Covers just as good or better than the original

[Shoden]

So, just a few little rules here, list some covers you think are just as good as the original but not only that, add a little bit of explanation so there's a bit of discussion going on, as long as no one's at eachother's throats or being overtly super serial then I see it as being no problem at all.
I can trust my fellow EoFFers to behave in a musical discussion. Right? RIIGHT?


Right.

For me I'd have to say for just as good:
Metallica - Blitzkrieg

I know the band's current lineup personally quite well but also some of the musicians who originally did this song and this is actually a very fitting cover. Metallica always did good covers though. It has the original feel and flow of the original with James Hetfield's then raspy voice fitting it perfectly.

Iced Earth - Hallowed Be Thy Name

Its hard to do an Iron Maiden cover I always reckoned, the synergy between Dave Murray and Adrian Smith even in recordings is at such a level it has this feel, some sort of spirit of its own which I think is why some of the songs from Iron Maiden in the 90's flopped as I think it was Adrian Smith that left the band.
But the baritone vocals from Matt Barlow here and the downtuned guitars here really do not only make the song their own but also make for a very fitting cover.

Blind Guardian - Beyond The Realms of Death

I'm a huge Judas Priest fanboy and I've seen some horrible, HORRIBLE covers done but this is the opposite, a fantastic cover I'd have never thought possible. The original emotion of Halford's voice and the way its sang is not only replicated well but its done so freely. The guitars are heavy and they are loud, yeah but they're like that to make up for the fact they got some of the tight licks from the original missed out but that's no bother, the drums and vocals and even the bass and hell, even the end solo is done so bloody well.

Judas Priest - Diamonds and Rust

Heard the original but although I have no love for it there's a shadow of emotion and feeling in there that's just quite missed in this innocent and informal leather and studs NWOBHM take of a slow ballad. Still, Priest made it such a catchy and iconic song somewhat and though it lacks the emotion in the recording, live, oh live it takes an entirely different form.

Judas Priest - The Green Manalishi

Yeah, I've heard the Fleetwood Mac version and well, although its not as dark I think Judas Priest just almost steal this song as their own. Putting in some grinding, haunting riffs and some air guitarrable lush-ness. With some awesome screaming at the end which has become as iconic as the song itself. Yep, good cover, in fact, my inner fanboy says its better! *gasp*

I'd list more but I can't really be arsed. So yeah, what about you guys?

[NorthernChaosGod]

[obligatory]Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Johnny Cash - Hurt[/obligatory]

Didn't we have a thread like this not that long ago? I think my memory is running together.

[Clo]

I feel like every cover of Hallelujah is better than Cohen's original.

[Elskidor]

These types of lists can get very dangerous. One persons treasure is another persons trash I guess. I like a lot of covers better than the originals though. Most of Johnny Cash' covers I find better than the originals (even the Beatles and Dylan), and Nirvana's Unplugged album beats most of the originals too. Yet, I consider just about anyone who's covered Queen, GN'R, NIN, Fleetwood Mac and some of my favorite bands to fall way short on quality when compared to the original. There is nothing wrong with them, but it's hard to see them as better as something you grew up on and loved from the start. But I will add...

Manfred Mann Earth Band - Blinded by the Light. It just ROCKS!! And I don't even know if Bruce Springsteen fans like the original, or how many people even know it was origanaly Springsteen's song.

[Pheesh]

Karnivool :: Sleeping Satellite

They took a lame song and made it awesome, nuff said really. Besides, that's their smurfing guitarist singing and he still owns. The singer just sits around until he does some harmonies at the end.

[Inferno]

Didn't we have a thread like this not that long ago? I think my memory is running together.

We did

[Breine]

I feel like every cover of Hallelujah is better than Cohen's original.

Seriously? The only great cover version of the song I can think of is Jeff Buckley's. All others are alright at best.

The original is great, and the fact that it's been covered so much is a bit of a shame.

[Raistlin]

This thread does come up every 6 months or so.

Two other covers I like (beyond those mentioned) are Nirvana's "The Man Who Stole the World" and APC's "Imagine."

[Shoden]

Oh and just for the sake of it I'll say this one:

Northern Kings - Don't Stop Believing

there's nothing WRONG with the original, or rather there wasn't until it was overplayed time and time again and murdered from karaoke wannabes. I hear covers of it all the time, yeah, fine, that's great!
But my problem is that it gets annoying after a while, club bands, pub bands have been covering and milking this song since it first came out surely so elsewhere people have been dreading this song for so much longer.
Its up there with Summer of 69, Sweet Child of Mine, You Shook Me All Night Long, Freebird and even now there's sex on fire to add to that list, good gods I could go on...

right, Northern Kings metalised this song, literally, they turned it from cheese to manliness with a bit of distortion, powerful vocals and a boatload less effeminate lovey dovey 80's charisma. They took the song and brought it out into a new genre and era and yet the only cover of it we see glorified commercially is smurfing Glee... Bloody hell man. Bloody hell. That's just evil.

/rant

[DMKA]

Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" is loads better than the original.

[Peegee]

[obligatory]Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower
Johnny Cash - Hurt[/obligatory]

Didn't we have a thread like this not that long ago? I think my memory is running together.

You took my Johnny Cash nomination.

[Elskidor]

I love Johnny Cash, but I can't see his version of Hurt loads over NIN. Infact, I wouldn't consider it better at all, just a great version Cash style. Trent's Hurt is my favorite off of the Downward Spiral cd though, so that's bias kicking in probably.

[leader of mortals]

I feel like every cover of Hallelujah is better than Cohen's original.

Seriously? The only great cover version of the song I can think of is Jeff Buckley's. All others are alright at best.

The original is great, and the fact that it's been covered so much is a bit of a shame.

I actually don't like Jeff's version too much, but John Cale's is, in my opinion, better than Cohen's. I love both, though, it's an amazing song.

[Shiny]

Beck's cover of Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime

[Shattered Dreamer]

Far - Long Snake Moan

It's a cover of PJ Harvey's song, the Far version has more "balls" (ironic given PJ is a women lol). If you could put PJ's vocal on a track with Far's music you'd have an epic tune.

Metallica - Whiskey In The Jar

I know Thin Lizzy's version isn't technically the original, it's a traditional Irish song made famous by The Dubliners. The Metallica version is my favorite.

Apologize - Silverstein

A cover of the One Republic hit song and it kicks some ass. Although is has to be said the screamo part is completely unnecessary and had they of left it out this cover would be even better!


30 Seconds To Mars - Stronger

A cover of Kanye West's remix of the Daft Punk song Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. This cover is just beautiful I recommend you check it out!