PM: Message edited by: solo ]

Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :

Why stab? It's really good...
And yes, Madonna's cover of American Pie was terrible.

Posted by Tater (Member # 7035) on :

You guys took mine, so, just to remind everyone of the horrible-ness:

quote:
Love Song, originally by The Cure, destroyed by 311

quote:
Also, some dumbass tried to cover Behind Blue Eyes recently. Torture is too good for whoever that fool is.

*shakes fist* Those covers made me angry.

Posted by narrativium (Member # 3230) on :

Tater, in my head, your comment was voiced by Marvin the Martian. [Laugh]

[ February 10, 2005, 06:27 PM: Message edited by: narrativium ]

Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :

Cher cannot sing. Therefore she should not cover songs.
I think I will take her and Celine Dion and others and send them to the moon!

Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :

quote:
If you want to hear some great covers, pick up any CD by Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. They do punk covers of songs, and each CD has a theme or era (for example, Are a Drag is made up of songs from musicals).

Heck yes to that! I'm ashamed I forgot to mention them. At the very least, you should check out their covers of "Hotel California" and "I Believe I Can Fly", even though the latter got some crazy radio time around here.

Posted by Rappin' Ronnie Reagan (Member # 5626) on :

quote:
My sister was watching something on TV (maybe a commercial) where the background music was what sounded like Gwen Stefani doing "If I Were a Rich Man," from Fiddler on the Roof, only it was "Rich Girl," and they weren't using the subjunctive properly.

I bought her CD when it came out and hadn't listened to it yet. So, I'm playing "Rich Girl" now, and you're right. She doesn't use the subjunctive properly. [Frown]

*sigh* Gwen, what's happened to you?

I actually tried to listen to the CD after I bought it, but after about two songs I couldn't tolerate any more. It hurts me to say that, having liked every single song that she and No Doubt have done in the past.

[ February 11, 2005, 01:46 AM: Message edited by: Rappin' Ronnie Reagan ]

Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :

You know...I really hate to say "I told you so" but...

I had that "headache after two songs" thing with Rock Steady, though. And if most of the songs on Return of Saturn hadn't had such a firm beat, I probably would've hated that, too. I miss the Tragic Kingdom No Doubt. In fact, I miss the 90's, and I flip out a bit when I realize that they're five years gone already.

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

Heh. What has this world come to when former ska queen glamor celebs can't even use the subjunctive properly? Sigh.

Sarah, I think your only recourse is to become a U2 fan. They don't even try to cover Tevya.

Though they do cover just about everyone else, but only live, and it's always cool.

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

...although, I did see No Doubt open for U2 and it was pretty sweet. Bono thought it was awesome that a chick singer did "press ups" on stage.

Posted by Da_Goat (Member # 5529) on :

But, U2's new CD isn't much better than Gwen's. I'm pretty sure the only way for rrr to save herself is to shower herself with more Barenaked Ladies songs than you can shake a stick at.