Best and Worst Remake of Song:

[k.ODOMA]

Botch - Main song from the opera Carmen (sorry but I don't remember the name)
Botch - Rock Lobster by the B52's
Limp Bizkit - Faith by George Michael (no I don't like any of their other stuff)
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson (ditto)
Frente! - Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order (acoustic guitar and female vocals - very fragile and good)
Johnny Cash - Hurt by Nine Inch Nails

 

[Jahn]

I remember thinking as a teen that "I can't help falling in love with you" by Lick the Tins off the "Some kind of wonderful" soundtrack was the best cover ever. Well, that and Red Red Wine by UB40. But that was another era, so use your judgement.

 

[Tyson]

Best - Holly Cole's "Temptation" album, all covers of Tom Waits songs - yummy.

 

[k.ODOMA]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn I remember thinking as a teen that "I can't help falling in love with you" by Lick the Tins off the "Some kind of wonderful" soundtrack was the best cover ever. Well, that and Red Red Wine by UB40. But that was another era, so use your judgement.

Red Red Wine is a good song. What's kind of weird is Neil Diamond is known to do UB40-inspired reggae versions of Red Red Wine.

 

[dave-the-rave]

Two Good ones:

1) Simon & Garfunkel's "America" performed by Yes (Live version on 'Keys to Ascension I,' studio version on various collections)

2) Neil Young's "Like A Hurricane" performed by Roxy Music ('Heart Still Beating' album)

 

[Sultan165]

I like the ataris version of boys of summer (don henley). Although not a total cover, the lauryn hill version of turn your lights down low is also kinda cool.

 

[abstruse]

I was at a concert a couple a weeks ago and the legendary Ignite(still rocking hard) where playing this awesome cover of sunday bloody sunday from U2.

Absolutely loved it!

 

[Paranoid Android]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJHK The absolute worst cover I ever heard would probably be Avril Lavigne's live cover of System of a Down's "Chop Suey." It sounds like a cat slowly being crushed to a bloody pulp, except that the cat happens to forget the words halfway into the song.

You beat me to it. Everyone here should hear it just to give themselves a perspective on how bad music can get. Make sure to wash out your ears after.

 

[Megaptera]

Moxy Fruvous has a bunch of interesting covers on their Live Noise album -- Jockey Full of Bourbon is the best of them, and they also do I've Got To Get a Message To You and Psycho Killer.

My current favorite would have to be Richard Thompson doing Oops, I Did it Again. Nothing can make the song not suck, but his talent and sense of humor is almost enough.

 

[diogenes]

I happen to be partial to Within Temptation's cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill."

 

[cpw]

These aren't even close to best worst but they are recent examples of tunes I liked/ didn't like in the original but the cover turned it around for me.

Hated:
Boys of Summer (original)
Loved:
Ataris cover version

Hated:
Somebody's Baby- Jackson Brown
Loved:
Phantom Planet cover

Loved:
Grand Funk Railroad- American Woman
Hated:
Lenny Kravitz version

 

[Hell_Gopher]

I downloaded that avril lavigne cover...unbelievable!

anyway...
best cover: indigo girls "down by the river"
worst: see above

 

[Jahn]

Best Remake of the Worst song - Richard Cheese doing a lounge version of Sir Mix Alot - Baby Got Back. Groovy.

 

[daycart1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpw Loved: Grand Funk Railroad- American Woman Hated: Lenny Kravitz version

Wasn't American Woman done by an outfit named "Guess Who"? If GFR did it, I think they were covering the aforementioned Guess Who.

 

[dd3mon]

I share the sentiments of many of you regarding these covers, but I thought I'd share one I didn't see mentioned.

Foo Fighters - Baker Street

Pretty good. It's on the now-fairly-rare My Hero EP (if anyone can hook me up shoot me a PM!)

As for bad, it's not really a cover per se, but Kid Rock has bastardized many riffs from songs by Metallica and other decent rock bands. He's probably my least favorite rock star, ever.

-dd3mon