Date: 28 March 24, 03:31 AM
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 Cover vs. Original



scuzzy


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I can think of some cover songs that are IMHO better than the original, and vice versa. For example, I always thought Elton John's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" was better than The Beatles original. Others come to mind, but I'll start with this and ask for opinions on others:

Original: City Of New Orleans by Steve Goodman
Cover by Arlo Guthrie (best known/most popular)
Cover by Willie Nelson (my favorite - great video with this one)

Willie link blocked by youtube.  This one works;
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XyRdJr4LSc

scuzzy


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I don't think that Arlo Guthrie doing a different version of the same song counts as a cover, but I enjoyed it just the same.

In the early 80's I enjoyed Joan Jett & The Blackhearts' I Love Rock And Roll, but then I discovered the original by The Arrows.

Scuzzy; put another dime in the jukebox, Baby.

Bill


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I've listened to all three version of the song this morning.  First time I've heard the Goodman original.  If we could put Willie's voice with Arlo's guitar work it would be perfect.  Willie's voice has a maturity that  Arlo just doesn't have, by comparison he sounds like a kid, IMO.  Kind of like a 20yr old, trying to sing Delta Blues, it just doesn't work.

The LP version of Alice's makes my point.  But what you call the end all version has the distraction of the female narrator that I find annoying.  There is a much more recent video of Arlo and Alice's that I think is much better.  I will look for it, later.

Edit: I can't find the version I remember but here is the 2005 Farm Aid version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yLg_bzwvxg
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scuzzy


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Bill


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Geez, the poverty shown in that video is startling.  The great depression.

Edit: I should have said the Dust Bowl, but about the same time in history.
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scuzzy


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It's been said that the Greatest Generation is in fact the parents who raised them. The parents were products of the Great Depression and appropriately disciplined their children to become the Greatest Generation. They learned to work hard, not be wasteful, and to genuinely appreciate what little they had.

Here's another:

Original: Gentle On My Mind by John Hartford (incredible talent)
Beautiful extended version by John Hartford (CAROL - you will love this version)
Cover: Gentle On My Mind by Glen Campbell (best known/most popular - awesome live version)

Bill


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I like the extended version by Hartford as well.  Campbell is no slouch but when someone mentions him all I can think of is the Rhinestone Cowboy. He impresses me as kind of a phony like the song title.

Where do you come up with these gems?
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Bill


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You know if you had said Flat and Scruggs I might take you seriously!
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scuzzy


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Campbell was a very talented artist who knew how to capitalize on his skills (mostly a mean guitar). Too bad his mind has been ravished by Alzheimer's. I absolutely love his cover of Wichita Lineman, written and performed by Jimmy Webb.

Rhinestone Cowboy was written and performed by Larry Weiss, but made popular by Campbell. Come to think of it, I don't know that Campbell wrote any of his own stuff.

I research songs and their origins. I often find some of the best stuff that way, albeit less popular. Some of it is a lot of digging and hard work, and some of it is simply dumb luck. Other times I hear a song I really like in a movie and I wait for the credits, such as this Clint Eastwood gem:

Big Fran's Baby (performed by Lennie Niehaus for the movie A Perfect World)

scuzzy


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Bill


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And then there is this version of Lineman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbZYLu8bNBU&nohtml5=False

Also meaningful.
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scuzzy


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scuzzy


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On the other end of the spectrum are covers I consider horrible. This one (for some ungodly reason popular in Europe) is painful for me to listen to. I poast it here only for its shocking entertainment value. I certainly do not expect you to listen to the whole thing. Be warned, it is terrible beyond words:

American Pie - Madonna

Bill


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You were right it stinks.
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scuzzy


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Sleepwalk (1968 version) by Santo and Johnny is easily one of my all-time favorites. There have been multiple covers of this beautiful song, but my favorite far and large is this stunning rendition by The Ventures feat. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter. But you won't want to miss this magnificent Les Paul cover in his later years.

scuzzy


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Bill


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That Woody Guthrie song "So long..." has been riding around my head since you poasted it.
And I don't remember where but I found the sign on his guitar "This  machine kills..., looks like it was originally on a printing press.
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Bill


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Who poasted what John?  You talking about the song "So long...:? It's in the poast office under Cover vs. Original

by scuzzy.
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scuzzy


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