Stan is a work of creative genius. How Eminem took that song and did what he did is simply incredible to me.
Not rap, but Tommee Profitt has produced some amazing covers that (for me, anyway) take a song to a completely different place - Linkin Park's In The End, and Avicci's Wake Me Up are the two that immediately spring to mind. (The original In The End is probably still my favourite, but the cover is haunting)
Sleeping at Last have done some amazing covers; my favourite being Already Gone, which turns a lyrically great but musically stunted pop-original into an incredibly moving song.
I think my all time favourite cover is My Friend The Chocolate Cake's version of the 1980 Magazine song Song From Under The Floorboards. Though the musical difference is more subtle than in the ones you've mentioned, the changes just seem to bring the song to life, and I love that.
Yeah, 'Tom's Diner' by Suzanne Vega. DNA sampled it and the record company cried foul, threatened a lawsuit. But she liked it and made the track public domain, spawning many, many versions...to the point she could release an album (Tom's Album) of a selection of these versions. Some are brilliant, some less so, but it's interesting to see simple acapella track about eating breakfast morph to include so many narratives and styles (Gulf war? Check...accidental pregnancy? Why not?) The one that merges the 'I Dream Of Jeannie' theme is outstanding...
LOL kind of a remarkable story on all that... also how the original song, the orchestral rethinking, and then the Verve song ALL ended up being good... I should have included it in the piece!
Broken Social Scene’s cover of Joy Division’s Live Will Tear Us Apart, from the soundtrack of The Time Traveller’s Wife seems to add extra dimensions of feeling to the original.
I have you to thank for my current interest in teenage angst music (I am 54) when you recommended Olivia Rodrigo in a previous post. After getting drawn into her two albums am now listening to a Canadian called L0L0 much to my wife's amusement. Her "Hot Girls in Hell" track is excellent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx_FBXbdfAQ
Motörhead's cover of Heroes is one I always found particularly poignant, not least because it was reportedly the last song Lemmy recorded before he died.
In a similar vein but in reverse (so an artery?) ... though the original is a fave, this version of Where Is My Mind? is legit one of my favourite songs, it just makes me giddily happy.
Stan is a work of creative genius. How Eminem took that song and did what he did is simply incredible to me.
Not rap, but Tommee Profitt has produced some amazing covers that (for me, anyway) take a song to a completely different place - Linkin Park's In The End, and Avicci's Wake Me Up are the two that immediately spring to mind. (The original In The End is probably still my favourite, but the cover is haunting)
Sleeping at Last have done some amazing covers; my favourite being Already Gone, which turns a lyrically great but musically stunted pop-original into an incredibly moving song.
I think my all time favourite cover is My Friend The Chocolate Cake's version of the 1980 Magazine song Song From Under The Floorboards. Though the musical difference is more subtle than in the ones you've mentioned, the changes just seem to bring the song to life, and I love that.
Excellent, thank you — I'll go give those a listen :-)
I'd love to hear your thoughts if you get chance!
Wow! That Ice T take on Confortably Numb is just so intensely powerful.
I know right???
Just listened to it myself and...woah. I can't believe I haven't heard that before.
Yeah, 'Tom's Diner' by Suzanne Vega. DNA sampled it and the record company cried foul, threatened a lawsuit. But she liked it and made the track public domain, spawning many, many versions...to the point she could release an album (Tom's Album) of a selection of these versions. Some are brilliant, some less so, but it's interesting to see simple acapella track about eating breakfast morph to include so many narratives and styles (Gulf war? Check...accidental pregnancy? Why not?) The one that merges the 'I Dream Of Jeannie' theme is outstanding...
I didn't know about that... will go try to find it...
This was a pretty interesting rap take by Ren on The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony - https://youtu.be/H4GzsABwWO4?si=gSG5o9XsN_-oy60E
Can I cry foul and say it's the rolling stones rather than the verve?
Yes I am a twat 🙏
LOL kind of a remarkable story on all that... also how the original song, the orchestral rethinking, and then the Verve song ALL ended up being good... I should have included it in the piece!
Ooh. That is interesting.
Broken Social Scene’s cover of Joy Division’s Live Will Tear Us Apart, from the soundtrack of The Time Traveller’s Wife seems to add extra dimensions of feeling to the original.
It does, actually...
I have you to thank for my current interest in teenage angst music (I am 54) when you recommended Olivia Rodrigo in a previous post. After getting drawn into her two albums am now listening to a Canadian called L0L0 much to my wife's amusement. Her "Hot Girls in Hell" track is excellent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx_FBXbdfAQ
Okay that's FANTASTIC. Just shared with my son, who got me into Rodrigo in the first place... and thus the circle completes!
Rap wise I love the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy doing California Uber Alles. Still one of the best intros in music!
I've mentioned it before but This Mortal Coil doing Song to the Siren by Jeff Buckley. Transcendentally beautiful.
Hadn't heard California UA before — that's great!
Love Bodycount and Floyd. Never heard about this collaboration before but the result is epic! Thanks for sharing.
I found it by accident a couple months ago soon after release and just sat there listening to it again and again...
Fascinating! You missed your calling, Rolling Stone columnist in the 70s or 80s.
Ha — yes, fair :-)
Wow. Love these takes.
Great, aren't they!
Motörhead's cover of Heroes is one I always found particularly poignant, not least because it was reportedly the last song Lemmy recorded before he died.
I do like that a lot. Something so surprising about it.
And the Violent Femmes cover of Crazy is well worth your time, IMO.
Will check!
Well, of course, The Beatles did it to themselves - Revolution Number 9 is quite a distance from Revolution Number 1
Oh, you mean like when Andrew Lloyd Webber did this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2jUeb5kYDU&t=37s
In a similar vein but in reverse (so an artery?) ... though the original is a fave, this version of Where Is My Mind? is legit one of my favourite songs, it just makes me giddily happy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv-HKv2Ndgo
Alice Donut's cover/parody of the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back" is a whole lot of fun https://youtu.be/0b6G3AW1_QQ?si=-FT1DeWTpG1Ukmid
Yes, that absolutely counts and is an absolute banger.