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I think cover versions are interesting – it’s easy to see how the components of a song can be applicable to various genres.

Some good covers I’ve heard:
Johnny Cash – Hurt (from Nine Inch Nails)
Fiona Apple – Across the Universe (from the Beatles)
Mary J. Blige – Misty Blue
Sia – Paranoid Android (from Radiohead)
Al Green and Joss Stone – How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (from the BeeGees)
The Little Willies – Love Me (from Elvis)

Some cover songs are so good that we don’t even realize they are covers…like Aretha’s Respect and Jimi’s All Along the Watchtower. Also, I am tempted to add William Shatner’s version of “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”, but I don’t even know whether to put it as the best or the worst cover.

One bad cover I’ve heard is Cat Power’s Sea of Love. I absolutely adore her, but I could not stand this cover at all – it sounds very tinny.

Cover versions are great. They’re refreshing and allow musicians to bring their favourite songs one step closer to perfection.

Some of the best covers I’ve got at the top of my head for the moment:

• Why Can’t We Be Friends (Smash Mouth covering War)
• All Along the Watchtower (U2 covering Jimi Hendrix covering Bob Dylen)
• Helter Skelter (U2 covering the Beatles)
• Like a Rolling Stone (The Rolling Stones covering Bob Dylen)
• Take Me to the River (Talking Heads covering Al Green)

I’ll definitely add more later, plus my least-favourite covers.

Anybody else wants to contribute?

Here’s my list:

Best (needless to say, I love all the originals too)

- Stairway to heaven – Dread Zeppelin covering Led Zeppelin. Unbelievable!
- All along the watchtower – Dave Matthews band covering Dylan. Hendrix’s cover is much acclaimed and obviously I love that too.
- Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley covering Leonard Cohen
- Hush – Kula Shaker covering Deep Purple
- Hurt – Johnny Cash covering NIN. This is so damn awesome that Trent Reznor said “I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn’t mine anymore…”. ‘Nuff said!
- All Beatles covers by Joe Cocker
- Man who sold the world – Nirvana covering Bowie
- Lake of fire – Nirvana covering The Meat Puppets
- Wish you were here – Sparklehorse and Thom Yorke covering Pink Floyd
- Turn the page – Metallica covering Bob Seger
- Stand by me – John Lennon covering Ben King
- Sweet Home Chicago – Buddy Guy covering Robert Johnson

Will list out the worst ones later.

My favourite cover right is Nina Simone’s “Wild is the Wind”. It was originally recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1957, whom I also adore, for a film by the same name.

Nina’s version is very sweet and full of melancholy. I really love it. The piano accompaniment really adds a haunting touch. David Bowie and Cat Power also recorded some interesting covers of this song.

More good covers:

• I Fought the Law (Green Day covering the Clash covering the Crickets)
• Roll Over Beethoven (ELO covering Chuck Berry)
• I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself (White Stripes covering Dusty Springfield)
• I Am The Walrus (Oasis covering the Beatles)
• When the Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin covering Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie or something like that)

One of the worst covers I can think of is Scissor Sisters covering Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” – as close to sacrilege for me as anything can be. Surprisingly though, David Gilmour reportedly found it “interesting”. I wish that was a euphemism!

Another cover that I find somewhat blasphemous is Judas Priest’s take on Joan Baez’s “Diamonds and Rust”. Why oh why did a metal band have to cover a melancholy romantic number at all?

Metallica’s version of “Whiskey in the Jar” totally ruins the beautiful classic rock feel that Thin Lizzy’s original has. Robbie Williams’ cover of “We are the Champions” is also irritating. His attempt to imitate the inimitable Freddie Mercury is cringe-worthy for some reason.

I don’t particularly like GNR’s “Knockin’ on heaven’s door” either. It’s ok, but doesn’t hold a candle to the original.

One cover that I can’t classify either among the best or the worst is Wyclef Jean’s hip-hop version of Floyd’s “Wish you were here”. It’s kinda interesting, mostly cos you don’t expect a hip-hop artist to cover progressive rock numbers. Also, Jean is pretty damn good on the vocals.

Oh yea, almost forgot, Limp Bizkit covering The Who’s “Behind blue eyes” is an event worth mention in the rock ‘n’ roll hall of shame.

Have you heard Mark Ronson’s “Version” CD? They’re all covers by famous artists. They’re incredibly interesting. I really love Ronson’s producing – he’s influenced everyone from hip hop to rock. Not necessarily my favourite covers but definitely worth a quick listen.

Some of my favourite songs from this CD are:

• Amy Winehouse – “Valerie” (original: The Zutons). Somehow they turned this mellow rock song into a more funky version of itself. Ronson’s use of brass instruments, piano riffs and drum rhythms make it gel with her jazzy vocals.
• The Daptone Horns – “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” (original: Coldplay). This sort of takes away from the haunting melody of Coldplay’s original version, but it’s definitely catchy. It sounds like some hip big band.
• Lily Allen – “Oh My God” (original: Kaiser Chiefs). Really cool take on this rock song!

Do you guys like those Scandinavian heavy metal type covers? I think some people like them and some people hate them. There are some good ones out there though.

A classic one is HIM’s cover of “Wicked Game”. One of my personal favourites. The Northern Kings (an all-star group, apparently) also has quite a few interesting covers up their sleeves, including Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”.