Even Better Than The Real Thing
Song remakes. They are never better than the original, right? Maybe for movies but not so much in music. Remade songs are a tribute to the original artists, bringing out the brilliance of their beauty and style, remade with originality, making them new once again. Here are my top remade songs that you might feel are as good or even better than the original.
“Word Up!” - Cameo/Korn : Ooow! I was a teenager when the original came out but the Korn version is so different but so not. The beginning alone makes my head want to explode because it so awesome. The whistle is spot on! There’s got to be a reason and we know the reason why!
“In the heat of the morning” - David Bowie/The Last Shadow Puppets - When Alex Turner and Miles Kane laid down this track they created a beautifully stylized song that captured the sound of an era. This remake finds so much of essence of the original that you might think this version could have come first.
“I will always love you” - Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston - Without offending any Dolly Parton fans, this is a no brainer.
“Stop Me (If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before)” - The Smiths/Mark Ronson - Yup, The Smiths have even been outdone but look who it is? The master of the remaster. Ronson’s irresistible groove topped with a sampling of “Keep Me Hanging On” is easy addition to any party mix. Caused nothing’s changed, I still love you, only slightly less than I used to.
“The man who rules the world” - Nirvana/David Bowie - Performed as part of their appearance on MTV’s Unplugged, I don’t know what ito enjoy more, the perfectly nailed whining guitar and upfront bass or Kurt’s restrained vocals. Ok, ok, wait. This is also live.
What are you favorite remakes that are even better than the real thing?
Rock
12:56 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
I enjoyed your music discussion, and listening to your favorites. By the way, I enjoyed your last post as well and you helped me discover some new music.
When I think of covers -- The Jimi Hendrix version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" immediately comes to mind. The Hendrix cover was released about 6 months after Dylan's -- obviously becoming an iconic Hendrix song -- and supposedly Dylan enjoyed it so much that the version he would later play live, incorporated alot of what Hendrix added to it.
Steve R
2:10 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
"Turn The Page" - Bob Seger/Metallica. The music behind Bob's original version was way too subdued, whereas Metallica's remake rages with feeling.
"Pictures of Matchstick Men" - Status Quo/Ozzy Osbourne. Leave it to Ozzy to be able to take a 60's bubblegum-psychedelic band's song and make it rock. Type O negative does well backing Ozzy up, adding their own grinding sound to create a metal classic.
JAFO
3:01 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Without a doubt, the #1 remake of all time has to be.
"Over the Rainbow" remade by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole on the ukulele.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_DKWlrA24k
Also, "Country Roads" - Bob Denver/Toots and The Maytals. Granted, the original is great (especially when sung by 80k WVU students at each home football game), but the Toots version is very, very cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2VbRiBDcCk