Roxor Blog

Okay this one is for the ninja - in reponse to the worst cover songs available on the interweb he asked for the best covers of all time, so here ya go:

1. Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee ( Kris Kristofferson )
2. All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix ( Bob Dylan )
3. Respect - Aretha Franklin ( Otis Redding )
4. Statesboro Blues - Allman Brothers ( Blind Willie McTell )
5. Hurt - Johnny Cash ( Nine Inch Nails )
6. Babe I’m Gonna Leave You - Led Zeppelin ( Joan Baez )
7. Backdoor Man - The Doors ( Howlin Wolf )
8. Love Hurts - Nazareth ( Roy Orbison )
9. Take Me To The River - Talking Heads ( Al Green )
10. Soft Cell - Tainted Love ( Gloria Jones )
11. Wonderwall - Ryan Adams ( Oasis )
12. Black Magic Woman - Santana ( Fleetwood Mac )
13. Feelin’ Alright - Joe Cocker ( Traffic )
14. Summertime Blues - The Who ( Eddir Cochran )
15. Green Manalishi - Judas Priest ( Fleetwood Mac )
16. Hard To Handle - Black Crowes ( Otis Redding )
17. Heard It Through The Grapevine - CCR ( Gladys Night & the Pips )
18. Kick Out The Jams - Rage Against The Machine ( MC5 )
19. Piece Of My Heart - Big Brother and the Holding Company ( Erma Franklin )
20. The First Cut is the Deepest - Rod Stewerat ( Cat Stevens )
21. I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself - The White Stripes ( Dusty Springfield )
22. Satisfaction - Devo ( The Rolling Stones )
23. Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies ( Velvet Underground )
24. Mr Tambourine Man - The Byrds ( Bob Dylan )
25. Superstar - Sonic Youth (The Carpenters)
26. After Midnight - Eric Clapton ( JJ cale )

Okay, just one more reason to love the interweb - I love cover songs especially when they are a little askew ( for example I just made a Mix CD of Prince covers- the Marshall Crenshaw cover of Take Me With U is especially good ). Not to mention that some of the best recordings of all times were covers ( think All Along the Watchtower, Babe I�m Gonna Leave You, Me and Bobby McGee, and Respect to name just a few ).

But now, thanks to the mother of all networks, you can find any number of really bad covers. Want proof - well click on over to The Metalizer and check out Angel of the Morning. Oy.

Not bad enough, how about this guy doing Smooth Criminal acoustically with a bad French accent. Want more? How about the Dokaka version of Teen Spirit?

Still reading this post? Still want some more bad covers? Okay here goes: What would it sound like if, some Lounge Lizzard decided to try and cover The Boss? Click to find out.  What about Aqualung done lounge lizard style? But of course.

 I’m thinkin’ Celine Dion never Shook anyone All Night Long

Then there is this cover of People are Strange by Edward Furlong, The Beatle’s Eleanor Rigby butchered by Panic, and many, many obscure people covering obscure songs.

There is even a 20 Covers Audio test where you try and name each artist and each song, not to mention a blog about nothing but cover songs.

What did we do before the Intertubes?

One of the strangest mutations of pop culture is the cover band that only covers songs by a single band - yes I am talking about the tribute band.

From Neil Deal ( a Neil Young and Crazy Horse tribute band ) to Mini Kiss ( YOU wanted the littlest, you got the littlest… ) the world is replete with musicians so obsessed with their heros that they cover them day in and day out. You’ve got 2U, Achtung Babies, and U2Zoo.

Led Zepagain, Led Zepplica, and Fred Zeppelin.

Even acts as obscure as BoDeans and Wishbone Ash have tribute bands.

If you’ve just got to have more tribute band info check out Tribute City or Tribute Band.