Vinyl Draft

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? Unfortunately, when butchered, it can also be the cruelest form of insult. Cover songs are just that, imitation, and there’s just something about a good cover song. When done right, it takes the song to a whole new level. When done poorly, the original artist must question why they ever wrote the song to begin with. It’s a risky thing, and it can go horribly wrong. Take, for instance, Limp Bizkit’s cover of The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes”:

Good:

Laughably Bad:

Or (and the mere mention of this makes my skin crawl) Britney Spears’ cover of “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones:

Classic:

Disgusting:

But… when done well, and by the right person, a good cover song does not detract from the original. If anything, it makes you appreciate it more. The good cover song doesn’t try to imitate the original too closely. It’s the same song, but it’s not. They take the original and make it their own, without robbing it of its dignity.

For instance:

The Pixies’ “Where is My Mind”

and a cover by Yoav

U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday”

and a cover by Saul Williams and Trent Reznor

Hear the difference? Granted, pretty much anything Yoav and Saul Williams put out will be better than Fred Durst and Britney Spears. Which is why I suppose mediocre artists should recognize their mediocrity and not tamper with great pieces of art.

I’d be interested in hearing some of your favorite covers, I can already think of some I’d like to do a follow-up post on.