The Good Covers

Long before there were bands like NOFX and Me-First and the Gimme-Gimmes, long before the notion of the overt “novelty” cover there were bands covering songs by their favourite bands, serving up a tribute – lovingly, earnestly. Often the artist that covered the song took the tune on a stroll and ended up far away and over the hills from where the song started out. And often this was a good thing.

I have – for some reason I have never really understood, but then I have never really challenged myself towards contemplation – often enjoyed a great cover version. I get frustrated by unnecessary covers. And I know all about unnecessary covers. I have played in more than one covers band. And I have reviewed plenty of redundant tribute acts.

But I still like to think that there are some covers that are absolutely stunning – breathing new life in to the original – which is what an interpretive version should be all about.

I am thinking about this now and writing this because very recently someone sent me a text message asking me to confirm that Bob Dylan wrote All Along the Watchtower. I texted back (sorry, txtd) that yes indeed Dylan wrote it. And sang it. For some reason I wrote a long text/txt back explaining that Jimi Hendrix had also recorded a crucial cover version (160 characters were up before I could add that U2 had also covered it; yeah that’s my reason for not mentioning them, and I’m sticking to that).

My friend re-texted querying the information about Hendrix and his version. She asked a very interesting question. She wondered why Jimi had covered it. I tapped back into my cellphone that he had clearly liked the song – and no doubt covered the tune to pay respects to both the song and the artist (Dylan).

I can only assume that this was the reason Hendrix covered anything; as most readers of this blog will know, Jimi Hendrix covered plenty of songs, recreating them, tearing them apart and stitching them back up in his own inimitable way. Whether it was B.B. King’s Rock Me Baby, The Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers or Day Tripper, Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love and The Troggs’ Wild Thing (to name an obvious few).

Hendrix’ version of All Along the Watchtower gets my vote for one of the greatest covers of all time. It is a song that deserves to exist outside of the original. It is in many ways better – but it needs the original to exist (okay, that’s probably obvious). It is a cover that is, in and of itself, necessary. It is valid. It is not a hackneyed, pointless exercise. New life is breathed in to the original.

The other very obvious example I can think of is Joe Cocker’s rendition of The Beatles’ With a Little Help from My Friends. As a youngster it took me a long time to understand that Joe Cocker and The Beatles both sang a song called With a Little Help from My Friends and that it was the same song. I mean, granted, there is no way that it is the same song. And I know that (again) now. But I mean, I couldn’t even tell that it was the same words. That The Beatles did it first and that Cocker totally, utterly re-cast it.

Of the over-the-top now-unnecessary novelty-cover field, I have to say that alt-country version of Snoop Dogg’s Gin & Juice by The Gourds is totally top-notch. Many people seem to think that this song was covered by Hayseed Dixie – who do a similar thing to The Gourds, without the diversity and subtlety. Hayseed are great, don’t get me wrong, but wait until you hear The Gourds’ version of Ziggy Stardust – all Greek mandolins and vocals that fall in on themselves. Brilliant mix of zany humour and quirky musical exploration.

What are your favourite covers? I also love Warren Zevon’s version of Steve Winwood’s Back in the High Love Again. (He’s so miserable singing it – it’s sublime. Rumour is he sang it having just heard about his terminal cancer diagnosis. That would be Warren; so black in his humour.)

I quite liked some of the novelty punk covers in the mid-90s – but there were too many too quickly (in both the speed of their arrival and in the time-signatures in which they were covered). But there are still some great covers, right? I like to think that you don’t have to be ironic to cover – Joe Cocker wasn’t. Jimi Hendrix wasn’t. And I am sure that Faith No More were not being ironic when they covered Lionel Richie’s Easy. Cyndi Lauper sure wasn’t being ironic when she covered Prince’s great song When You Were Mine (maybe she was just being lazy? – it was only about a year old at the time...)

Let’s get a list going of the best cover. I’ve named most of mine. What are some of yours? And what makes a good cover?