Let it Die
I'd like to just go on record and say that Fergie's cover of Live and Let Die is absolutely brutal. One of the worst things I've heard (and seen) cover-wise in a while. I'm not even going to link to it.
In related news, the Onion AV Club just posted a list of 23 Covers That Should Never Be Covered Again. I think I'd also be fine without hearing anymore covers of Creep or God Only Knows.
2 comments:
Like many of the commenters over at the AV Club, I'm not feeling that list.
More, I'm bothered that some songs are there because they're just cheesy and everyone covers them, while others are there despite/because there have been a few definitive, amazing covers in recent memory. Worse, some songs seem to be there because of one, awful cover -- as if one version could ruin a song forever. The criteria set seems wonky.
My own list would need to include a bunch of old Beatles chestnuts, and The Rolling Stones' Wild Horses. Possibly Nirvana's Nevermind. For all of these, the total possible range of cover approaches seems to have been tried. These songs are, in my opinion, truly exhausted.
Unlike, say, Crazy, which isn't covered much beyond the usual slowcountry, thus leaving room for all sorts of new genre versions. And I still think there's more life to be had in Born to be Wild. Have you heard the Timbuk 3 version?
You're right, it does seem like a list of songs ruined by one horrible cover. By that logic, Fergie just killed Live and Let Die! But I know The Polyphonic Spree (!) has been performing it live recently and I eagerly await a decent bootleg or studio version. Obviously I don't think any song should be exempt from covers since you never know what someone might do with it. I'd pretty much had enough Heart of Glass covers when I heard Lily Allen's cute keyboard version from SXSW. A counter-argument for Tainted Love's nomination on the list: The Living End's cover. One of my favourite covers ever with an incredible guitar solo. That's what first introduced me to their music and I've been a huge fan since. Ah, the power of a killer cover.
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