Criminal cover versions

[Mr Larrington]

Of all the songs that no purveyors of guitar-based rock should even think about contemplating covering, His Bobness' All Along The Watchtower must be very close to the top of the list.

Take a bow, Swedish doom metal bozos Candlemass.

[pcolbeck]

Of all the songs that no purveyors of guitar-based rock should even think about contemplating covering, His Bobness' All Along The Watchtower must be very close to the top of the list.

Take a bow, Swedish doom metal bozos Candlemass.

Presumably you would make an exception for Jimi Hendrix.

[Peter]

Bob did, but I don't agree with Bob in preferring Jimi's version - not that either would be bothered by my preference for the original!  That album was so spare, it was just perfect for that collection of particularly stark songs.

[fd3]

What??? Bob Smith covered Jimi's "All Along The Watchtower"?

[Mr Larrington]

Of all the songs that no purveyors of guitar-based rock should even think about contemplating covering, His Bobness' All Along The Watchtower must be very close to the top of the list.

Take a bow, Swedish doom metal bozos Candlemass.

Presumably you would make an exception for Jimi Hendrix.

Perhaps I should have made it clearer that no-one post-Hendrix should attempt to cover it.

Bob did, but I don't agree with Bob in preferring Jimi's version - not that either would be bothered by my preference for the original!  That album was so spare, it was just perfect for that collection of particularly stark songs.

So that's you and Noel Redding who prefer His Bobness' original   Anyone else?

[Peter]

Yes, I saw that recently about Noel Redding!  I can take it! 

[Mr Larrington]

One story has it that Redding nipped out to the pub for an hour during the recording session and while he was away either Traffic's Dave Mason or Hendrix himself laid down the bass part…

[Peter]

Ha!  I hadn't heard that.  Sour grapes yielding the correct response!

[fd3]

The Specials covering Leonard Cohen's "Everybody knows".

I was not familiar with the song, but hearing it on the radio I thought to myself, this sounds like an appalling attempt at sounding like Leonard Cohen.  Possibly the most dreadful thing I have ever heard (and to put it in context, the Corrs were on immediately afterwards).

[Pingu]

Dunno if it's been done on this thread, but I've just heard Iron Maiden's attempt at Hocus Pocus 

[rafletcher]

Of all the songs that no purveyors of guitar-based rock should even think about contemplating covering, His Bobness' All Along The Watchtower must be very close to the top of the list.

Take a bow, Swedish doom metal bozos Candlemass.

Presumably you would make an exception for Jimi Hendrix.

Perhaps I should have made it clearer that no-one post-Hendrix should attempt to cover it.

Bob did, but I don't agree with Bob in preferring Jimi's version - not that either would be bothered by my preference for the original!  That album was so spare, it was just perfect for that collection of particularly stark songs.

So that's you and Noel Redding who prefer His Bobness' original   Anyone else?

Then there's this version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BigolJfoANw

[Mr Larrington]

The horror!  The horror!

[fd3]

The stones doing “let’s spend the night together”, murdering a classic Bowie song.  They really have no clue!

[Mr Larrington]

Indeed, that’s up there with Pink Floyd bludgeoning of the Scissor Sisters' “Comfortably Numb” or Bowie himself with his terrible cover of Nirvana's “The Man Who Sold The World”

[fd3]

I dunno, Bowie did two versions of the man who sold the world, the second one was different enough from Nirvana to be worth it.
I believe I have already mentioned the horror that is pink flood’s version of comfortably numb in this thread.

[Jaded]

To be honest, none of these rank anywhere when you look at how The Beatles trashed that William Shatner classic.

[fd3]

Well, the Beatles (like the Stones) have form on crap cover versions.  Have you heard the Beatles’ attempt at “Helter Skelter” or “Dear Prudence”?  Who woke up one day and thought it would be a good idea?

[Mr Larrington]

Even Jimi Hendrix did it, in his case to The Cure's “Foxy Lady”.

[fd3]

Dunno about that, I think Jimi brings an interesting take to that song, which is the point of cover versions.  Not all cover versions can be “Through the Looking Glass” in quality.

[Cudzoziemiec]

This is good but nevertheless a crime against the original song: https://youtu.be/1DbMSI4cVVE?t=3726

[Pedaldog.]

I fell asleep!
Anybody else heard Paul Young slow Slaying "Don't Dream it's Over" with the most Tedious version of anything.. Ever!

[Mr Larrington]

DJ Random served up a cover of the Pixies' “Where Is My Mind” the other day, by stoner metal outfit Roadsaw.  This served mainly to emphasise what a criminally underrated guitarist the Pixies' Joey Santiago is.

[pcolbeck]

I cant decide if this is criminal or genius:

Chikuzen Sato "Dont stop me now"

https://youtu.be/ce1s533fVvw

[Ham]

Not genius for me as it is a little bit too close to the original in phrasing, but I like it.

[Mr Larrington]

in 1992 everyone's favourite* folkie-disco-punk anarchists Chumbawamba did a Peel Session.  Track listing:

• Agadoo
• The Birdy Song
• Knock Three Times
• Y Viva Espana

All done completely straight.  WTF was that all about

* FSVO