Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

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spiritualized
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Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by spiritualized »

Lo and behold, here is the newest game in town, where you nominated the best cover versions in your musical culture and decided that the later version was far better than the original one.
Were your tastes in line with the general consensus, or is it just you ?
Time to find out !

The game will start with all 128 songs pitted against their original versions, in groups of 4, two per week. A couple of songs will not make the cut, as we have 130 unique nominations

You don't have to have nominated to participate.

Please feel free to add any comment, I hope there will be plenty to discuss.

Vote for who you think penned the best version of the song. If the original wins, the cover is eliminated.

In the second round, only cover versions will remain and they will be pitted against each other in a different voting format (to be determined by the number of songs going through the first stage.

The Spotify playlist is in order of original, then cover. Uilab's and Red House Painters' cover are unavailable on Spotify, you have a YT link

The votes will close next Sunday @ 12:00 Western European, get your votes in early ! Good luck & Have FUN !

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno vs Uilab (YT)
Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud vs Frank Sinatra
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails vs Johnny Cash
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel vs Nina Simone

Group 6
Doin' Time - Sublime vs Lana Del Rey
All Mixed Up - The Cars vs Red House Painters (YT)
The Partisan - Anna Marly vs Leonard Cohen
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan vs Peter Paul & Mary


Henry
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Henry »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno
Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud vs Frank Sinatra (haven't heard either version yet - TBD)
Hurt - Johnny Cash
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Nina Simone

Group 6
Doin' Time - Sublime (tough call)
All Mixed Up - The Cars vs Red House Painters (YT) (TBD)
The Partisan - Anna Marly vs Leonard Cohen (TBD)
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan (close call)
slick
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by slick »

I have not been on the site for a couple of weeks so I missed out on some rounds.... great game!!!

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno
What Now My Love - Frank Sinatra
Hurt - Johnny Cash
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Nina Simone

Group 6
Doin' Time - Lana Del Rey
All Mixed Up - The Cars
The Partisan - Anna Marly
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan

It is almost impossible for me to vote against NIN in anything, but this is one of the times as "Hurt" has become Johnny's song!!!
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spiritualized
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by spiritualized »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Uilab
Being a big fan of Stereolab, I had to vote for this collaboration (no idea who UI is though). Sadier's voice is better than ever (they really should have made more use of harmonies in Stereolab). They made a much better keyboard sound than the original.

Et Maintenant - Gilbert Bécaud
I knew the original, not the cover. Maybe just being French helps me towards Becaud's sincere delivery.

Hurt - Nine Inch Nails
What a tough one. Cash made a brand new song, but I love NIN, especially this album. The song provides a welcome break in the sheer industrial attack that the Downward Spiral became. Cash's version is so heartfelt and emotional though. It's shorter (I don't see the point of the last 30 seconds of NIN's song). But irrespective of this, I cannot vote against the original.

Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel
Again, the French in me has some difficulties with Simone's accent. I don't think she is bringing a lot more to the song.

Group 6
Doin' Time - Lana Del Rey
Very tough one. I think I heard Del Rey's version first. The original is more dance-oriented and LDR has upped the tempo slightly. Her voice is also very good, so I'm going to go for the cover.

All Mixed Up - Red House Painters
I knew the cover before the original - RHP's instrumentation is just beautiful in the cover. Much better than the original

The Partisan - Leonard Cohen
Here is a case of a French song which was bettered by the Canadian songwriter. The subject matter is central here, but very little remains of the original. Yet Cohen has laid down an absolute classic from this resistance song.

Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan
I don't like Dylan's voice in this song, but PPM are not bringing much to the table. A better cover of it is Neil Young's live version on Weld, much better stuff
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by DaveC »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno vs Uilab
Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud vs Frank Sinatra
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails vs Johnny Cash
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel vs Nina Simone

Group 6
Doin' Time - Sublime vs Lana Del Rey
All Mixed Up - The Cars vs Red House Painters
The Partisan - Anna Marly vs Leonard Cohen
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan vs Peter Paul & Mary
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Miguel
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Miguel »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno
Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud
Hurt - Johnny Cash
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel

Group 6
Doin' Time - Lana Del Rey
All Mixed Up - Red House Painters
The Partisan - Leonard Cohen
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan
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Rob
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Rob »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno
Uilab definitely adds something new to the song and it works, but what makes the original so memorable is Fripp's odd guitar work and there is nothing on the Uilab take that matches it.

Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud
I do not speak French, but still that version speaks more to me. Sinatra gives his best Sinatra-style performance, but still there is more power in Bécaud.

Hurt - Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash' Hurt has, with Jimi Hendrix' All Along the Watchtower, become something of the defining statement on how a cover should be done. An absolute reinvention of a kind were it hardly matters anymore which you prefer, because they work on another level. The Cash song is a solid top 100 entry for me and as such it means a whole lot to me. I like Nine Inch Nails a lot, but this song actually never did much for me. It's not a hard choice, frankly.

Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel
I love Nina Simone to death, but this is a cover I wish she hadn't done. She was one of the best vocalists we've ever had, but Jacques Brel was one of the few who could better her. His deep reading of his own lines is chilling, even if I don't understand the words. Simone on the other hand, struggles with the language and even as a non-French speaker I find her accent a bit too thick. Besides, part of the power of the Brel version is the sparse arrangement that creates a cold, hollow atmosphere that is powerful. The more fuller Simone take only makes it more conventional. One of those covers I don't see the need for.


Group 6
Doin' Time - Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey doesn't do all that much different, but what difference there is, is crucial. She basically focusses more on the melody and relegates the prominent beat of the original to a supporting role. It makes the song more sweet and smooth. That goes well with her beautiful voice, which contrasts with the raucous original.

All Mixed Up - The Cars
The Red House Paints take is a case of going for an opposite tone. The tongue-in-cheek happy-go-lucky song by The Cars is given a more sincere reworking. It fits well with those lyrics. Still, The Cars get me more. As usual I find Red House Painters just a little too quiet.

The Partisan - Leonard Cohen
The Anna Marly version was apparently very important for the French people during World War II, but it doesn't quite move me now. Cohen's take, which mixes the English translation with the French original (he didn't write either of them), becomes something with a more eternal feel.

Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan
An easy victory for the stark, simple original over the polished sainthood of the cover.

This time, in an inversion of last week, the originals win with 5 to 3. That means that actually the total score in the battle between originals and covers is back to 50/50.
hero
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by hero »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno vs Uilab
Never heard of Uilab before and quite a good version of a great song. But still I prefer Brian Enos version.

Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud vs Frank Sinatra
I love Frank Sinatra but not one of my favorite tracks by him. The specific song suits Gilbert Bécaud better and his more mellow original.

Hurt - Nine Inch Nails vs Johnny Cash
I love both versions and it feels like total different songs. I'm gonna go for the cover here.

Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel vs Nina Simone
A real tough one. I like both versions and Nina Simone is an old favorite of mine. Still I think I enjoy the original more.

Group 6
Doin' Time - Sublime vs Lana Del Rey
One of my favorite songs of the 90's. Lana Del Rey did it justice but I still prefer Sublime. Was actually thinking about nominating this song myself but wasn't sure if the Sublime version can be labeled as an original being so heavily sampled. I was thinking having Summertime as the original and Sublime version as the cover :)

All Mixed Up - The Cars vs Red House Painters (YT)
Both nice but really like the eightiness (Made up word) of The Cars version.

The Partisan - Anna Marly vs Leonard Cohen
Didn't realize this was a cover. But one of Cohens better songs, the original didn't do that much for me.

Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan vs Peter Paul & Mary
Still a good song but maybe one of the most overrated song in history in my book. Peter Paul and Mary always sounds like a church choir. Bob Dylan wins by a landslide here for me.
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Cadavaca »

Group 5: Only one cover wins out.
Brian Eno vs. Uilab
Gilbert Bécaud vs. Frank Sinatra
Nine Inch Nails vs. Johnny Cash
Jacques Brel vs. Nina Simone

Group 6: Only one original holds on.
Sublime vs. Lana Del Rey
The Cars vs. Red House Painters
Anna Marly vs. Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan vs. Peter, Paul & Mary

The Uilab and Lana Del Rey versions are about on par with the originals, but not better. Peter, Paul & Mary turned a poem into a song.
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bonnielaurel
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by bonnielaurel »

Group 5
Brian Eno
Gilbert Bécaud
Johnny Cash
Jacques Brel

I like Frank Sinatra, but the original has better lyrics, colorful orchestration and that bolero rhythm.
I like Nina Simone, but she has a terrible accent in French.

Group 6

Lana Del Rey
The Cars
Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan

I like PP&M, but they can't beat Dylan's harmonica.
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by phil »

Group 5:
Brian Eno vs. Uilab
Gilbert Bécaud vs. Frank Sinatra
Nine Inch Nails vs. Johnny Cash
Jacques Brel vs. Nina Simone

Group 6:
Sublime vs. Lana Del Rey
The Cars vs. Red House Painters
Anna Marly vs. Leonard Cohen
Bob Dylan vs. Peter, Paul & Mary
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spiritualized
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by spiritualized »

I had to put the game on pause for just a sec. This has just been released, so not eligible (although it may appear if the game carries on several seasons)

Lisa Loeb - Stay (I missed you)

and a surprise :
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Listyguy »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno vs Uilab (YT)
Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud vs Frank Sinatra
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails vs Johnny Cash
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel vs Nina Simone

Group 6
Doin' Time - Sublime vs Lana Del Rey
All Mixed Up - The Cars vs Red House Painters (YT)
The Partisan - Anna Marly vs Leonard Cohen
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan vs Peter Paul & Mary
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Safetycat
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Safetycat »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno > Uilab
Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud > Frank Sinatra
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails < Johnny Cash
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel > Nina Simone

Group 6
Doin' Time - Sublime < Lana Del Rey
All Mixed Up - The Cars < Red House Painters
The Partisan - Anna Marly < Leonard Cohen
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan > Peter Paul & Mary
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Romain »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno
Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud
Hurt - Johnny Cash
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel

Group 6
Doin' Time - Sublime Both are great.
All Mixed Up - The Cars
The Partisan - Leonard Cohen
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Schüttelbirne »

Group 5
Brian Eno | St. Elmo's Fire vs. Uilab | St. Elmo's Fire
Gilbert Bécaud | Et Maintenant vs. Frank Sinatra | What Now My Love
Nine Inch Nails | Hurt vs. Johnny Cash | Hurt
Jacques Brel | Ne me quitte pas vs. Nina Simone | Ne me quitte pas

Group 6
Sublime | Doin' Time vs. Lana Del Rey | Doin' Time
The Cars | All Mixed Up vs. Red House Painters | All Mixed Up
Anna Marly | La complainte du partisan vs. Leonard Cohen | The Partisan
Bob Dylan | Blowin' in the Wind vs. Peter, Paul and Mary | Blowin' in the Wind
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by SL3 »

That cover of Stay is fabulous!

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno vs Uilab
Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud vs Frank Sinatra
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails vs Johnny Cash
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel vs Nina Simone

Group 6
Doin' Time - Sublime vs Lana Del Rey
All Mixed Up - The Cars vs Red House Painters
The Partisan - Anna Marly vs Leonard Cohen
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan vs Peter Paul & Mary
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Nassim »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Brian Eno vs Uilab
My nomination, but honestly I don't think the cover is miles better... just a teeny little bit, if I'm going to listen to one of those I'll pick the Uilab version if only because Sadier's voice is more enjoyable than Eno (well, actually if I'm on Spotify I wouldn't have the choice, but hypothetically...)
Et Maintenant / What Now My Love - Gilbert Bécaud vs Frank Sinatra
I like the anger and Despair in Bécaud's voice more than the too upbeat tone of Sinatra, and I also think the French arrangement is better. Sinatra did better in adapting Comme d'Habitude by changing the bitter lyrics of the French one into the celebratory anthem that is My Way, here he kept the tone of the lyrics but not the mood of the music, doesn't work as well.
Hurt - Nine Inch Nails vs Johnny Cash
Yes, the Johnny Cash version is the textbook definition of a great cover, bringing personal new meaning to someone else's song, I have 0 trouble calling it one of the 10 greatest covers ever, but if I'm being honest, the NIN version is a 10, the Cash version is a 9.5 (both are in my all time top 1000)
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel vs Nina Simone
2 all time great performers, it's hard to top the Grand Jacques and the language barreer probably stopped Nina Simone from succeeding. I wouldn't complain too much about the accent, I've heard much worse... plus if you can put up with Christine and the Queens' accent when she sings in English, we can be lenient too.

Group 6
Doin' Time - Sublime vs Lana Del Rey
Well, didn't know that one of the few songs I can stand in NFR is actually a cover...
All Mixed Up - The Cars vs Red House Painters
For some reason I'm usually a bit bored by Red House Painters (as well as Sun Kil Moon) which always feels a bit odd as it's not the slowest or most bare music I listen too and you will find in the "similar to" and "influenced by" section of allmusic a lot of artists I really love (much less in the "followed by" though). It's a nice cover though, but I like the Cars version's mood a bit more.
The Partisan - Anna Marly vs Leonard Cohen
I actually had a cover of the Partisan in my short list of covers, considering that Cohen's version was the original. I'd call that an adaptation more than a cover maybe ? Not sure... Cohen's version is in my top 1000 anyway, possibly my 3rd favorite song from a singer I deeply love.
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan vs Peter Paul & Mary
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Rob
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by Rob »

Nassim wrote: Thu Dec 02, 2021 9:56 am I wouldn't complain too much about the accent, I've heard much worse... plus if you can put up with Christine and the Queens' accent when she sings in English, we can be lenient too.
In my opinion Christine and the Queens in English sounds atrocious. Never understood that her English takes have outshone her French originals so much (although I guess I do understand in that English is the more commercial language). Both Christine and Nina Simone sound like they are warbling and as if they have a hard time pronouncing their non-native languages, taking away the fluidity of the songs. It's rather unpleasant to listen to for me.
The Partisan - Anna Marly vs Leonard Cohen
I actually had a cover of the Partisan in my short list of covers, considering that Cohen's version was the original. I'd call that an adaptation more than a cover maybe ? Not sure... Cohen's version is in my top 1000 anyway, possibly my 3rd favorite song from a singer I deeply love.
Cohen's version is an interesting case. He is no way the writer or original adapter of the song. The song was adapted in English before him. However, he did combine both the French and English versions and I think he was the first to do so.
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by TheLastEnemy »

Group 5
St Elmo's Fire - Uilab. Could have gone either way but I prefer the sound of Laetitia's voice.
Et Maintenant - Gilbert Bécaud. I like the rhythm and instrumentation of the original, the cover I found quite dull.
Hurt - Johnny Cash. Tough call, but as this is one of the best covers of all time I think it deserves to go through, much as I love the original.
Ne Me Quitte Pas - Jacques Brel. Love the original, the cover does nothing for me.

Group 6
Doin' Time - Lana Del Rey. Not necessarily better, but just more to my taste.
All Mixed Up - The Cars. Word for word as Rob's explanation above.
The Partisan - Leonard Cohen. The original feels very dated now.
Blowin' in The Wind - Bob Dylan. I like the cover, but the original does it for me.
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by mileswide »

Group 5
St. Elmo's Fire: 12. Brian Eno v. 7. Uilab
Et maintenant/What Now My Love: 5. Gilbert Bécaud v. 16. Frank Sinatra

Hurt: 3. Nine Inch Nails v. 2. Johnny Cash Barely anything to separate them quality-wise apart from the minor lyric changes ("crown of shit/thorns", "my empire of dust/dirt"), both songs are profoundly touching and lived-in.

Ne me quitte pas: 1. Jacques Brel v. 13. Nina Simone

Group 6
Doin' Time: 4. Sublime v. 11. Lana Del Rey
All Mixed up: 14. The Cars v. 6. Red House Painters
The Partisan: 10. Anna Marly v. 8. Leonard Cohen
Blowin' in the Wind: 9. Bob Dylan v. 15. Peter, Paul & Mary
All I got inside is vacancy!
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spiritualized
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Re: Cover Versions vs Originals - Week 3

Post by spiritualized »

And here are the results for this week !

Some very easy wins for most of the contestants.
One matchup was very tight (All Mixed Up)

Group 5
St. Elmo's Fire : Brian Eno v. Uilab (13-5)
Et maintenant/What Now My Love: Gilbert Bécaud v. Frank Sinatra (15-2)
Hurt: Nine Inch Nails v. Johnny Cash (3-15)
Ne me quitte pas: Jacques Brel v. Nina Simone (15-3)

Group 6
Doin' Time: Sublime v. Lana Del Rey (8-10)
All Mixed up: The Cars v. Red House Painters (9-8)
The Partisan: Anna Marly v. Leonard Cohen (1-16)
Blowin' in the Wind: Bob Dylan v. Peter, Paul & Mary (17-1)

Johnny Cash, Lana del Rey and Leonard Cohen advance to the next stage !
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